The influence of torsion on rotor/stator contact in rotating machinery

The phenomenon of contact between a rotor and its stator, known as rub, has long been recognized as a serious cause of failure in rotating machinery. The analysis of rub is particularly complex, due to non-linear and often ch aotic behaviour. Numerical simulation is the preferred method of analysis a nd, due to improvements in digital computing in recent years, it has become possible to analyze ever-more complex numerical models.:To this end, the a nalysis of rotor/stator contact has seen a corresponding increase in the am ount of research invested in it. One aspect of the dynamics involved with t he occurrence of rub that has not been investigated until now, is that of t he effects of torsion. In the literature, steady state analysis is limited to lateral movement: this paper includes torsional effects in a rotor/state r contact model and highlights the importance of its inclusion by way of a numerical example having realistic physical parameters. (C) 1999 Academic P ress.