Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos of a Nonsmooth Rotor-Stator System

Abstract

Rotor systems have wide applications in industries, including aero engines, turbo generators, and gas turbines. Critical behaviors promoted by the system unbalance and the contact between rotor and stator lead to important nonlinearities on system dynamics. This paper investigates the complex behavior presented by a rotor-stator system’s dynamics due to intermittent contact. A four-degree-of-freedom Jeffcott nonsmooth rotor/stator system is used to describe the rotor behavior, while a viscoelastic suspended rigid cylinder represents the stator. Numerical simulations are carried out showing rich dynamics that include periodic, quasiperiodic, and chaotic responses. Special attention is dedicated to chaotic behavior and the calculation of Lyapunov exponents is employed as a diagnostic tool.