Lateral vibration attenuation of a rotor system using an axial control mechanism with resonance detuning

This work is aimed to develop a lateral vibration attenuation mechanism for a rotor system using an axial control strategy with resonance detuning, allowing the rotor to operate through its critical speeds without exciting its resonances. An efficient control mechanism via controllable tensile axial loads applied using linear actuators and thrust bearings, was proposed to suppress rotor vibration without unnecessary continuous control force applications, in contrast to active vibration control strategies. The control strategy using resonance detuning caused the shifting of resonance to a higher frequency by regulating the rotor lateral stiffness using the axial control mechanism. The efficacy of the actuation mechanism in mitigating rotor lateral vibration was investigated through simulation and experimental studies, demonstrating the effectiveness of the control mechanism in allowing a rotor to operate over a wide operational working range over its first critical speed without a continuous application of control forces. It was experimentally demonstrated that the proposed control strategy allowed the rotor system to bypass its critical speed without exciting its resonance. The control mechanism has shown high-responsiveness to an immediate change in axial load to suppress rotor vibration, while achieving a degree of robustness in ensuring the worst-case vibration suppression performance against the variation in rotor disc offset, mass, and eccentricity by selecting an appropriate level of axial load.