Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME 6730 – Design Stream Laboratory

Experiment # 7 - ROTOR DYNAMICS: Critical Speed and Unbalance response

Aim
To determine the natural frequency of the rotor bearing system by using FFT/FRF (Modal Testing) and
comparing with theoretical calculations; also to observe rotor orbits at different speeds and plotting the
unbalance response versus speed.

Brief Theory
The rotor system with a the rigid disc and a flexible shaft supported on roller bearings can be represented as
a single degree of freedom (DOF) system as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Simple model of a rotor-bearing system

The mechanical system should not be allowed to run at its natural frequencies or else will lead to resonance
and with severe vibration can cause the failure of the machine. Although damping cannot be neglected in
reality, the effect of damping on the natural frequency being small, one can start the rotor analysis with
undamped natural frequencies. Even in complex systems, the fundamental natural frequency is quite useful
and very important. The system can be simplified into single DOF and can be analyzed for rotor dynamic
behaviour.

Critical speed:
A rotor-bearing system like any vibrating system has an infinite number of degrees of freedom, hence is
expected to have infinite natural frequencies, although only first few are of relevance and are of practical
importance. When one of the natural frequencies is excited by rotor unbalance rotating at shaft speed, the
shaft speed which coincides with that natural frequency is called a critical speed. It is similar to resonance of
a vibrating system. The excitation in the case of a rotor is due to unbalance when the rotor rotates at a speed,
hence this resonant frequency (Speed) is known as critical speed, where the response is maximum. A rotating
shaft tends to bow out with large amplitude at this speed of rotation. This phenomenon is known as the
whirling of the shaft. The speed at which it occurs is called the critical speed.

Jeffcott Rotor- Unbalance response:

mx  Cx  Kx  me2 cos t ; my  Cy  Ky  me 2 sin t  mg (1,2)

The solution for such synchronous whirling is,

me 2 me 2
x cost    ; y sin t    (3,4)
K  m  2 2
 C  2
K  m 2 2
 C  2

  C
Where phase   tan 1   .
 K  m  2

The gravity effect is not included here, which will give a static displacement of mg/K. The amplitudes

become maximum at speeds very close to the natural frequency   n  K  of the rotor. The speed at
 m 
which the synchronous whirl amplitude becomes maximum is known as “critical speed” of the rotor. From
the equations (1&2), it is clear that when the rotor runs at a speed of , it is getting exited by unbalance
force at a frequency of the rotor speed and of magnitude proportional to the unbalance eccentricity. The
response (eqs.3-4) is harmonic in nature also has the frequency also equal to rotor speed. Hence when a rotor
is run at a speed of  rad/s, the FFT of the response shows a peak at a frequency of (/2π) Hz. Combining
the equations (3-4) gives the shaft motion in an elliptical path (orbiting of shaft) which becomes circular for
symmetric rotor system properties.

Experimental Setup
The experimental rotor system, a disc on a shaft supported on two bearings is shown in Fig.2. The rotor
bearing system is excited by unbalance force. Proximity probes are used to measure the unbalance response
at different locations. The rotor system is driven by an AC motor which has a variable speed controller. The
proximity probe output is given to the NI data acquisition card. Accelerometer (see Fig.2) is also used for
measuring the vibrations.
 Fig. 2 Experimental set-up Fig. 3 Proximity probe

The proximity probe (see Fig.3), also called an “Eddy Current Probe” is a permanently mounted unit,
requires a signal conditioning amplifier to generate an output voltage proportional to the distance between
the transducer and the shaft. The transducer measures relative displacement between the housing and the
shaft and does not measure total vibration level of the shaft or the housing. These transducers are frequently
used in pairs oriented in 90 degrees apart and can be connected to the oscilloscope to display the shaft
“orbit”, or path of the journal as it migrates around in the bearing. The frequency response of the
displacement transducer extends from DC (0 Hz) to about 1000 Hz.

Procedure
Measure the rotor system dimensions and find the natural frequency of the system theoretically, by assuming
the rotor as a simply supported beam. Connect the non contact pickups (proximity probes) and accelerometer
as shown in Fig.2. Due to residual unbalance the system is excited. At different speeds in steps of 5 Hz,
note the unbalance response. Avoid running the rotor system at ±20% of the critical speed. Plot a graph
between the unbalance response and speed, known as the Bode plot. Observe the shaft orbits at different
speeds.

Results
 Theoretical calculation of First Critical speed/Natural frequency of the Rotor system.

 Estimate the natural frequency of the rotor bearing system by using FFT/FRF(Modal Testing)

 Compare experimental result with theoretical calculations and give reasons for the differences (if
any).

 Measure unbalance response at different speeds. Draw the different orbits and Bode plot.

 Plot the transient response of the rotor for one runup case.