MSC Nastran Rotor Dynamics Guide PDF

MSC Nastran 2016
Rotordynamics
User’s Guide
Main Index
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Revision 0. April 12, 2016

NA*V2016*Z*Z*Z*DC-ROTOR
Main Index
Contents
Rotordynamics User’s Guide
Preface
About this Book 2
Organization 3
Developments Introduced 6
List of MSC Nastran Books 9
Technical Support 10
Training and Internet Resources 11
1 Introduction
Introduction to Rotordynamics 14
Need for Rotordynamic analysis 14
Sources of Vibration 15
Basic Concepts of Rotordynamics 16

Reference frame 17
Rotor Symmetry 18
Whirl of Simple Rotor 19
Stability 20
Asynchronous Analysis 21
Synchronous Analysis 21
Mode Tracking 22
Critical Speed 23
Torsional Vibration 24
Overview of MSC Nastran Rotordynamics 25

Benefits 26
2 Theoretical Formulation
Equations of Motion 28
Equations of Motion in Fixed Reference Frame 29

ii Rotordynamics User’s Guide
Damping in Stator 31
Damping in Rotor 31
Equation of Motion in Rotating Reference Frame 33

Damping in Rotors 34
Damping in Stator 34
Final Equations of Motion 36
3 Elements Supported for Rotordynamics Analysis

Rotor Modeling 38
Rotordynamic Analysis using MSC Nastran 38
Sample Test Case 40
Model with ROTORG 40
Model using ROTORAX 44
Model with ROTOR 48
Rotor Modeling Guidelines 50
4 Damping
Damping and Bearing Models 56
Structural Damping Options for Stator 56
Damping Options for Rotating Structure 57
Circulation Matrix 59
Effect of Circulation Terms 60
Controlling Rotor Damping and Circulation 60
Linear Bearings 62
Cross Coupling in Bearing Supports 63
Nonlinear Bearings 64
Frequency Dependent Coefficients 67
THPAD using CBUSH2D 68
Nonlinear Squeeze Film Damper, NLRSFD 69
Equations for SFD 70
Squeeze Film Damper in CBUSH2D 71
Nonlinear Load Functions (NOLINi) 72
5 Rotor Usage
Rotor Usage 76
Case Control Entries 77

CONTENTS iii
RGYRO 77
CAMPBELL 77
Parameters 78
WR3, WR4, and WRH 78
GYROAVG 78
WHIRLOPT 78
Bulk Data Entries 79

RGYRO 79
RSPINR 79
RSPINT 80
ROTHYBD 80
CAMPBLL 81
DDVAL 81
UNBALNC 82
6 Rotordynamics with MSC Patran

Introduction 86
MSC Patran Set up 86
Example Model 88
Patran Model 88
7 Complex Eigenvalue Analysis for Rotors

Complex Eigenvalue Analysis for Rotors 122
Equations of motion 122
Solvers available for complex eigenvalue analysis 129
Pardiso Solver 129
Example 130
Analysis in Fixed Reference Frame 130
Analysis in Rotating Reference Frame 135
Analysis in Fixed and Rotating Reference Frame 136
Additional Options for Damping 139
Effect of differential stiffness 140
Summary for Equation of Motion 142

iv Rotordynamics User’s Guide
8 Frequency Response Analysis

Introduction 146
Equation used in the Analysis (Reference Frame) 147

Effect of damping 151
Effect of GYROAVG parameter 152
Frequency Dependent Bearings 152
Modal Analysis (for ROTORG only) 154
9 Transient Response Analysis

Introduction 158
Equation of motion 159

Unbalance loads for Transient Analysis 160
Input file for transient analysis 162

Effect of external Damping 163
Effect of internal Damping 166
Comparison with axisymmetric and 3D rotors 168
Usage of Nonlinear Elements 169
10 Nonlinear Frequency Response

Introduction 174
User Interface 176

File Management Section (FMS) 176
Executive Section 176
Case Control 176
Analysis Setup 180

Parameters for controlling the analysis 181
Handling Non-Convergence in Nonlinear Harmonic Response 182
Comments on Nonlinear Forces 183
Theoretical Details 185

CONTENTS v
Examples 187
Example 1 187
Example 2 192
11 External Superelement Analysis with Rotors

Introduction 196
Support for Copy and Move/Mirror Capability for External SEs 197
Sample Problem 199

Input File for creation run 200
Assembly Run 203
Information in the output file 205
Results from External SE Analysis 207

SOL 107 Results (Complex Eigenvalue Analysis) 207
SOL 108 Results (Direct Frequency Response) 209
12 Multiple Rotors In Fixed System

Introduction 214
Example 214
A Nomenclature, Glossary of Terms, and References

Nomenclature 224
Glossary of Terms 227
References 229
B Axisymmetric Harmonic Elements for Rotordynamic Analysis

Introduction 232
Element Details 233

Constraints/Boundary Conditions 235
C User Defined Subroutines Using CBUSH2D

Analysis in Windows Machine 238
Example 241
vi Rotordynamics User’s Guide
Example 243
Analysis on Linux 246

Compiling external CBUSH2D 246
Definitions Used in this document 249
Chapter : Preface
Preface

About this Book 2

Organization 3

Developments Introduced 6

List of MSC Nastran Books 9

Technical Support 10

Training and Internet Resources 11
2
About this Book
About this Book

MSC Nastran is a general purpose finite element program which solves a wide variety of engineering
problems. It is developed, marketed, and supported by the MSC Software Corporation.
The MSC Nastran 2016.0 Rotordynamics User's Guide is intended to explain the capability of MSC
Nastran to perform rotordynamic analysis as available in MSC Nastran V2016.0. Prior to this user`s
guide, the overview of updates made in rotordynamic analysis were provided through the Release Guide
associated with each version. The rotordynamic analysis is used to obtain complex eigenvalues,
determine stability and to perform frequency response and transient response analysis for a system where
one or more components are rotating. Guidance is provided in preparing the input file and assessing the
output. A number of examples are provided to illustrate the use of MSC Nastran`s Rotordynamics
features.
The author of this book would like to acknowledge support provided by numerous people at the MSC
Software Corporation. This book includes the work done by Nastran Development organization to
enhance rotordynamics analysis in MSC.Nastran. Notable members of this team are Devesh Kumar,
Dave Wallerstein, Ted Rose, P. R. Pamidi, Bob Harder, Charley Wilson and Hemant Patel. The author is
grateful to Don Truitt for his efforts in bringing this book to life. The author would also like to thank Ted
Wertheimer, Mark Robinson, Konrad Jeuthner, Sanjay Patel and GaoWen Ye for their technical review
of this guide. And finally, author would like to thank Atul Teltumde and Sandeep Shinde for extensive
testing of the rotordynamics capability.
Dr. Devesh Kumar
MSC Software Corporation
Chapter : Preface 3
Organization
Organization
The guide is divided into twelve chapters and three Appendices. A brief description of each of these is:
Chapter 1. Introduction to Rotordynamics

This chapter provides an overview of rotordynamic analysis and briefly explains important concepts. For
a more detailed description, readers are referred to books and papers listed in Appendix A of this manual.
This chapter assumes that the reader has basic knowledge of the field and general concepts related to
structural dynamics.
Chapter 2. Equations of Motion

This chapter provides theoretical overview of rotordynamics. Using a simplified Jeffcott rotor model,
equations of motion are obtained for the model in fixed and rotating reference frames using Lagrange’s
principle. The effect of damping is also included in the analysis. The equations of motion generated in
this chapter form the backbone for the analysis presented in rest of the book.
Chapter 3. Rotor Modeling

Different options available in MSC Nastran for modeling a rotor are described in this chapter. Based on
the required fidelity and complexity of rotor model, the user has the freedom to choose the appropriate
modeling technique. This chapter also identifies connectors that can be used for connecting a rotor to
another rotor or to a stator.
Chapter 4. Damping and Rotor Bearing Models

MSC Nastran supports various options for specifying damping in dynamic analysis. This chapter
highlights usage of these damping options for rotors and stators and shows the corresponding Bulk Data
entry. Next, different nonlinear elastic elements, which can be used to model the complex behavior of
bearings used in rotordynamic analysis, are described.
Chapter 5: Rotor Usage

This chapters lists various rotordynamic related entries available in MSC Nastran to define the
components of a rotor and enable different kinds of analyses. These entries may be defined in File
Management Section, Case Control Section or in the Bulk Data Section of the input file.
Chapter 6: Rotordynamics using Patran

