Some observations of the vibrations of slender rotating shafts

Abstract

The linear theory of a slender, initially bowed, rotating shaft is reviewed for both free and forced vibrations, and found to compare well with a simple experiment on such a shaft. The shaft behavior passing through the critical speed is described in detail, and the maximum bowed-out static deflection of the shaft was found dependent on the external damping and the initial bowing. The amplitude of the oscillatory deflections of the shaft due to gravity loads increased somewhat near the critical speed, but these increases were small compared to the large static deflection of the shaft. During rapid passage through the critical speed, low frequency whirling modes were excited transiently. At higher rotation speeds, the second critical speed was observed, and also the first mode was excited subharmonically and appeared as a backward whirl mode relative to the rotating shaft.