An equivalent unbalance identification method for the balancing of nonlinear squeeze-film damped rotordynamic systems

The high pressure (HP) rotor in an aero-engine assembly cannot be accessed under operational conditions because of the restricted space for instrumentation and high temperatures. This motivates the development of a non-invasive inverse problem approach for unbalance identification and balancing, requiring prior knowledge of the structure. Most such methods in the literature necessitate linear bearing models, making them unsuitable for aero-engine applications which use nonlinear squeeze-film damper (SFD) bearings. A previously proposed inverse method for nonlinear rotating systems was highly limited in its application (e.g. assumed circular centered SFD orbits). The methodology proposed in this paper overcomes such limitations. It uses the Receptance Harmonic Balance Method (RHBM) to generate the backward operator using measurements of the vibration at the engine casing, provided there is at least one linear connection between rotor and casing, apart from the nonlinear connections. A least-squares solution yields the equivalent unbalance distribution in prescribed planes of the rotor, which is consequently used to balance it. The method is validated on distinct rotordynamic systems using simulated casing vibration readings. The method is shown to provide effective balancing under hitherto unconsidered practical conditions. The repeatability of the method, as well as its robustness to noise, model uncertainty and balancing errors, are satisfactorily demonstrated and the limitations of the process discussed.