Currently, MSC Patran provides limited support for rotordynamics. This chapter provides step-by-step
instruction for creating the first rotordynamic analyses model using Patran. Later, post-processing
options available to plot the modeshapes and to generate a Campbell diagram are discussed.
4
Organization
Chapter 7: Complex Eigenvalue Analysis

This chapter describes the usage of complex eigenvalue analysis to obtain whirl speeds and critical
speeds using analysis in asynchronous and synchronous mode, respectively. The analyses is performed
in both fixed and rotating coordinate system.
Chapter 8: Frequency response analysis

In rotordynamics analysis, asynchronous or synchronous forcing function can be defined in order to
study their effects on rotors. MSC Nastran includes separate bulk data entry to define the most commonly
used synchronous load due to unbalance. This chapter also highlights the effect of damping and
circulation terms on rotor response.
Chapter 9: Transient response Analysis

The transient analyses in MSC Nastran allows the usage of nonlinear bearings and it includes effect of
rate of change of rotor speed.
Chapter 10: Nonlinear frequency response analysis

The SOL 128 in MSC Nastran allows for mild nonlinearity to be included in the frequency response
analysis. In this case, the problem is solved using the harmonic balance technique.
Chapter 11: External SE analysis with rotors

This chapter describes the steps involved in defining multiple rotors in multiple external superelements
to streamline the analysis for very large models. Besides these, identical components of a model which
are repeated multiple times, can be generated using copy/move or mirror/move approach to reduce the
preprocessing and analyses time.
Chapter 12: Multiple Rotors

MSC Nastran allows for multiple rotors to be defined in the analysis in fixed reference frame where each
rotor is spinning at a different speed. Using an example, this chapter describes the steps involved in
defining the model and interpreting the results.
Appendix A. Nomenclature, Glossary of Terms, and References

This appendix provides a quick reference for the nomenclature used in this guide and to some technical
terms used throughout.
Appendix B. Element Details for Axisymmetric Harmonic Elements

This appendix provides details related to element formulation for axisymmetric harmonic elements for
rotordynamic analysis.
Chapter : Preface 5
Organization
Appendix C. User Defined Subroutines Using CBUSH2D

This appendix describes steps involved in defining a user defined subroutine for usage in CBUSH2D
entry.
6
Developments Introduced
New versions of MSC Nastran are released periodically. Details about the updates made in each released
version are described in the Release Guide provided with MSC Nastran. Rotordynamics capability was
first introduced in the MSC Nastran 2004 release. Since then significant progress have been made, and
new features have been added with each release based on customer requirements and key features
identified. The major enhancements since the MSC Nastran 2004 version are listed here:
MSC Nastran 2004

• Introduced rotordynamic analysis in MSC Nastran for 1-D models defined using
CONM2/CBAR/CBEAM elements. Components of this 1-D rotor are defined using a new Bulk
Data entry called ROTORG and rotor usage is defined using RGYRO and RSPINR.
MSC Nastran 2005 r3

• Introduced squeeze film damper. The squeeze film damper model is based on work originally
performed at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU).
2006 MD Nastran
• Additional damping options for rotors (structural, Rayleigh, and hybrid damping) in RSPINR
and RSPINT.
• NLRSFD implemented as an element.
• The rotordynamics option is available in the Aerodynamic Flutter (SOL 145) and Aeroelastic
Gust
• Response (SOL 146) solutions. SOL 145 uses the same gyroscopic equations as Complex
Eigenvalues; SOL 146 uses the frequency response formulation.
• Generation of Campbell diagrams using CAMPBLL entry.
• Preliminary rotor mode tracking.
• Updated equations of motion for complex eigenvalues analysis, frequency response, and
transient response by including damping and circulation terms for rotors.
2007 MD Nastran R2.1

• Introduced unbalance loading for frequency response.
• Nonlinear transient rotordynamics is introduced in SOL 400.
2008 MD Nastran R3
• In this version, special options were added to SOL 106 to support blade vibration analysis.
• Integrated, Multi-disciplinary Fan Blade Out (FBO) and Rotordynamics simulation in SOL 700.
• Allow for user defined subroutines so the user can provide their own subroutines or applications
within an MSC Nastran execution process. For example, the user can provide their own
formulation of a squeeze film damper in rotordynamic analysis.
Chapter : Preface 7
2010 MD Nastran
• Nonlinear harmonic response for rotordynamic analysis is introduced. It is helpful for analyzing
a class of dynamic response problems where rotor/stator contact under abnormal running
conditions.
2011 MD Nastran
• Starting with MD Nastran 2011, the user is allowed to provide their own SCA-object to calculate
the properties of CBUSH2D elements.
• Introduced ROMAC’s (University of Virginia Rotating Machinery And Controls laboratory,
http://www.virginia.edu/romac/) THPAD routine (which must be obtained from ROMAC) to
calculate the properties of a tilting pad journal bearing.
2012 MSC Nastran

• Introduced IRAM as a new complex eigenvalue extraction method in SOL 107 analysis for
rotordynamic analysis.
2013 MSC Nastran

• Allows usage of axisymmetric harmonic elements for rotordynamic analysis using a new bulk
data entry called “ROTORAX”. This allows for a better capture of the geometry of the rotors,
and thus leads to better and more accurate predictions of the behavior of the rotordynamic
models.
• A new entry called “RBAX3D” is introduced to connect an axisymmetric harmonic grid point to
a 3-D grid point.
• A limited capability to allow rotors in external superelements is provided.
2014 MSC Nastran

• In the 2014 release, we augmented the previous capability to allow concentrated masses to be
used in an axisymmetric harmonic calculation.
• With the enhancements in MSC Nastran 2014, any number of ROTORG, ROTORSE, and/or
ROTORAX Bulk Data entries that define rotors may be specified in external SEs and the
residual.
2014.1 MSC Nastran

• Added an option to apply Rayleigh damping for rotors as it was implemented in MSC Nastran
2005.
2016 MSC Nastran release

• A new bulk data entry “ROTOR” is introduced to allow for 3-D elements (solid and shells) for
analysis in fixed and rotating reference frames.
• The user can now optionally suppress the effect of the circulation matrix for damping defined in
rotors for analysis in a fixed reference frame.
8
• For 3-D rotors in a rotating reference frame, effects of stress stiffening (differential stiffness) can
be incorporated in the analysis.
Chapter : Preface 9
List of MSC Nastran Books
List of MSC Nastran Books

Below is a list of some of the MSC Nastran documents. You may find any of these documents from MSC
Software at http://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com/infocenter/index?page=home.
Installation and Release Guides

• Installation and Operations Guide
• Release Guide
Guides
Reference Books
• Quick Reference Guide
• DMAP Programmer’s Guide
• Reference Manual
User’s Guides
• Getting Started
• Linear Static Analysis
• Dynamic Analysis
• MSC Nastran Demonstration Problems
• MSC Nastran Embedded Fatigue User’s Guide
• Superelements
• Design Sensitivity and Optimization
• Nonlinear User's Guide (SOL 400)
• Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 600)
• Explicit Nonlinear (SOL 700)
• Utilities Guide
• User Defined Services
• Thermal Analysis
• Aeroelastic Analysis
10
Technical Support
Technical Support
For technical support phone numbers and contact information, please visit:
http://www.mscsoftware.com/Contents/Services/Technical-Support/Contact-Technical-Support.aspx
Support Center (http://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com)
The SimCompanion link above gives you access to the wealth of resources for MSC Software products.
Here you will find product and support contact information, product documentations, knowledge base
articles, product error list, knowledge base articles, and SimAcademy Webinars. It is a searchable
database which allows you to find articles relevant to your inquiry. Valid MSC customer entitlement and
login is required to access the database and documents. It is a single sign-on that gives you access to
product documentation for complete list of products from MSC Software, allows you to manage your
support cases, and participate in our discussion forums.
Chapter : Preface 11
Training and Internet Resources

