16.

512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez
Lecture 29: Rotordynamics Problems

1. Turbopump Rotor Dynamics

Because of high power density and low damping in rocket turbopumps, these
machines exhibit in their most extreme form a variety of vibration effects, which are
either absent or masked by normal damping mechanisms in other turbo machines.
The low damping is especially prominent in liquid hydrogen pumps, because of the
very low viscosity and density of this medium. Oil squeeze film dampers are
precluded in any cryogenic medium.
The general frame work of Rotor Dynamics is now well established, through a
combination of classical analysis and detailed numerical simulation [49, 50, 51].
Intensive efforts on the application of these theoretical methods to a specific rocket
turbopump are described by Ek[52], and were instrumental in pointing the way to a
series of improvements that resolved a serious development problem in the SSME.
The greatest difficulty in this field remains the precise characterization of the fluid
forces acting on the rotor at components such as seals, turbines, or impellers. Once
these are specified, numerical models of great power and versatility can be brought
to bear for analyzing the dynamics of a given configuration. Because of the
remaining uncertainties in the basic forces. Eks 1978 recommendation [52] remains
valid today: Prediction of stability in a new design must be viewed with skepticism.
A prediction of instability should, however, be taken very seriously.
2. Forced and Self- Excited Vibrations
Three are two types of rotor dynamics problems:
(a) Resonances which usually occur when the rotating speed coincides with one of
the natural (critical) frequencies of the rotor (including its supporting
structure). These fall in the category of Forced Vibrations, in which an excitation
force produces deflection responses of an amplitude which increases as the
excitation frequency approaches a critical frequency. If the excitation is at exact
resonance, the amplitude grows linearly in time at first, and then, if viscous
damping exists, it approaches a limit which is inversely proportional to the
damping factor. Removal of the excitation removes the response. The exciting
forces are typically related to rotor mass imbalance or geometrical imperfections.
Resonances rarely pose serious problems, unless the steady operating point lies
very close to one critical. On the other hand, since the structure is made as light
as practical, many natural modes usually exist, several of them either below or
not far above the operating range. Efforts are made in the design phase to create
a relatively wide range of resonance- free speeds around the normal operating
point. Passage through criticals, if made rapidly enough, is not a severe
condition.
Table 3 (Ref [53]) shows the critical frequencies of the SSME fuel turbopump.
Notice that several of the shaft modes are split into adjacent pairs of critical
frequencies because of the lack of symmetry of the casing structural supports,

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 1 of 13

even though the bearing structure itself is symmetric. This asymmetry is in

general a beneficial effect, and provides a sort of effective damping [54].
(b) Self- Excited Vibrations These are autonomous oscillations, in which the shaft
vibrates at one of its natural frequencies (not equal to the shaft speed), and due
to some positive feedback mechanism, absorbs energy from an external source
(usually the fluid) into the vibrational mode. Exact balancing does not remove
this type of vibration. Once initiated, if damping is insufficient, the vibration will
increase exponentially in amplitude until some nonlinear mechanism intervenes,
or until rubbing occurs. Self-excited vibrations are also called rotor-dynamic
instabilities or sub- synchronous vibrations. The latter designation is due to the
fact that they are most often observed in the lowest shaft mode when the
rotating speed is well above the frequency of this mode. For some mechanisms of
excitation, the ratio of the rotation speed at onset of instability to the frequency
of the vibration excited is a simple integer,
COUPLED HPFTP ROTOR AND CASE MODES
Mode

Frequency(Hz)

