Effect of Lateral Disk Flexibility on the Dynamics of Squeeze Film Damper Supported Rotors

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of disk flexibility on the dynamical behavior of a flexible disk/shaft rotor system supported with squeeze film dampers. A simplified nonlinear rotor model incorporating disk/shaft coupling dynamics is developed for lateral vibration of a rotor system. The steady state performance of the system is explored over a wide range of operating conditions using numerical integration and harmonic balance analysis. It is shown that disk flexibility may significantly affect the dynamical behavior of the system at high operating speed by creating an additional critical speed. It is observed that both the SFD journal motion and the disk motion associated with the additional critical speed are aperiodic and of large amplitudes. It is demonstrated that the influence of disk flexibility can be shifted out of the operating speed range by increasing the retainer spring stiffness.