MSC Software (www.mscsoftware.com)
MSC Software corporate site with information on the latest events, products and services for the
CAD/CAE/CAM marketplace.
http://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com
The SimCompanion link above gives you access to the wealth of resources for MSC Software products.
Here you will find product and support contact information, product documentations, knowledge base
articles, product error list, knowledge base articles, and SimAcademy Webinars. It is a searchable
database which allows you to find articles relevant to your inquiry. Valid MSC customer entitlement and
login is required to access the database and documents. It is a single sign-on that gives you access to
product documentation for complete list of products from MSC Software, allows you to manage your
support cases, and participate in our discussion forums.
http://www.mscsoftware.com/msc-training
The MSC-Training link above points you to schedule and description of MSC Seminars. The following
courses are recommended for beginning MSC Nastran users:
NAS101A - Linear Static and Normal Modes Analysis using MSC Nastran
This course serves as an introduction to finite element analysis. It includes discussion of basic features
available in MSC Nastran for solving structural engineering problems. In this course, all finite element
models will be created and edited using a text editor, not a graphical pre-processor. Proper data structure
of the MSC Nastran input file is covered. At the conclusion of seminar, the student will be familiar with
fundamental usage of MSC Nastran.
NAS101B - Advanced Linear Analysis using MSC Nastran

This course is a continuation of NAS101A - Linear Static and Normal Modes Analysis using MSC
Nastran. In this class, you will learn:
• Theory of buckling analysis and how to perform a buckling analysis
• About rigid elements - MPC, RBAR,RBE2, and RBE3
• Modeling with interface element CINTC and connectors
• Lamination theory and composite materials
• MSC Nastran composite theory
• Failure theories
• Linear contact and permanent glued contact
• Different model checks
• Modeling tips and tricks
12
NAS120 - Linear Static Analysis using MSC Nastran and Patran

This seminar introduces basic finite element analysis techniques for linear static, normal modes, and
buckling analysis of structures using MSC Nastran and Patran. MSC Nastran data structure, the element
library, modeling practices, model validation, and guidelines for efficient solutions are discussed and
illustrated with examples and workshops. Patran is an integral part of the examples and workshops and
is used to generate and verify illustrative MSC Nastran models, manage analysis submission requests,
and visualize results. This seminar provides the foundation required for intermediate and advanced MSC
Nastran applications.
NAS122 - Basic Dynamic Analysis using MSC Nastran and Patran

The course covers a wide range of dynamic analysis topics from basic to advanced using an integrated
approach. Patran is used for data set up and postprocessing and MSC Nastran is used for the solver. Many
unique practical hints and tips are given which do not exist in other material. Case studies are used in
each topic to help understand the physics and engineering behind the techniques in a practical way. A
comprehensive set of over 20 fully detailed student workshops is used to obtain real "hands on"
experience. A strong emphasis is placed on engineering process so that the student can rapidly relate the
course to his or her project needs.
NAS127 - Rotordynamic Analysis using MSC Nastran

This course covers rotordynamic analysis for coupled rotating and stationary components like jet
engines, turbines, compressors, energy storage devices, etc. This course provides details for:
• How to setup and analyze structural models with one or more rotating components
• The types of analysis supported by the rotordynamics capability
• Static analysis
• Complex eigenvalue analysis (modal and direct)
• Frequency response (modal and direct) and nonlinear frequency response
• Transient response (direct linear and nonlinear)
• Damping effects and input methods for models with rotating components
• How to use Patran to create models and display results with animation or graphs
There are two sets of workshops for this course. One set uses Patran as the pre and postprocessor. The
other directly edits the MSC Nastran input file.
Chapter 1: Introduction
1 Introduction

Introduction to Rotordynamics 14

Basic Concepts of Rotordynamics 16

Overview of MSC Nastran Rotordynamics 25
14
Introduction to Rotordynamics
Rotordynamics is that branch of system dynamics dealing with mechanical devices in which at least one
part, usually defined as a rotor, rotates with significant angular momentum (Genta, 2007). Rotating
systems have been around for many centuries, and a broad historical perspective of this subject is
provided in a book by Rao (Rao, 2011)
Rotating machines represent large class of machinery used in industrial applications; for example, power
stations, marine propulsion systems, aircraft engines, machine tools, transportation systems, and various
other purposes. Rotors equipped with bladed disks or impellers, rotating at high speeds in a fluid
environment allow rotating machines to produce, absorb, transform, or condition an amazing amount of
energy often in comparatively small, compact packages. The safe and sound operation of such rotating
machinery is of paramount importance. Every rotating machine consists of three principal components:
the rotor, the bearings, and their support structure. The rotor is connected to the support structure by
means of bearings, which may be of several types.
Of all the dynamic problems associated with rotating machinery, excessive vibration and instability are
very important, and the endeavor of the designer is to restrict the vibration of such systems as much as
possible and to increase the zone of stable operation. These problems unless avoided, lead to excessive
vibration, wear, operational difficulties, or even catastrophic failures. All three important modes of
vibrations (lateral, torsional, and axial modes) may be present during rotor operation. Among these
modes, the lateral modes of the rotor are of great concern, as they represent the lowest modes in most of
the cases.
Need for Rotordynamic analysis

Rotordynamics is different from structural vibrations analysis because of gyroscopic moments, cross-
coupled forces, and the possibility of whirling instability (Vance, 2010). The power density in a rotating
machine strongly affects its rotordynamics. In the 1920s, the turbine industry designed machines to
operate at substantially higher loads and at speeds above the lowest critical speed, and this introduced
modern Rotordynamics problems.
In designing, operating, and troubleshooting rotating machinery, rotordynamics analysis can help
accomplish the following objectives:
• Predict critical speeds.
• Determine design modifications to change critical speeds.
• Predict natural frequencies of torsional vibration.
• Calculate balance correction masses and locations from measured vibration data. (not currently
supported in MSC Nastran)
• Predict amplitudes of synchronous vibration caused by rotor imbalance. (using frequency
response or transient analysis)
• Predict frequency or transient response to externally applied synchronous/asynchronous force.
• Predict threshold speeds and vibration frequencies for dynamic instability.
Chapter 1: Introduction 15
• Determine design modifications to suppress dynamic instabilities.

• Study effect of external features like rub/friction/aerodynamics.
Sources of Vibration
A rotor can vibrate in three ways: axially, torsionally and laterally. Lateral vibrations cause displacements
of the rotor: normal to the axis of rotation. These lateral motions combine to produce an orbital motion
of the rotor in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation. Rotor lateral vibration is usually the largest
component of vibration in most high-speed machinery. Excessive lateral vibration can cause damage to
both bearings and support structure.
Rotor unbalance is the first and best known contributing factor to vibration of a rotor. When the rotor
mass center line does not coincide with its rotational axis, then mass unbalanced inertia related rotating
forces occur. As this rotates together with the rotor and is oriented perpendicular to the rotational axis,
the unbalance excites the lateral vibration modes. Higher speeds cause much greater centripetal forces
due to imbalances, which are a function of the square of the operating frequency. The forces are usually
periodic, and therefore, produce periodic displacements observed as vibration (Vance, 2010).
The frequency of the vibration response corresponds to the frequency of the excitation force. The
frequency of unbalance response is the same as the rotational speed; thus, the unbalance related
synchronous lateral vibrations are referred to as 1 X vibrations. When the rotor system is nonlinear, more
frequency components may be excited. The corresponding frequencies usually represent multiples of the
excitation frequency, superharmonics (2 X, 3 X, and so on) and subharmonics(1/2 X, 1/3 X and so on).
Another class of excitations are “free vibrations” or “transient vibrations”, which occur when the system
is excited by a short duration impact. There also exists a third category, self-excited vibrations. These
vibrations are sustained by a constant source of energy, which may be external or internal.
16
Basic Concepts of Rotordynamics
Figure 1-1 Simplified Jeffcott Rotor
Many of the concepts of rotordynamics can be explained using a simplified Jeffcott rotor (Jeffcott, 1919)
as shown in Figure 1-1. Consider a massless bar attached to springs and dampers at its ends A and B. The
bar is rotating about the Z axis oriented along its length. The X and Y axes represent lateral bending
directions. A disk with finite mass and inertia is attached to the bar at the center. The rotating bar is
supported at the ends by bearings which are modeled using linear springs and dampers. Various terms
used in Figure 1-1 are described here:
KXR and KYR Bending stiffness of the bar in the X and Y directions, respectively.
KXA and KYA Bending stiffness of the bearing at end A in the X and Y directions, respectively.
KXB and KYB Bending stiffness of the bearing at end B in the X and Y directions, respectively.
CXA and CYA Damping coefficients of the bearing at end A in the X and Y directions, respectively.
CXB and CYB Damping coefficients of the bearing at end B in the X and Y directions, respectively.
m Mass of the disk.
IP, IdX, IdY Polar and diametral moment of inertia for the disk.
Reference frame
A rotordynamic problem can be analyzed either in a fixed (inertial) reference frame or in a rotating
coordinate reference frame. Depending upon the symmetry present in the rotor and stator, an appropriate
reference frame can be selected for analysis to obtain time-independent equations of motion. When the
rotor, bearings, and support structure contain asymmetry, then the resulting equations contain time-
dependent parameters independent of the reference frame employed for analysis.
Figure 1-2 Fixed and Rotating Coordinate System
The general transformation of a time-dependent vector from a stationary coordinate system to a rotating
coordinate system at the same origin rotating at Ω rad/sec may be written as
{ v p ( t ) } = [ T ( Ω, t ) ] { v p ( t ) }
where:
{ vp ( t ) } = rotating coordinate system definition of time-dependent vector.