Description

Rotor free spin, X

47.0

Case rocking, Y

100.8

Case rocking, Z

196.4

Case rocking + bending, Y

197.5

Diffuser torsion

249.8

Case rocking + bending, Z

287.6

Rotor translation, Y

321.0a

Rotor translation, Z

375.1

Rotor rocking, Z

10

424.0

Rotor rocking, Y

11

463.7

Rotor axial, X

12

488.7

Case + rotor rocking, Z

13

513.6

Rotor bending, Y

14

515.0

Rotor bending, Z

15

554.8

Turbine case torsion, X

16

574.7

Diffuser bending, Y

17

577.4

Diffuser bending, Z

18

599.4

Case + rotor rocking, Y

19

650.4

Case torsion, X

20

657.3

Case axial, X

21

694.9

Turbine case bending, Z

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 2 of 13

Table 3 exists at an integer multiple of the

or an excitation threshold
excited frequency [55]. However, thus is not universally the case, and, in fact, no
such simple ratio or threshold seems to exist for the most important mechanisms
(seal or turbine blade-tip effects). It is true, however, that the rate of energy
input into the vibration increases with power level of the turbopump, and hence
with its speed; thus, the machine damping may be sufficient to compensate for
this effect at low rotation speeds, but, as speed increases, a threshold will
appear, beyond which the operation is unstable.
The two types of vibration described can be easily distinguished in tests by
plotting a series of vibration spectra at increasing rotational speed (a cascade
diagram, Fig. 1). Here

Fig. 1. A cascade diagram showing one mode only. Forced vibrations related
to imbalance are seen at = , with a resonance when = cr . Also shown
is a sub-synchronous, self-excited vibration at = cr .

is the shaft speed, is the angular frequency of the vibration, and cr is the

critical or natural frequency (only one shown). As indicated, no self-excited

vibration is visible until reaches some threshold, and then the instability
becomes more and more prominent. The amplitude itself depends on conditions
when the spectrum is taken (variation rate of dwell time at the given condition,
etc.), but the frequency information is still quite useful.

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 3 of 13

3. Sources of Rotor-Dynamic Excitation: Cross-Coupled Forces

The most important excitation mechanisms are related to the production of
cross-forces when the shaft is offset from its central location. Before describing some
specific examples, the generic dynamic effects of these cross-forces will be
discussed.
Qualitatively, if a cross-force Fy results from a shaft offset ex, this force exerts a
torque Fyex with respect to the nominal shaft center. It is well known that any linear
vibration in the x-y plane can be resolved into a forward and a backward circular
oscillations. Of these two, one (the forward component in Fig 2. is reinforced by the
resulting torque Fyex, which, being produced by the displacement itself, will remain
synchronized to it. This is the basic instability mechanism.

For a simple linearized analysis, suppose the fluid effects are such that a

general transverse displacement (ex,ey) and displacement rate ex , ey of the shaft

produces forces (Fx,Fy) according to

Fx K xx
=
Fy K xy

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

K xy ex
+
K xx ey

C xx

C xy

C xy ex

C xx
ey

(1)

Lecture 29
Page 4 of 13

The coefficients K x x and K x y are the direct and cross-coupled stiffness,

respectively. Notice that the cylindrical symmetry has been exploited to reduce to
two the number of stiffness factors, and that a positive K x x is restoring, and will
augment the structural stiffness K0, although, in general, K xx << K0 . Similar
comments apply to the damping coefficients C xx , C xy , except that C xx may be of the
same order as any additional damping C0.
Define a complex displacement
ex + i ey = z

then

(2)

M d ex = ( K0 + K xx ) ex + K xy ey
(C0 + C xx ) ex + C xy ey
2

dt

d 2 ey
( K + K )e
= K xy ex 0 xx y C yy ex (C0 + C xx ) ey
M

2
dt

(3 a, b)

Add i x (3b) to (3a):

d2 z
= ( K0 + K xx ) ( ex + iey ) + K xy ( ey iex )
dt 2
z
-i z

d2 z
= (K0 + K xx + iK xy )z (C0 + C xx + i C xy ) z
2
dt
K
C

z+

C
K
z+
z =0
M
M

(4)

Put now z = z e i t (unstable if I < 0)

+ 2 i

C
K

=0
M
M

(5)

=i

Call K xx =

K xy
K0

C
K
C

+

2M
M
2M

K yy =

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

K xy
K0

1 C0 + C xx
2
K0 M

(6)

