Thermal modes and their application to turbogenerator rotors

Thermal modes characterize a body with heat conduction and heat capacity in a similar way as vibrational modes an elastic body. The knowledge of the t hermal modes can be as helpful for understanding the body's thermal propert ies as the vibrational modes in elastic bodies can. The meaning and numeric al computation of thermal modes are explained. Results are presented for a cylinder and, briefly, for a turbogenerator rotor. For such a rotor thermal modes are of advantage in the diagnosis of a special vibrational problem.