Nonlinear Dynamic Modeling of the Cracked Rotor Ball Bearing System With Emphasis on Damage Detection Capabilities

It is confirmed experimentally that in case of a rotor with crack, multiple harmonics are generated when the rotor revolves at a particular frequency. Only few modeling techniques successfully predict this particular behavior of the cracked rotor. It is observed in this research that modeling cracked rotors using conventional finite element methods cannot predict this particular behavior successfully. A nonlinear dynamic model of the flexible rotor with ball bearings is developed using discrete mass spring damper elements combined with an existing model of the crack to truly predict this confirmed experimental behavior. Certain crack detection techniques based on the steady-state response work well on this basic concept of the multiharmonics generation due to nonlinearities caused by cracks in the rotor. The presence of ball bearings, rotor-coupling misalignment, rotor-stator rub, and rotor bow can also cause significant nonlinearities in the overall system. These additional nonlinearities render these crack detection techniques to lose their effectiveness. Our work justifies through simulations that the Jeffcott rotors are the over simplified version of real-life rotor-bearing systems. Hence, these crack detection techniques cannot be efficiently applied for condition monitoring of real-life rotor-bearing systems. The proposed model also helps to understand that the presence of flexible bearing supports affects the dynamics of the system considerably and negatively affects the effectiveness of these crack detection techniques.