[ T ( Ω, t ) ] = time-dependent transformation matrix from rotating to stationary system.
{ vp ( t ) } = stationary coordinate system definition of time-dependent vector.
Transformation from fixed to rotating coordinate system is given by:
cos Ωt sin Ωt 0
{ vp ( t ) } = – sin Ωt cos Ωt 0 { v p ( t ) }
0 0 1
18
The key differences between the analysis in a fixed system and the analysis in a rotating system are given
below:
Table 1-1 Difference between Analysis in Fixed and Rotating System
Fixed System Analysis Rotating System Analysis
Rotating part of the structure must be axisymmetric Rotating structure need not be axisymmetric
about the spin axis. about the spin axis.
Rotating structure can be connected to a stationary Only symmetric non-rotating structure is
structure in the analysis model. included in the analysis.
Supports more than one rotating structure spinning Supports only a single rotating structure.
at different rotation speeds about different axes of
rotation.
Can be used to generate Campbell diagrams for Campbell diagrams are not directly applicable
computing rotor critical speeds. for computing critical speeds.
Rotor Symmetry
In order to determine whether to perform the analysis in fixed or rotating reference frames, it is important
to understand if the rotor and support structure are symmetric or not. For the simplified Jeffcott rotor
shown in Figure 1-1
The rotor is considered to be symmetric if all of the following conditions are met:
KXR = KYR
IdX = IdY
And the stator is considered to be symmetric if all of the following conditions are met:
KXA = KYA
CXA = CYA
KXB = KYB
CXB = CYB
In order to work with time-independent mass, stiffness and damping matrices in the equations of motion,
the following conditions must be satisfied.
Table 1-2 Analysis Reference Frame

Reference Case Rotor Symmetry Stator Symmetric Analysis Frame
Case 1 Symmetric Symmetric Fixed/Rotating
Case 2 Symmetric Not Symmetric Fixed Only
Case 3 Not Symmetric Symmetric Rotating Only
Case 4 Not Symmetric Not Symmetric NA
Table 1-2 provides summary with regard to reference frame that can be used for the analysis, depending
on the symmetry in rotor and stator, in order to obtain time-independent system of equations. In Case 1,
both the rotor and stator portion of the model are symmetric and the analysis can be performed in any
reference frame. If the rotor is symmetric and the supporting structure is asymmetric, the analysis can be
performed in fixed reference frame only (most common scenario). In case the rotor is asymmetric and
the stator is symmetric, the analysis can be performed in rotating reference frame only. And finally, if
both the rotor and stator are asymmetric, it is not possible to obtained time-independent system of
equations. This analysis is currently not supported in MSC Nastran.
Rotor Unbalance
As mentioned earlier, rotor unbalance is the first and best known method contributing to vibration of a
rotor. When the rotor mass centerline does not coincide with its rotational axis, then mass unbalanced
inertia related rotating forces occur. As this rotates together with the rotor and is oriented perpendicular
to the rotational axis, the unbalance acts in lateral vibration mode. Higher speeds cause much greater
centripetal forces due to imbalances, which is a function of the square of the operating frequency. The
frequency of the vibration response corresponds to the frequency of the excitation force. The frequency
of unbalance response will be the same as the rotational speed; thus the unbalance related synchronous
lateral vibrations are referred to as 1 X vibrations. Residual unbalance can occur due to various causes
such as manufacturing error, thermal deformation, material inhomogeneity, wear, and corrosion.
Unbalance can also occur due to a stack up of tolerance in assembly.
Whirl of Simple Rotor

A planar motion of a rotor is called a whirling motion or a whirl. Understanding the whirling phenomena
of rotors is essential for a deep insight into the physics of rotating machinery. The simple model
considered here is directly applicable to practical rotor problems observed in the real world and the
equations of motion governing the simple model can be easily understood.
The analysis presented here uses the Jeffcott rotor shown in Figure 1-1, the simplest rotor model. The
Jeffcott rotor model is allowed to vibrate simultaneously in both directions (vertical and horizontal)
producing a whirl orbit. The Jeffcott rotor undergoing whirl motion is shown in Figure 1-3. The front
view of the rotor model is also shown where a reference point P on the disk circumference is highlighted.
The rotor disk assembly is spinning in the anti-clockwise direction with a fixed angular velocity.
Depending upon the applied force, two different whirl modes are possible: forward and backward whirl.
As shown in Figure 1-4, in the case of forward whirl motion, the rotor assembly whirls in the same
20
direction as the applied angular velocity. Whereas in the case of backward whirl motion, the rotor whirl
direction is opposite to that of the applied angular velocity.
Figure 1-3 Whirl orbit for rotor
Figure 1-4 Forward and backward whirl direction
Stability
Whirl frequencies are important in determining rotor stability. Although the whirling motion may not be
at the rotational speed, whirl modes may be unstable due to internal rotor damping or external forces due
to bearing and seals. Estimating the stability of the whirl modes is important to ensure that a system
operates smoothly.
The eigenvalues of the system appear in complex conjugate pairs in the form
p = α ± iω
where α is the damping exponent (rate of growth or decay of the modal response) and ω is the damped
natural frequency. An eigenvector, or a mode shape, corresponding to every eigenvalue can be computed.
The mode shapes also appear in complex conjugate pairs. Each complex mode represents a time-
dependent curve in space representing the rotor deformation at the corresponding whirling frequency.
System stability is investigated by checking that all eigenvalues have negative real parts; i.e., all roots of
the system characteristic equation lie in the left-hand side of the p-plane (plot with α on the x-axis and ω
on the y-axis). By varying some parameter in the rotor model, such as the rotor spin speed or the damping
coefficient at one of the bearings and computing the eigenvalues at the different parameter values,
stability analysis can be performed with respect to that parameter using a root locus plot.
Asynchronous Analysis
Calculation of response with the rotors spinning at set speeds is performed using the asynchronous
option. The user specifies the rotor speeds, the gyroscopic terms are determined and added to the equation
of motion, and the response is determined.
Synchronous Analysis
Calculation of frequency response with the excitation synchronous with the reference rotor is performed
using the synchronous option. The user specifies the rotor speed range, the gyroscopic terms are
determined for each frequency and added to the equation of motion, and the response is determined. If
complex eigenvalue analysis is performed with the “synchronous” option, the critical frequencies of the
model are obtained as output.
Campbell Diagram
For whirl frequencies analysis, the rotational speeds are specified as input, and the whirl frequencies are
computed at those speeds. Typically, a series of analyses at different rotor speeds is performed in complex
or modal complex eigenvalue solutions. It is common practice to plot the whirl frequencies versus the
rotational speed of the rotor as shown in Figure 1-5. This plot is called a Campbell diagram. Whirl
frequencies for each mode at different rotor speeds are connected to form a series of lines that represent
the natural frequency curves.
22
Figure 1-5 Campbell diagram for a Rotor
Mode Tracking
For Campbell diagram plotting, it is often observed that two modes may switch order depending upon
their dependence on rotor speed, as shown in Figure 1-6(a). This may lead to confusion while analyzing
modes at higher rotor speeds. In order to avoid this, a mode tracking algorithm is required which tracks
the mode shape for each eigenfrequency. Results obtained after using a mode tracking algorithm are
shown in Figure 1-6(b). Most of the mode tracking algorithms make use of orthogonality conditions. A
robust approach for mode tracking is currently under development and will be included in future version
of MSC Nastran.
Figure 1-6 Mode Tracking for Campbell Diagram
Critical Speed
Critical speeds are commonly defined as the rotational speeds at which vibration due to rotor unbalance
is a local maximum. Since rotor unbalance always produces a synchronous whirling, large amplitudes of
synchronous vibration usually indicate a rotor unbalance problem. However, not all unbalance responses
at critical speeds are dangerous. There can be other rotational speeds at which subsynchronous or
supersynchronous excitation sources can produce large destructive vibration; these are called
subsynchronous and supersynchronous critical speeds.
Campbell diagrams can be used to determine the rotor critical speeds, as shown in Figure 1-7. A critical
speed of a rotor system is defined as a rotational speed of the system when a multiple of that speed
coincides with one of the system's natural frequencies. Excitation due to unbalance is usually
synchronous; i.e. the rotational speed of the rotor is equal to one of the natural frequencies. Excitation of
superharmonics or subharmonics occurs at rotational speeds that are multiples or fractions of these
frequencies, respectively. One approach for determining critical speeds is to simply generate the
Campbell diagram, include all excitation frequency lines of interest, and graphically find the intersection
between the excitation line and the natural frequency curves to define the critical speed associated with
that excitation.
24
Figure 1-7 Critical Speed for a Rotor
Torsional Vibration
Individual turbomachinery rotors are generally stiff enough in torsion to put their natural frequencies of
torsional vibration above the range of most torsional excitations. (Vance, 2010)
Key differences between lateral rotor vibration and torsional vibration are listed here:
• Lateral vibration is easily detected through standard instrumentation or through vibrations
transmitted to housings and foundations. Also, large amplitudes of lateral vibration are often
noticed due to rubbing of rotating seals and process wheels. On the other hand, instrumentation
for torsional vibration is not usually installed, and large amplitudes can occur silently and
without much effect on housings and foundations.
• Natural frequencies of lateral vibration are influenced by rotating speed, whereas natural
frequencies of torsional vibration are independent of rotating speed and can be measured with
the machine at rest if excitation can be provided.
• Lateral vibration in rotating machines can become unstable; this is very rare for torsional
vibration in machines without speed control feedback.
• The most common excitation of lateral vibration is synchronous (1 X) from rotor imbalance.
Rotor imbalance has no effect on torsional vibration, except indirectly in machines with gears
where the lateral vibration produces dynamic torque.
Overview of MSC Nastran Rotordynamics

