Showing papers in "International Journal of Rotating Machinery in 2010"

Model Reduction Methods for Rotor Dynamic Analysis: A Survey and Review

Abstract: The focus of this literature survey and review is model reduction methods and their application to rotor dynamic systems. Rotor dynamic systems require careful consideration in their dynamic models as they include unsymmetric stiffness, localized nonproportional damping, and frequency-dependent gyroscopic effects. The literature reviewed originates from both controls and mechanical systems analysis and has been previously applied to rotor systems. This survey discusses the previous literature reviews on model reduction, reduction methods applied to rotor systems, the current state of these reduction methods in rotor dynamics, and the ability of the literature to reduce the complexities of large order rotor dynamic systems but allow accurate solutions.

Gear Fault Detection Based on Teager-Huang Transform

Abstract: Gear fault detection based on Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Teager Kaiser Energy Operator (TKEO) technique is presented. This novel method is named as Teager-Huang transform (THT). EMD can adaptively decompose the vibration signal into a series of zero mean Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). TKEO can track the instantaneous amplitude and instantaneous frequency of the Intrinsic Mode Functions at any instant. The experimental results provide effective evidence that Teager-Huang transform has better resolution than that of Hilbert-Huang transform. The Teager-Huang transform can effectively diagnose the fault of the gear, thus providing a viable processing tool for gearbox defect detection and diagnosis.

Approximated Stiffness Coefficients in Rotor Systems Supported by Bearings with Clearance

Abstract: Many kinds of rotating machinery are supported by bearings with clearance, which are further clamped in a supporting structure. When designing such machinery it is important to be able to predict dynamics and hence valid models are needed. Due to gravity, the shaft often vibrates close to a static equilibrium position leading to a possibility to linearise the equation of motion. Although several studies on bearings with clearance exist, there are still no reports on how such clearances affects the stiffness coefficients close to a static equilibrium position. Therefore, analytical expressions for such approximated pedestal stiffness coefficients have been derived in this paper. By using such approximated pedestals in simple rotordynamical models, it was found that the eigenfrequencies decrease significantly with clearance. It is further shown that the approximated pedestal stiffness coefficients only will be valid for vibrations close to the static equilibrium position.

Study of Sweep and Induced Dihedral Effects in Subsonic Axial Flow Compressor Passages—Part II: Detailed Study of the Effects on Tip Leakage Phenomena

Abstract: This article presents the detailed study of rotor tip leakage related phenomena in a low speed axial compressor rotor passages for three sweep configurations [Unswept (UNS), Tip Chordline Swept (TCS) and Axially Swept (AXS)]. Fifteen domains are numerically studied with 5 sweep configurations (0°, 20° TCS, 30° TCS, 20° AXS, and 30° AXS) and for 3 tip clearances (0.0%, 0.7% and 2.7% of the blade chord). Results were well validated with experimental data. Observations near the tip reveal that UNS rotor shows high sensitivity than the swept rotors in the blade pressure distribution with change in tip clearance. AXS rotor has high loading capability and less tip clearance effect on blade loading at the near stall mass flow. Downstream shift of the vortex rollup along the chord is observed with increased flow coefficient and increment in the tip gap height. In particular, the effect of flow coefficient is more predominant on this effect. Tip vortex-related flow blockage is less with the swept rotors. Among the rotors, the AXS rotor is found to incur low total pressure losses attributable to tip leakage. Effect of incidence is observed on the flow leakage direction.

Numerical Investigation of Velocity Flow Field inside an Impeller Air Model of a Centrifugal Pump with Vaned Diffuser Interactions and Comparison with PIV Measurements

Abstract: The paper refers to the analysis of interactions between the impeller and the vaned diffuser on the air model of a radial flow pump. The study deals with a numerical simulation of the flow for a full 360° entire impeller and diffuser. The task is carried out close to design operating conditions and for one particular position of the impeller blade with respect to diffuser frame. Among all the results, it has been decided to mainly focus on the flow pattern at the exit part inside the impeller coming from the diffuser vanes interactions. The results are compared to the available PIV measurements.

