Axisymmetrical Snapping of a Spinning Nonflat Disk

In this paper we study the steady-state deflection of a spinning nonflat disk, both theoretically and experimentally. Both the initial and the deformed shapes of the disk are assumed to be axisymmetrical. Von Karman’s plate model is adopted to formulate the equations of motion, and Galerkin’s method is employed to discretize the partial differential equations. In the case when the initial height of the nonflat disk is sufficiently large, multiple equilibrium positions can exist, among them the two stable one-mode solutions $P01$ and $P03$ are of particular interest. Theoretical investigation shows that if the disk is initially in the stressed position $P03$⁠, it will be snapped to position $P01$ when the rotation speed reaches a critical value. Experiments on a series of copper disks with different initial heights are conducted to verify the theoretical predictions. Generally speaking, the experimental measurements agree well with theoretical predictions when the initial height is small. For the disks with large initial heights, on the other hand, the measured snapping speeds are significantly below the theoretical predictions. The circumferential waviness of the copper disks induced in the manufacturing process and the aerodynamic force at high rotation speed are two possible factors causing this discrepancy.