Dynamic Analysis of Flexible Rotor Systems Subjected to Time-Varying Base Excitations

Rotor systems carried in transportation system or under seismic excitations are considered to have a moving base. The objective of this paper is to develop a general model for flexible rotor systems subjected to time-varying base excitations and study the direct effects of angular base motions on the dynamic behaviors of a simple rotor. The model is developed based upon finite element method and Lagrange’s equation. Two groups of Euler angles are introduced to describe the rotation of the rotor and the base, respectively. Six types of base motions are considered in the model. In the numerical simulations, three types of angular base motions (pitching, rolling and yawing) are considered and assumed to be sinusoidal varying with time. The effects of base angular amplitudes, base frequency and rotation speed on the system dynamic behaviors are discussed in detail. It is shown that pitching and yawing have a great influence on the response amplitudes and the shape of the rotor orbits. Especially, resonances occur when the base frequency meets the natural frequencies. The FFT and waterfall plots of the disk horizontal and vertical vibrations are marked with multiplications of the base frequency and sum and difference tones of the rotating frequency and the base frequency.