Influence of Thermodynamic Effect on Blade Load in a Cavitating Inducer

Abstract: Distribution of the blade load is one of the design parameters for a cavitating inducer. For experimental investigation of the thermodynamic effect on the blade load, we conducted experiments in both cold water and liquid nitrogen. The thermodynamic effect on cavitation notably appears in this cryogenic fluid although it can be disregarded in cold water. In these experiments, the pressure rise along the blade tip was measured. In water, the pressure increased almost linearly from the leading edge to the trailing edge at higher cavitation number. After that, with a decrease of cavitation number, pressure rise occurred only near the trailing edge. On the other hand, in liquid nitrogen, the pressure distribution was similar to that in water at a higher cavitation number, even if the cavitation number as a cavitation parameter decreased. Because the cavitation growth is suppressed by the thermodynamic effect, the distribution of the blade load does not change even at lower cavitation number. By contrast, the pressure distribution in liquid nitrogen has the same tendency as that in water if the cavity length at the blade tip is taken as a cavitation indication. From these results, it was found that the shift of the blade load to the trailing edge depended on the increase of cavity length, and that the distribution of blade load was indicated only by the cavity length independent of the thermodynamic effect.

Condition Monitoring of Forward Curved Centrifugal Blower Using Coast Down Time Analysis

Abstract: Mechanical malfunctions such as, rotor unbalance and shaft misalignment are the most common causes of vibration in rotating machineries. Vibration is the most widely used parameter to monitor and asses the machine health condition. In this work, the Coast Down Time (CDT), which is an indicator of faults, is used to assess the condition of the rotating machine as a condition monitoring parameter. CDT is the total time taken by the system to dissipate the momentum acquired during sustained operation. Extensive experiments were conducted on Forward Curved Centrifugal Blower Test Rig at selected cutoff speeds for several combinations of combined horizontal and vertical parallel misalignment, combined parallel and angular misalignment, as well as for various unbalance conditions. As mechanical faults increase, a drastic decrease in CDT is found and this is represented as CDT reduction percentage. A specific correlation between the CDT reduction percentage, level of mechanical faults, and rotational cutoff speeds is observed. The results are analyzed and compared with vibration analysis for potential use of CDT as one of the condition monitoring parameter.

Analysis of Acoustic Cavitation Surge in a Rocket Engine Turbopump

Abstract: In a liquid rocket engine, cavitation in an inducer of a turbopump sometimes causes instability phenomena when the inducer is operated at low inlet pressure. Cavitation surge (auto-oscillation), one such instability phenomenon, has been discussed mainly based on an inertia model assuming incompressible flow. When this model is used, the frequency of the cavitation surge decreases continuously as the inlet pressure of the turbopump decreases. However, we obtained an interesting experimental result in which the frequency of cavitation surge varied discontinuously. Therefore, we employed one-dimensional analysis based on an acoustic model in which the fluid is assumed to be compressible. The analytical result qualitatively corresponded with the experimental result.

Effects of the Hot Alignment of a Power Unit on Oil-Whip Instability Phenomena

Abstract: This paper shows the results of the analysis of the dynamic behaviour of a power unit, whose shaft-train alignment was significantly influenced by the machine thermal state, that was affected in operating condition by high subsynchronous vibrations caused by oil-whip instability phenomena. The dynamic stiffness coefficients of the oil-film journal bearings of the generator were evaluated considering the critical average journal positions that caused the instability onsets. By including these bearing coefficients in a mathematical model of the fully assembled machine, the real part of the eigenvalue associated with the first balance resonance of the generator rotor became positive. This paper shows the successful results obtained by combining diagnostic techniques based on mathematical models of journal bearings and shaft train with detailed analyses of monitoring data aimed to investigate the effects of the hot alignment of rotating machines on the occurrence of oil-whip instability onsets.