Dynamic Coefficients of Axial Spline Couplings in High-Speed Rotating Machinery

Abstract

This paper provided the first opportunity to quantify the angular stiffness and equivalent viscous damping coefficients of an axial spline coupling used in highspeed turbomachinery. The bending moments and angular deflections transmitted across an axial spline coupling were measured while a nonrotating shaft was excited by an external shaker. A rotordynamics computer program was used to simulate the test conditions and to correlate the angular stiffness and damping coefficients. The effects of external force and frequency were also investigated. The angular stiffness and damping coefficients were used to perform a linear steady-state rotordynamics stability analysis, and the unstable natural frequency was calculated and compared to the experimental measurements.