1 C xy
2 K0 M
Lecture 29
Page 5 of 13


=
0

2 K0 M

C0 + C xx + iC xy

2 K0 M

K + K xx + iK xy
+ 0

K0

= = i( + i ) ( + i )2 + 1 + K xx + iK xy

K0 M

= i

K0
M

C0 + C xx + iC xy

1,

1+

K xy

K0 M

(7)

K xy

K
i 1 + xx + i

2
2

K xx
1

+ i + k xy
2
2

=
0

(8)

For K xy > 0, if

K xy
K0

>

K xx
1

+ i k xy
2
2

1
K xy > , unstable
2

C0 + C xx
K0 M

K xy > 0 (C0 + C xx )

(9)

(For instability)

(10)

Clearly, the fluid damping C xx , if positive, reinforces the other machine damping C0,
and promotes stability, whereas the cross-coupled stiffness K x y is equivalent to a
negative damping K x y 0 . The cross-damping Cxy is seen to have relatively minor
effect on the dynamics, since, as Kxx, it only affects the natural frequency, and not
the growth or decay rate. In some instances, the fluid-related stiffness is not
negligible, and can be exploited to help relocate the critical frequencies away from
unfavorable ranges. This was, in fact, the approach taken in the SSME redesign [52].
The two principal avenues for improving rotordynamic stability-increasing damping
or raising the natural frequency are both exemplified on the right-hand side of Eq.
(10).

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 6 of 13

4. Some Examples of Cross-Coupled Force Generation

Among the mechanisms which have been identified as contributors to the

production of destabilizing cross-forces are (a) Pressure non-uniformity in labyrinth
and other seals; (b) Non-uniform driving force in turbines due to tip leakage effects
[59, 60]; (c) Non uniform pressure and driving force in pump impellers, also related
to leakage effects [55, 56]. Other effects are reviewed in Ref [57]. Rather than
attempting here a general coverage of this rather rich field, we will only explain in
some detail the labyrinth seal and bladetip effects, which, aside from their
importance in practical cases, can be seen as prototypes of the relevant physics.
(a) Labyrinth Seals. The existence of flow swirl at the entrance to an offset labyrinth
seal (and, in modified form, to other seals as well) gives rise to a rotation of the
pressure pattern produced by the offset, and hence produces cross-coupled forces.
Two principal effects can be identified here [58]. One of these can be described as
follows: the fluid in the gland of the seal (a single-cavity labyrinth, for simplicity)
circulates azimuthally in the varying area created by the shaft offset (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Kinematic quantities associated with a labyrinth seal. The shaft is spinning at
an angular frequency , while simultaneously undergoing a circular precession of
amplitude e and frequency .

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 7 of 13

If the tangential velocity V were constant (which is approximately true under

some conditions), the circulating flux V l (h + ) would need to be increasing with
at points where the depth (h + ) (h= sealing strip height, () = local gap) is
increasing. This implies an excess of leakage from upstream of the seal into the
cavity over that from the cavity to downstream of it, which is accomplished by a
locally depressed P () . Thus, the pressure would be minimum at point C in Fig. 3.
and maximum at point A. The net integrated pressure force is then rotated 90 from
the shaft displacement in the direction of the swirl. Since the pressure pattern is
anchored to the whirling gap pattern, it is clear that, for a given inlet swirl, the effect
will depend on the whirling speed and will, in fact, be zero when R = V , because
the gland fluid will then not move tangentially with respect to the whirling gap
pattern. This argument is modified by the azimuthal variations induced on the
velocity V, which were so far neglected. A more complete analysis [58] gives the
force components parallel and perpendicular to the displacement as

F =

lh 2
e
l P

4 R
1+ f2

F =

e
2
l P V R
2
1+ f2

lh P
f =

R V R

(11)

(12)

where P = Pi Pe , and we have assumed incompressible, inviscid fluid and a circular

whirling motion about the casing center with amplitude e. Aside from a negative K xx
(in the notation of (Eq. 1), we see from (12) that positive K xy and C xx are predicted.
The presence of higher order terms in in Eq. 12 also indicated effective mass and
other effects, but these have little dynamic impact. The main factors are related in
this case through