The rotordynamics capability provides users with a relatively simple method of performing the design
and analysis of structures with rotating components. The procedures were developed with input from
aircraft engine manufacturers to ensure that their basic requirements were met. The rotordynamic
capability in MSC Nastran can be used in frequency response (direct and modal), complex modes (direct
and modal), static, nonlinear transient, and linear transient (direct only) analyses.
Frequency response analyses determine the rotor/support response to arbitrary excitation with the rotors
spinning at user specified rates or excitation that is synchronous with the reference rotor. The
asynchronous calculation determines the response of the system to an external input that is independent
of the rotor speed. The synchronous calculation determines the system response to a rotor imbalance or
other excitation that is dependent on the rotor spin rate.
Complex modes analyses determine the whirl frequencies and critical speeds. Whirl modes are modes of
a rotor/support system with the rotors spinning at specified rates. Critical speeds are whirl frequencies
that coincide with a rotor spin rate. Calculation of whirl frequencies is performed by the asynchronous
option (ASYNC). Calculation of critical speeds is performed by the synchronous option (SYNC).
Static analysis determines, for example, the loads on the rotor due to pitch or yaw of an aircraft. Severe
transverse rotations may be part of the design environment and limiting rotor motion to prevent rotor
blades from rubbing against the interior of the casing may be design criteria.
Direct linear and nonlinear transient analyses allow simulation of engine blade-out and subsequent
windmilling. The analysis is used to ensure structural integrity during flight and guarantee that excessive
vibration levels are not reached.
In rotordynamics analyses, very often bearing and dampers exhibit nonlinear behavior. If these were to
be analyzed accurately using transient analysis, it may require significant computational time. For these
kind of problems, where the model shows mild nonlinearity, nonlinear frequency response analysis can
be performed to approximately account for the presence of nonlinearity. This kind of approach is very
helpful in the initial design cycle.
When the problem is being analyzed in the fixed reference frame, the rotating part of the model needs to
be symmetric about the axis of rotation. In case the rotor being analyzed is NOT symmetric, then the
problem needs to be solved in the rotating reference frame. However, in this case, the nonrotating portion
needs to be symmetric in order to obtain equations of motion with constant coefficients.
With the enhanced 3D Rotordynamics capability, although it might take more computational time with
3D shell/solid elements to model the 3D rotor(s), it is much easy to capture the exact geometry without
special modeling constraints or efforts, which would greatly reduce the time for model preparation. The
3D modelling capability also provides more information about the model by capturing the local
deformation modes. For simpler, symmetric and uniform models usage of 1D beam/bar elements is
encouraged since they provide significant advantage in computational time. The use of axisymmetric
harmonic elements is recommended when the rotor is symmetric and it includes tapered/Nonuniform
sections.
26
All the above analyses can be performed in the stationary (inertial) coordinate system with the
assumption that the rotors have rotational symmetry or in a rotating coordinate system with the
assumption that the stator has rotational symmetry.
Benefits
Traditionally, companies have used proprietary in-house codes and customized DMAP solutions to
perform analyzes of structures with rotating components. The rotordynamics capability in MSC Nastran
provides an easy-to-use standardized procedure for analyzing rotating structures. The rotordynamics
capability is included in the standard MSC Nastran solution sequences, and invoked using case control
commands and bulk data entries. This standardization allows easier exchange of model data between in-
house groups or external vendors.
The design of the rotordynamics capability allows multiple rotors to be included in the analyses. The
rotors may spin at different rates and be aligned at arbitrary angles.
MSC Nastran rotordynamics supports analysis using 1-D elements, axisymmetric harmonic elements and
3-D solid and shell elements in fixed and rotating reference frames. Based on the complexity of the model
and required fidelity, the user can select the appropriate modeling techniques.
The enhanced external superelement (SE) capability introduced in MSC Nastran 2014 allows the user to
have multiple rotors in multiple external SEs as well as in the residual and to employ them to form
complete rotordynamic configurations in subsequent assembly jobs for performing specific types of
analysis similar to complex eigenvalue analysis or frequency or transient response analysis. This feature
also provides the capability for handling and managing external SEs that are geometrically identical by
copying and moving/mirroring a primary external SE to generate secondary external SEs. This can
greatly enhance user convenience and productivity by eliminating the need to model geometrically
identical external SEs individually.
There are benefits of different types of modeling, for example, with the enhanced 3D Rotordynamics
capability, although it might take more computational time with 3D shell/solid elements to model the 3D
rotor(s), it is much easy to capture the exact geometry without special modeling constraints or efforts,
which would greatly reduce the time for model preparation, and the results are more accurate.
Chapter 2: Theoretical Formulation
2 Theoretical Formulation

Equations of Motion 28

Equations of Motion in Fixed Reference Frame 29

Equation of Motion in Rotating Reference Frame 33
28
Equations of Motion
Equations of Motion
Important features of a rotordynamic analysis can be explained using the simplified Jeffcott rotor model
introduced in the previous chapter. A front view of the same rotor is shown in Figure 2-1 and will be used
in the rest of the chapter to generate equations of motion in both the fixed and rotating coordinate
systems.
Figure 2-1 Simplified Jeffcott Rotor
Assumptions:
1. Disk is rigid
2. Bar is massless
3. Linear spring support
4. Damping is neglected in the analysis
5. Rotor is spinning at constant speed Ω about the Z axis.
Equations of motions are obtained using Lagrange`s principle in both fixed and rotating coordinate
systems. The general form of Lagrange`s equation is given by:
d  ∂L  ∂L ∂D ∂W
 ·  – + =
d t  ∂ { g i } ∂ { g } ∂ { g· i } ∂ { g }
i i
where i = 1,2,3,…n
In the above equation, L is the Lagrange potential and is given by:
L = EK - U
where, EK is the kinetic energy, U is the potential energy, D is the dissipative energy and W is the work
done by non dissipative forces and {g} is the vector of generalized coordinates.
If the potential energy of the system is not dependent on time (true for most linear analyses), the above
expression can be simplified to:
d  ∂E K  ∂E K ∂U ∂D ∂W
  – + + =
d t  ∂ { g· i } ∂ { g } ∂ { g } ∂ { g· i } ∂ { g }
i i i
where i = 1,2,3,…n
Chapter 2: Theoretical Formulation 29
Equations of Motion in Fixed Reference Frame

