Assignment # 2

Last Date of Submission: 01-03-2013

Marks: 20

ME - 615
Rotor Dynamics

1. A system comprises two steel rotors coupled together as shown in Figure 1. Each disk has a

diameter of 300 mm and a thickness of 40 mm. Each shaft has a diameter of 50 mm and one shaft is
400mm long and the other is 600 mm long. The coupling between the rotors has a torsional stiffness
of 0.6 MNm and an axial stiffness of 50 kN/m.
At one end of the shaft train there is a thrust bearing with an axial stiffness of 30 kN/m. Obtain, using
appropriate software, the system natural frequencies for torsional vibrations and for axial vibrations.
Show that by analyzing each rotor separately it is possible to estimate the two higher axial
frequencies, and then by treating the two rotors as inextensible bodies it is possible to estimate the
lower pair of axial frequencies. Also show that this approach does not work in the case of torsional
vibrations. Assume that = 7800 kg/m3, and E = 200GPa and G = 80 GPa.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

2. The rotor of a turbo-generator set is depicted in Figure 2. To a first approximation, the compressor,
turbine and generator can each be represented as a single rigid inertia and their values are 100 kgm2,
50 kgm2 and 80 kgm2 respectively. Each coupling has an inertia of 10 kgm2. The shafts have
negligible inertia and their torsional stiffnesses are k1 = 25 MNm/rad and k2 = 25 MNm/rad
respectively. Calculate the first three torsional natural frequencies.
3. The system show in Figure 3 comprises two steel rotors coupled together by gears. One rotor has a

400mm long shaft with a diameter of 50mm and carries two identical disks at its ends. Each disk has a
diameter of 300mm and a thickness of 40mm. The other rotor has a 600mm long shaft with a diameter
of 50mm and carries two disks at its ends. One disk has a diameter of 300mm and a thickness of 40
mm. The other disk has a diameter of 150mm and a thickness of 40 mm. This disk is in mesh with one
of the disks on the other rotor and thus provides a 2:1 ratio gear coupling between the shafts.
Determine the equation of motion for the system and the system natural frequencies. Assume that =
7800 kg/m3 and G = 80GPa, and neglect the mass of the shafts.

Fig. 3