Dynamic stiffness characteristics of aero-engine elastic support structure and its effects on rotor systems: mechanism and numerical and experimental studies.

The support structure of a rotor system is subject to vibration excitation, which results in the stiffness of the support structure varying with the excitation frequency (i.e., the dynamic stiffness). However, the dynamic stiffness and its effect mechanism have been rarely incorporated in open studies of the rotor system. Therefore, this study theoretically reveals the effect mechanism of dynamic stiffness on the rotor system. Then, the numerical study and experimental verification are conducted on the dynamic stiffness characteristics of a squirrel cage, which is a common support structure for aero-engine. Moreover, the static stiffness experiment is also performed for comparison. Finally, a rotor system model considering the dynamic stiffness of the support structure is presented. The presented rotor model is used to validate the results of the theoretical analysis. The results illustrate that the dynamic stiffness reduces the critical speed of the rotor system and may lead to a new resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]