C xx =

R
V

K xy

(13)

and the simple case in which velocity variations are neglected is recovered when
lh
R

1 in Eqs. (11) and (12)

The second seal mechanism depends on the existence of friction between the
circulating fluid and the rotor and casing surfaces (although the resultant cross-force
is still a pressure, and not a frictional force). Because of friction, the mean tangential
velocity V is usually slightly less than the inlet tangential velocity V i and leakage
fluid entering the gland from upstream will continuously add tangential momentum

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 8 of 13

to the gland fluid as they mix, in a manner similar to the operation of an ejector
pump. This effect is strongest at point D (Fig. 3), where the gap is widest, and
P
will exist at D, and a
weakest at point B. Thus, a positive pressure gradient

negative one at B, again leading to a pressure maximum at A and to a cross-force

along the perpendicular axis ( ) . Since this effect does not depend on fluid velocities
relative to the whirling frame, it does not show whirl velocity dependence, and does
not contribute to damping ( C xx ) . A simplified analysis, neglecting tangential velocity
variations, gives for this effect

R Vi V
F = R

2
hl 1 + g
2

F = R2

e
h

P Vi V e
h
1 + g2

(14)

g=

R Vi V
hl P

(15)

Because of the importance of inlet swirl in promoting seal cross-forces, deswirling fins can be used ahead of the seal, if this is at all practical. Experiments [58]
have validated the above cross-force mechanisms, while also pointing out the
importance of other secondary effects, particularly for direct stiffness.
Both force components are greatly magnified in smooth seals with very small
clearance [52, 61]. Whether the added cross-coupling or the added stiffness is more
important when one of these is substituted for a labyrinth, must be directly assessed
through dynamic analysis for each specific case.
(b) Turbine Blade-Tip Effects. It was independently pointed by Alford [62] and
Thomas [63] that the sensitivity of blade-tip losses to blade-tip gap in turbines
should produce forward-whirling cross forces. The basic mechanism is simple: When
the turbine rotor is offset from its center, the blades on the side where the tip gap is
reduced will gain efficiency, and hence produce more tangential driving force than
average, and the opposite will happen on the side where gap opens up. Integrating
these forces around the periphery yields, in addition to the desired torque, a side
force in the forward-whirling direction (see Fig. 4). It is easy to translate this

be the
argument into an explicit equation for the cross-force. Let =
( / H )
sensitivity of blade efficiency to relative tip clearance / H , where is the clearance
and H is the blade height. This factor is of the order of 1-5, depending on design and
operating point.

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 9 of 13

The tangential force f per unit length along the perimeter is then approximated as

f f
H

(16)

although it must be pointed out that this equates work loss to efficiency loss, and
hence it ignores pressure ratio variations also induced by the offset. The clearance
perturbation varies in proportion to the offset e, and sinusoidally with
azimuth , and so, upon projection in the direction perpendicular to the offset, and
integration, one obtains
F = R f

e
Q e
=
H
2R H

(17)

where Q = 2 R f is the turbine torque. The direct force F is predicted to the zero.
The existence of these forces was confirmed experimentally in Ref. [64] and,
in more detail, in Refs [59,60] where it was found that, in addition to the above
mechanism, a second source of cross-forces is a tangentially rotated pressure
nonuniformity is acting on the turbine hub. The contribution of this component is
additive to the basic Alford/Thomas effect, and amounts typically to 40% of the total
cross-force. In addition, both mechanisms also give stiffening force components
(along with offset direction).

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 10 of 13

One important question which remains experimentally unanswered is whether

or not the Alford/Thomas forces show a significantly sensitivity to whirl speed, i.e.,
whether they provide C xx component for the stiffness matrix. The original argument
would predict no such sensitivity. A fairly obvious extension, accounting for change
e cos to the basic blade speed R can be shown to yield a modified Alford factor
' =

1 H
R

(18)

where = Q m (R)2 is the turbine work coefficient, which is close to 2 for impulse
turbines. Since H R 0.2 and (whirl to spin ratio) is 0.5 , we see that

' 0.05 , which would not be significant. Other velocity-dependent effects may
arise form time lags in the azimuthal redistribution of flow approaching a whirling
rotor; these would also be of order H R , but no direct experimental evidence exists
for their magnitude. Ref [60] does provide a theoretical model for this effect however
the Alford-Thomas forces can be very large, requiring damping log decrements of the
order of 0.1 in typical rocket turbopumps.