For rotating components of a model, it is important to include the effect of gyroscopic couples. The
simplified Jeffcott rotor shown in Figure 2-1 has four degrees of freedom (DOF) for lateral or transverse
vibration analysis. These DOFs are transverse displacements “u” and “v” in the X and Y direction
respectively and rotations “θ” about the X-axis and “ψ” about the Y-axis. The equations of motion are
derived based on small displacements and rotations of the rotor from its equilibrium location.
For this simplified model, the kinetic energy of the disk with respect to axes fixed in space is
1
EK 1 = m(u 2 + v 2 )
2
The kinetic energy due to the rotation of the disk is given by:
1 1
EK 2 = I d (ω x 2 + ω y 2 ) + I pω z 2
2 2
where, ω X , ω Y and ω Z are the instantaneous angular velocities about X , Y and Z which rotate with
the disk as shown in Figure 1-2 and, Ip and Id are polar and dimeteric moment of inertias, respectively.
The instantaneous angular velocity of the disk, with respect to axes fixed in space, is θ about the X-axis
and ψ about the Y-axis.
Making use of the transformation matrices, angular velocities in a frame fixed to the rotor can be written
as:
ω x   θ cos φ + ψ sin φ cos θ 

    
ω y  =  −θ sin φ + ψ cos φ cos θ 
ω   Ω − ψ sin θ 
 z  
Substituting in the above expression, the total kinetic energy is then given by,
1 1 1
EK = m ( u 2 + v 2 ) + I d (θ 2 + ψ 2 cos 2 θ ) + I d ( Ω 2 − 2 Ω ψ sin θ + ψ 2 sin 2 θ )
2 2 2
Assuming rotations are small, this expression can be simplified to:
1 1 1
EK = m ( u 2 + v 2 ) + I d (θ 2 + ψ 2 ) + I d ( Ω 2 − 2 Ω ψθ )
2 2 2
If the local coordinates are arranged in vector form { g } = {u , v , θ ,ψ } , then the inertial terms from
T
Lagrange’s equation are given by:

30
m 0 0 0   u  0 0 0 0   u 
0 m 0 0 0   v 
d  ∂EK  ∂EK  0   v   0 0
  − =  +Ω  
dt  ∂ { g i }  ∂ { gi }  0 0 I d 0  θ 0 0 0 − I p  θ 
    
0 0 0 I d  ψ  0 0 Ip 0  ψ 
d  ∂EK  ∂EK
 − = [ M ]{ g} + Ω [G ]{ g }
dt  ∂ { g i }  ∂ { gi }
Next, the expression for strain energy is determined based on the generalized coordinates described
previously. Since the disk and bar are assumed to be rigid in the analysis, displacements at the ends in
terms of generalized coordinates {u , v, θ ,ψ } are given as:
At end A in X direction: u − aψ
At end A in Y direction: v + aθ
At end B in X direction: u + bψ
At end B in Y direction: v − bθ
Potential energy for deformation of the springs at the end is given by:
1 1 1 1
U= K XA (u − aψ ) 2 + KYA (v + aθ ) 2 + K XB (u + bψ ) 2 + KYB (v − aψ ) 2
2 2 2 2
Contribution from potential energy to Lagrange’s equation is given by:
 K XA + K XB 0 0 − aK XA + bK XB  u 
 0 K YA + K YB aK YA − bK YB 0  
∂U
=   v 
∂ {g}  0 aK YA − bK YB a 2 K YA + b 2 K YB 0  θ 
 
 − aK XA + bK XB 0 0 a K XA + b K XB  ψ 
2 2
∂U
= [ K ]{ g }
∂ {g}
Thus, the equation of motion in a fixed reference frame without damping can be written as:
[ M ]{g} + Ω[G ]{g } + [ K ]{g} = {F }

Damping in Stator
If the supports include dampers: CXA, CYA, CXB, and CYB , then the dissipation energy is given by:
1 1 1 1
D = C XA (u − aψ )2 + CYA (v + aθ)2 + C XB (u + bψ ) 2 + CYB (v − aψ )2
2 2 2 2
Using Lagrange`s principle, contribution from dissipative energy to the structural dynamics equation of
motion is given by:
 C XA + C XB 0 0 −aC XA + bC XB   u 
 0 CYA + CYB aCYA − bCYB 0  
∂D
=   v 
∂ { g }  0 aCYA − bCYB a 2CYA + b 2CYB 0  θ 
 
 −aC XA + bC XB 0 0 a 2C XA + b 2C XB  ψ 
∂D
= [ BS ]{ g }
∂ { g }
Thus, the equation of motion in a fixed reference frame with damping defined for the stator is given by:
[ M ]{g} + Ω[G ]{g } + [ BS ]{g } + [ K ]{g} = {F }
Damping in Rotor
Damping defined for the rotating components results in damping forces proportional to displacements
defined in the rotating system. Thus, if [BR] represents the damping matrix in the rotating reference
frame, then the damping force (FDR) in the rotating coordinate system is given by:
FDR = [ BR ]{ g }
According to Chapter 1, the transformation from a fixed to a rotating frame is given by:
 cos Ωt sin Ωt 0
 0 
{v p ( t ) = [T ( Ω , t )] v p (t ) , where [T (Ω, t ) ] =  − sin Ωt
} { } cos Ωt
 0 0 1 
Thus, { g ( t )} = [T ( Ω , t )] { g ( t )} and { g ( t )} = [T ] { g (t )} + Ω [T ] { g (t )}
32
 − sin Ω t cos Ω t 0
where  T ( Ω , t )  =  − cos Ω t − sin Ω t 0
   
 0 0 0 
Therefore, the damping force (FDF) in the fixed reference frame is given by:
[ FD F ] = [T ]
T
[ FD R ]
[ FDF ] = [T ] [ B R ] ([T ] { g ( t )} + Ω [T ] { g ( t )} )
T
[ FD F ] = [T ] [ B R ][T ] { g ( t )} + Ω [T ] [ B R ][T ] { g ( t )}
T T
If [ B R ] = bR [ I ] (where [I ] is an identity matrix), then the above expression can be simplified to:
[ F D F ] = b R { g ( t )} + b R Ω [T ] [ T ] { g ( t )}
T
[ FDF ] = bR { g (t )} + bR Ω[ J ]{ g (t )}
0 1 0
where J is a skew symmetric matrix and its given by: [ J ] =  − 1 0 0 
 0 0 0 
Thus, the rotor damping results in an additional skew symmetric force proportional to displacement. This
additional term is referred to as a circulatory matrix due to internal damping.
Equation of motion in a fixed reference frame where damping is defined for both stator and the rotor is
given by:
[ M ]{ g} + Ω [ G ]{ g } + ([ B S ] + [ B R ]){ g } + ( Ω [ K C ] R + [ K ] ) { g } = { FS }
where, [ K C ] R = b R [ J ] for this particular case.

Equation of Motion in Rotating Reference Frame

As described in Chapter 1 for the analysis in a rotating reference frame, the non-rotating part of the model
must be symmetric. Hence for the model described in Figure 1-1, the following condition must be
satisfied for analysis in a rotating reference frame.
KXA = KYA = KA, CXA = CYA= CA, KXB = KYB = KB, and CXB = CYB = CB
Equations of motion in a rotating reference frame can be obtained by transforming the displacement
vector. For simplicity, consider translational DOFs only. Detailed analysis with rotational DOF is
provided in the book by Vollan and Komszik (Vollan and Komszik, 2012).
For translational DOFs, transformation from a fixed to a rotating reference frame is given by:
{ g t } = [T1 (Ω, t )]{ g t (t )}
 cos Ωt sin Ωt 
where { g t } = {u , v}T and [T1 (Ω, t )] =  .
 − sin Ωt cos Ωt 
Therefore, { g t } = [T1 ( Ω , t )]T { g t + r0 } where { r0 } = { x 0 , y 0 }

