ABSTRACT
For routine rotor vibration analyses and associated field troubleshooting measurement data analyses, linear vibration models are typically employed, justifiably so. However, an awareness and a basic understanding of inherent nonlinearities is a valuable asset to those routinely employing the linear models. Reviewed herein are nonlinear rotor vibration phenomena and topics on which the author has worked, both in laboratory research and in troubleshooting operating machinery in the field. Phenomena and topics reviewed include (1) response to very large rotor unbalance, (2) self-excited oil-whip hysteresis loop with seismic or depth charge events, (3) wrist-pin bearing damage in a reciprocating compressor, (4) rotor impact-on-bearing coefficient-of-restitution, (5) self-excited pad flutter in tilting-pad journal bearings, and (6) application of deterministic chaos theory in analyzing nonlinear rotor vibrations.