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 11 of 13

References Cited

48.

F. Ferlitia et al. Rotor Support for the STME Oxygen Turbopump. Paper AIAA
92-3282. 28th Joint Propulsion Conference, July 1992.

49.

J.P. Den Hartog, Mechanical Vibration, McGraw-Hill book Company, 1956.

50.

Childs, Dara W. Turbomachine Rotor Dynamics: Phenomena, Modeling and

Analysis, Wiley Interscience, N.York, 1993.

51.

J.M. Vance, Rotordynamics of Turbomachinery, Wiley, New York, 1988.

52.

M.C. Ek Solution of the Subsynchronous Whirl Problem in the High-Pressure

Hydrogen Turbomachinery of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. J. of Spacecraft,
Vol. 17, No. 3.

53.

G.R. Mueller, Finite Elements Models of the Space Shuttle Main Engine NASA
TM-78260, Jan. 1980.

54.

F. Ehrich The Role of Bearing Support Stiffness Anistropy In Suppression of

Rotordynamic Instabilities. ASME 12th Biennial Conf. on Vibration and Noise.
Montreal, Canada, Sept. 1989.

55.

Jery, B. Acosta, A. J., Brennen, C.E. and Caughey, T.K. Hydrodynamic

Impeller Stiffness, Damping and Inertia in the Rotordynamics of Centrifugal
Flow Pumps. NASA CP-2338, 1984, pp.137-160.

56.

Chamie, D.S., Acosta, A.J., Brennen, C.E. and Caughey, T.K. Experimental
Measurements of Hydronamic Radial Forces Stiffness Matrices for a Centrifugal
Pump Impeller, ASME JI. Of Fluids Engineering, Vol.107, No. 3, 1985, pp 307315.

57.

F. Ehrich and D.W Childs, Self-Excited Vibrations in High Performance

Turbomachinery, Mech. Engineering, ay 1984.

58.

Knox T. Millsaps, The impact of Unsteady Swirling Flow in a Single-Gland

Labyrinth Seal on Rotordynmics Stability: Theory and Experiment. Ph.D.
Thesis, MIT, 1992.

59.

M. Martinez Sandues, B. Jaroux, S.J. Song and S. Yoo Measurement of

Turbines Blade-Tip Rotor dynamic Excitation Forces J. of Turbomachinery, 117,
3, July 1995, pp. 384-393.

60.

S.J. Srig and M. Matrinz-Sanchur, Rotordyanamic Effects due to Turbine-Tip

Leakage: Part I, Black-Scale Effects. Part II, Radius Scale Effects and
Experimental Verification . J. of Turbomachinery, 119, 4, Oct 1997, pp. 695714.

61.

D.W. Childs, Dynamic Analysis of Turbulent Annular Selas Based on Hirs

Lubrication Equation ASME J. of Lubrication Technology, V.105, No. 3, 1983,
pp. 437-445.

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 12 of 13

62.

J.S. Alford, Protesting Turbomachinery from Self-Excited Rotor Whirl, J. of

Engineering for Power, Oct. 1965.

63.

H.J. Thomas Unstable Oscillations of turbine Rotors Due to Steam Leakage in

the Clearance Of the sealing Glands and the Buckets. Bull. Scientifique A.J.M.,
Vol. 71, 1958, pp 1039-1063.

64.

K. Urlicks, Clearance Flow Generated Transverse Forces at the Rotors of

Thermal Turbomachines. NASA TM -77292, Oct.1983. (Translated from
Doctoral Dissertation at the Technical Univ. of Munich, 1975).

16.512, Rocket Propulsion

Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez

Lecture 29
Page 13 of 13