T
Taking the derivative gives:
{ g t } = [T1 ]T { g t } + [T1 ]T { g t + r0 }
Kinetic energy of the disk is given by
1
E K ,t = m{g t }T {g t }
2
1
{
m [T1 ]T { g t } + [T1 ]T { g t + r0 } } {[T ] { g } + [T ] { g t + r0 }}
T
T T
E K ,t = 1 t 1
2
 − sin Ωt cos Ωt 
where, T1  = Ω 
− cos Ωt
 − sin Ωt 
The inertial terms from Lagrange’s equation are given by:
d  ∂E K  ∂E K
  − = [ M ] { gt } + 2 Ω [ C ]{ g t } − Ω 2 [ Z ] { g t } − { f cp }
dt  { i} 
∂ g
 ∂ {g i }
34
where
m 0
[M ] =  (mass matrix)
0 m 
0 −m 
[C ] =  (coriolis matrix)
m 0 
m 0
[Z ] =  (centrifugal softening matrix)
0 m 
 x0 
{ f } = mΩ
cp
2
  (centripetal force)
 y0 
The centripetal force acting on the rotor disk is proportional to the square of the operating speed and
distance from the axis of rotation. If higher-order strain is included in the analysis, an axial load results
in additional bending stiffness, which is referred to as geometric or differential stiffness. It is denoted by:
Ω2[KG]
Since the support stiffness is the same in both directions, the simplified stiffness matrix is the same in
both the fixed and rotating systems. Therefore, the contribution from strain energy for analysis performed
in a rotating coordinate system is given by:
∂U K + KB 0 
= A + Ω2[KG ]
∂ {g}  0 K A + K B 
Damping in Rotors
Damping defined for rotors can be expressed as (as described earlier):
FDR = [ B R ]{ g }
Thus, the equation of motion with damping defined for rotors is given by:
[ M ] { gt } + 2 Ω [C ]{ g t } + [ B R ] { g t } + ([ K ] + Ω 2 [ K G ] − Ω 2 [ Z ] ) { g t } = { FR }
Damping in Stator
As discussed earlier, damping defined in the fixed reference frame for the stator needs to be converted
into damping defined in the rotating reference frame using coordinate transformation.
Therefore, the damping force in the fixed reference frame for stator is given by:
FDS = b { g t } , where b = CA + C B.
Transforming this damping force to the rotating reference frame:
(
FD S = b[T1 ] [T1 ]T { g t } + [T1 ]T { g t } )
( )
FDR = b[T1 ] [T1 ]T { g t } + [T1 ]T { g t + r0 } = b { g t } + Ω b[ J t ] { g t }
FDS = [ B S ] { g t } + Ω [ K C ] S { g t }
where, [BS] = b[I] and [KC] S = b[Jt].
Thus, the equation of motion in the rotating reference frame with damping defined for both the rotor and
the stator is given by:
[ M ] { gt } + ( 2 Ω [C ] + ([ B R ] + [ BS ]) ) { g t } + ([ K ] + Ω 2 [ K G ] − Ω 2 [ Z ] + Ω[ K C ]S ) { g t } = { FR }
36
Final Equations of Motion
Final Equations of Motion

The general equation of motion for a model with rotating components is given by:
1. Final equation of motion in a rotating reference frame:
[ M ] { g} + ([ BS ] + [ BR ] + 2Ω[C ] ) { g } + ([ K ] − Ω 2 [ Z ] + Ω 2 [ K G ] + Ω[ K C ]S ) { g } = { FR }
(2-1)
where,
[M] = Mass matrix
{g} = Degrees of freedom in the rotating reference frame
[BS] = Damping in fixed frame
[BR] = Damping in rotating frame
Ω = Operating rotor speed

[C] = Coriolis Effect
[K] = Stiffness matrix
[Z] = Centrifugal softening matrix
[KG] = Differential Stiffness due to axial centrifugal load
[KC]S = Circulatory matrix due to damping in fixed frame
{FR} = External force vector in rotating reference frame
2. Final equation of motion in a fixed reference frame:
[M ]{ g} + ([ BS ] + [ BR ] + Ω[G]){ g } + ([ K ] + Ω[ KC ]R ) {g} = {FS }

(2-2)
where,
{ g } = Degrees of freedom in the fixed reference frame
[G] = Gyroscopic Matrix

[KC]R = Circulatory matrix due to damping in rotating frame
{FS} = External force vector in fixed reference frame

Chapter 3: Elements Supported for Rotordynamics Analysis
Elements Supported for

3 Rotordynamics Analysis
 Rotor Modeling 38
38
Rotor Modeling
Rotor Modeling
Rotordynamic Analysis using MSC Nastran

MSC Nastran supports rotordynamic analysis for 1D, 2D axisymmetric harmonic and 3D rotor
geometries. The three corresponding cards and their element support are listed in Table 3-1. It should be
noted that all three cards are valid for analysis in the fixed reference frame and that the ROTOR card
furthermore supports analysis that takes place in the rotating reference frame.
After the ROTORG card was released in MSC Nastran 2004, the new 2D and 3D capabilities were
introduced in MSC Nastran 2014 and MSC Nastran 2016, respectively. Unfortunately, some very special
features that are popular with the ROTORG card, such as support for solution sequence SOL 110 Modal
Complex Eigenvalue and SOL 111 Modal Frequency Response, have not made it into MSC Nastran
proper yet. Note that modal transient analysis (SOL 112) is not supported for rotordynamic analysis.
Table 3-1 Rotor definition entries
Reference
Rotor Entry Geometric Frame Special Feature
Name Extent Elements Supported Supported Support
ROTORG 1D CONM2, CBAR, CBEAM Fixed only Sol 110, Sol 111
ROTORAX 2D CONM2, CQAUDX, Fixed only Not yet
Axisymmetric CTRIAX
Harmonic
ROTOR 3D CONM1,CONM2 Both fixed Not yet
and rotating
CBAR, CBEAM
CQUAD4, CQUAD8,
CTRIA3, CTRIA6
CTETRA, CPENTA,
CHEXA
A brief preview of each of these rotor cards is given in Figure 3-1 , Figure 3-2, and Figure 3-3. Detailed
descriptions are available in the MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide.
Chapter 3: Elements Supported for Rotordynamics Analysis 39
Rotor Modeling
ROTORG Rotor Line Model Grids
Specifies grids that compose the rotor line model.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ROTORG ROTORID GRID1 GRID2 ... GRIDn
Figure 3-1 ROTORG Definition
ROTORAX Axisymmetric Model Rotor Definition
Specifies list of elements, properties or grid points that comprise an axisymmetric model rotor.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ROTORAX ROTORID LTYPE ID1 ID2 ... ... IDn
Figure 3-2 ROTORAX Definition
ROTOR Rotor Model Definition
Specifies list of grids, elements or properties that comprise the rotor 3D model.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ROTOR ROTORID FRAME
LTYPE ID1 ID2 ID3 etc.
AXIS GID1 GID2 etc.
Figure 3-3 ROTOR Definition
In order to define a rotor model, the following information needs to be provided:

a. Unique rotor identification number
b. List of elements/nodes that comprise the rotor model
c. At least two grid points to define the axis of rotation
d. Type of reference frame to use for analysis
40
Rotor Modeling
In the case of ROTORG, the list of nodes specified through GRID1, GRID2, … GRIDn are sufficient to
define the components of the rotor. Since these grid points must be collinear, they also define the axis of
rotation. (In case these points are not collinear, a FATAL message is issued by MSC Nastran). It is
important to realize that ROTORG grids may not be connected directly to any element that is not part of
the rotor. However, since physical rotor/stator couplings via bearings commonly occur in rotor systems,
special modeling techniques are available to specify such connections.
In the case of ROTORAX, components of the rotor can be specified either by listing all the elements that
comprise the rotor (LTYPE = ELEM) or by specifying property IDs associated with the elements that
comprise the rotor (LTYPE = PROP). The axis of rotation is specified using LTYPE = GRID. At least
two grid points are required to specify the axis of rotation. These grid points need not be part of the
axisymmetric harmonic rotor.
ROTOR is similar to ROTORAX but more condensed in that all rotor details for a single rotor can be
specified in one single card. Unlike the previous two rotor entries, here the user needs to specify the
reference frame being used for the analysis next to the rotor ID. In a single test deck, only one type of
reference frame can be used for analysis, either rotating or fixed.
Sample Test Case
Figure 3-4 Uniform rigid rotor supported at ends
To illustrate this Rotordynamics functionality within MSC Nastran, let us consider the hollow rotor with
two bearing supports in Figure 3-4 and model it with the introduced ROTORG, ROTORAX and ROTOR
cards in sequence. The rotor has a length of 0.5m, an inner diameter of 0.1m, and an outer diameter of
0.2m. Both bearing supports have horizontal and vertical stiffnesses of 1MN/m. The rotor is made of steel
with a density of 7810 kg/m3 and an elastic constant of 210 GPa.
Model with ROTORG

