• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2024

The Morton effect (ME) is an instability phenomenon occurring in rotating machineries supported by fluid film bearings and is induced by the thermal deformation of the overhung mass, which is a part of the rotating shaft. Herein, we describe the ME during the high-speed balancing test of a 20 MW class steam turbine. Additionally, to predict the rotating speed at which the ME occurs, we apply the sensitivity vector theory for the steam turbine. During the operation of the steam turbine, we observe a continuous increase in vibration and hysteresis near the rated speed, which is typical of the ME. Increasing the temperature of the lubricating oil supplied to the bearings from 40 to 60℃ suppresses the occurrence of the ME. The rotordynamic analysis for the steam turbine suggests the existence of a mode in which the overhung mass undergoes significant deformation near the rated speed, and we presume that such a mode will increase the occurrence of the ME. The predicted rotating speed of ME occurrence, obtained through the sensitivity vector method, correlates with the test results. Moreover, increasing the temperature of the supplied lubricating oil mitigates the occurrence of ME by reducing the sensitivity between the temperature deviation vector and unbalance mass vector.

• Journal of Domestic Journal Test
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.221-227
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• 2023

− A rotordynamic system consists of components that undergo rotational motion. These components include shafts, impellers, thrust collars, and components that support rotation, such as bearings and seals. The motion of this type of rotating system can be modeled as two-dimensional motion and, accordingly, the equa- tion of motion for the rotordynamic system can be represented using complex coordinates. The directional fre- quency response function (dFRF) can be derived from this complex coordinate system and used as an effective analytical tool for rotating machinery. However, the dFRF is not widely used in the field because most pre- vious studies and commercial software are based on real coordinate systems. The objective of the current study is to introduce the dFRF and show that it can be an effective tool in rotordynamic analysis. In this study, the normal frequency response function (nFRF) and dFRF are compared under rotordynamic analysis for isotropic and unisotropic rotors. Results show that in the nFRF, the magnitude of the response is the same for both pos- itive and negative frequencies, and the response is similar under all modes. Consequently, the severity of the mode cannot be identified. However, in the dFRF, the forward and backward modes are clearly distinguishable in the frequency domain of the isotropic rotor, and the severity of the mode can be identified for the uniso- tropic rotor.