Characteristic Variation of Self-Excited Vibration in the Vertical Rotor System due to the Flexible Support of the Journal Bearing

Various vibration problems occur in rotating machinery. Specifically, the amplitude of shaft motion can be large in the case of vertical pump using a journal bearing. In such case, rotor motion such as self-excited vibration is not able to be predicted accurately without considering both rotordynamic fluid force and contact phenomena to the bearing surfaces or boundary lubrication condition. Moreover, in an actual vertical pump, the stationary side structure that supports the pump shaft may be relatively flexible. However, the vibration characteristics in such situations have not been so far explained simply. The purpose of this paper is a development of the simple and quantitative method for evaluating vibration characteristics of a vertical rotating shaft with journal bearing. In this study, the rotor system flexibly supported by a journal bearing at the axial center is considered. Eigenvalue analysis is demonstrated for the linearized system, and steady-state vibration analysis of the self-excited vibration is carried out for the nonlinear system. As a result, the effect on the vibration characteristics of the system by changing fluid viscosity, radial clearance, stiffness and damping of the support is clarified. Moreover, the obtained experimental results correspond to the theoretical results of the self-excited vibration qualitatively.Copyright © 2016 by ASME