Publisher's Synopsis
This is an advanced engineering textbook dealing with rotor-bearing systems in the context of whole installation. Acknowledged as one of the most important classes of machinery, its uses are as diverse as aircraft engines, automobiles, military equipment and space satellites.;It is because of the wide range of applications of rotating machinary, particularly in situations where its reliable operation is paramount, that rotor dynamics has evolved as a subject area worthy of study in its own right. Before the 20th century, rotating shafts and bearings were not considered to interact with one another; some interest was shown in rotor balance, and bearings were important because they could reduce power loss, but they were rarely considered to interact in any system-like manner. In the early years of the 20th century, however, machine design developed to a stage where a plant was required to operate at particularly high speed. The importance of shaft flexibility was then realized, and the influence of the bearings and foundations on the dynamic behaviour of the system was better understood.;The relationship between rotating components and bearings is so close that most machine operators use vibration data collected at the bearings to confer information about the condition of the machine in general, and in many cases bearing-pedestal vibration characteristics form an important feature of machine acceptance criteria. It is within this context that this book has been written, one of the aims being to clarify the dependance of both rotor and bearing dynamic characteristics upon each other.;The aim of this book is not only to review the general principles of operation of rotating machinery, which would satisfy the requirements of undergraduate mechanical engineers, but mainly to guide the graduate who continues to work with rotating machines to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. This book would also be of use as a specialist reference text for personnel employed in industry.