The ROTORG entry can be used to define a line rotor by specifying grid points belonging to the rotor. A
rotor defined using the ROTORG entry may consist of CBAR, CBEAM, and/or CONM2 elements. It
should be noted that the CBAR elements do not include a polar moment of inertia in the element
formulation. Hence, CBAR elements (with default settings) may be used in combination with CONM2
elements to generate gyroscopic matrices for analysis in a fixed reference frame. Although the CONM2
Rotor Modeling
mass elements can also be optionally associated with CBEAM elements, the PBEAM card (i.e.: CBEAM
property card) allows for the direct specification of a polar moment of inertia.
Rotors can be firmly constrained in space with SPCs or mounted with bearings supports using rigid
elements (e.g. RBAR, RBE2), interpolation elements (e.g.: RBE3) or constraint equations (e.g. MPC).
For more detail about these special elements, the user can refer to the MSC Nastran Quick Reference
Guide (QRG).If connection using conventional elements between the rotor and bearing or the support
structure is detected, a fatal error will be issued. It is important to have the rotor detached from the support
structure because the inertial properties for the calculation of the gyroscopic terms are determined using
the G-size matrices. Connections to ground or support elements may cause incorrect determination of the
gyroscopic terms. For the example shown here, the end points of the rotor are connected to ground with
springs through RBE2 elements.
a. ROTORG using CBEAM elements
The rotor modeled using four CBEAM elements is shown in Figure 3-5 and the test deck for the rotor
part of this model is shown in Figure 3-6. The rotor with ID 1 is defined as consisting of nodes 1 to 5
using the ROTORG entry. Structural properties and shape for the beam are defined using MAT1 and
PBEAML entries, respectively. In the current example, bearings are defined in the fixed reference frame.
In order to make that distinction, two grid points (Node 11 and 15) are defined coincident with existing
rotor nodes. Node 11 is connected to Node 1 and Node 15 is connected to Node 5 using RBE2 elements.
Finally, spring supports are defined on nodes 11 and 15.
Figure 3-5 Rotor model with CBEAM entries
For the rotor model defined using CBEAM elements as shown in Figure 3-5 and Figure 3-6, the
corresponding rotor summary in the .F06 is shown in Figure 3-7. For rotors defined using a ROTORG
entry, the following information about the rotor is provided in the output.F06 file:
a. Grid points found on each rotor.
b. Assumed direction of rotation based on the grids defined in the ROTORG entry. (The final
spin direction for each rotor is provided by the RSPINR entry.)
c. Rotor mass summary which includes details for inertia properties for each of the grid points
that comprise the rotor model. Since a CBEAM element is used in the analysis, the mass
summary for each grid point also includes polar moment of inertia. The last line in this
summary shows the Center of gravity for the rotor model.
42
Rotor Modeling
Figure 3-6 Test deck for rotor model with CBEAM elements
Figure 3-7 Rotor Summary in the.F06 file for the rotor defined using CBEAM element
Rotor Modeling
d. ROTORG using CBAR and CONM2 elements

If a massless shaft is desired in a Rotordynamics analysis, the entire mass and inertia of the shaft can be
assigned to a concentrated mass located at the center. This particular case can be modeled using CBAR
and CONM2 elements as shown in Figure 3-8 and Figure 3-9.
Figure 3-8 Rotor model with CBAR and CONM2 elements
Figure 3-9 Input deck for rotor model with CBAR and CONM2 elements
With reference to the test deck shown in Figure 3-6, the following changes are made in the
model:
• PBEAML is replaced by PBARL
• CBEAM is replaced by CBAR
• The material density in the MAT1 card is changed from 7810.0 to 0.0 kg/m3.
44
Rotor Modeling
• A concentrated mass is added at the center of the rotor model.
Figure 3-10 Results for the rotor model with CBAR/CONM2 elements
The only difference in the results presented in Figure 3-7 and Figure 3-10 is in the rotor mass summary.
As expected for the model with CBAR and CONM2 elements, the entire mass and inertia of the model
is located at the center of the rotor on the grid with ID 3. Of course, the entire mass does not have to be
concentrated in one GRID point and can be distributed over several or even all of them.
Model using ROTORAX

The hollow rotor modeled using axisymmetric harmonic elements is shown in Figure 3-11. In general,
the number of axisymmetric elements required to obtain a high fidelity model is much larger than the
number of elements required for a beam/bar element model. However, for this particular example, in
order to highlight the usage of axisymmetric elements, only four CQUADX elements are used in the
analysis.
Figure 3-11 Rotor model developed using axisymmetric harmonic elements

Rotor Modeling
Figure 3-12 Test deck for rotor model with axisymmetric harmonic elements
Part of the test deck for the rotor modeled using CQUADX elements is shown in Figure 3-12. The rotor
with ID 1 is defined by specifying the property of the elements that comprise the rotor and the grid points
that define the axis of rotation. For the case of ROTORAX entries, the PROP entry must point to a
PAXSYMH entry. For this particular case, the ELEM option could have also been used to define the
components of the rotor as shown below:
$ ROTOR DEFINITION
$ ROTORAX 10 PROP 1
ROTORAX 10 ELEM 1 THRU 4
The details of the PAXSYMH card used for specifying the properties of the elements is described in the
MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide and Appendix. Note that in the current analysis, a harmonic index
of 1 is used in order to perform lateral bending analysis. For axial and torsion analysis, the harmonic
index needs to be changed from “1” to “0”.
The CQUADX and GRID entries are defined in the conventional way. In order to connect the rotor to the
conventional springs, two “3-D” grid points are defined. (A grid point associated with an axisymmetric
46
Rotor Modeling
harmonic element is considered to be an axisymmetric harmonic grid point. As described in Appendix B

of this manual, the axisymmetric harmonic grid points have six DOFs, and they are different from
conventional 3-D grid points.) In order to make a connection between the axisymmetric harmonic grid
point and the 3-D grid, the RBAX3D connector elements are used. In the current model, two RBAX3D
elements are used, one at either end, to connect the rotor to the bearings at the ends. Once the connection
to 3-D grid points has been made, CBUSH elements can be attached to these 3-D grid points for the
support. Rules related to the usage of RBAX3D entry are given in the MSC Nastran Quick Reference
Guide and Appendix B of this manual.
Figure 3-13 Rotordynamics summary from axisymmetric harmonic rotor
The rotordynamics summary in the .F06 file for a rotor model defined using ROTORAX entry is shown
in Figure 3-13. It lists the elements defined on the axis of rotation. Any 3-D grid point attached to an
axisymmetric harmonic rotor using the RBAX3D entry is also considered part of the rotor axis grid list.
The rotor spin direction is determined based on the grid points specified under the GRID option. And
finally, the rotor mass summary for each of the rotors defined in the model is listed. It includes total rotor
mass, its CG location and moment of inertia. It can be seen here that the total mass, CG location, and
polar moment of inertia for the beam rotor and axisymmetric rotor are the same.
In some cases, it may be desirable to treat the rotor as massless and assign mass and inertia properties to
a concentrated point mass, as simulated earlier using CBAR/CONM2 elements. This can also be done
using axisymmetric harmonic elements as shown in Figure 3-14. Here an additional GRID with ID 13 is
defined on the axis of symmetry at the center of the rotor (i.e., where the point mass needs to be defined).
This 3D GRID point is connected to a point on the axisymmetric rotor using RBAX3D entry. Now, a
point mass can be defined on this 3-D grid point which will be treated as part of the rotor during the
analysis. Results for this particular case are shown in Figure 3-15. Now the Rotordynamics summary
shows three points listed on the rotor axis compared with two points listed in Figure 3-13. Also, the mass
summary for each rotor includes an additional line which lists the total mass of the axisymmetric rotor
after including the additional mass defined using the CONM2 element.
Rotor Modeling
Figure 3-14 Test deck with axisymmetric harmonic elements and CONM2
Figure 3-15 Results for rotor defined using axisymmetric harmonic elements and CONM2
48
Rotor Modeling
Model with ROTOR

a. Using shell elements
Finally, the rotor is modeled using shell elements CQUAD4 and the new ROTOR entry. The rotor model
and the corresponding test deck are shown in Figure 3-16 and Figure 3-17, respectively.
Figure 3-16 Rotor model with shell elements
Figure 3-17 Test deck with shell elements for analysis in fixed system
The ROTOR entry includes all the details about the reference frame for analysis (FIX), components of
the rotor (PROP 1) and grid points to define the axis of rotation (AXIS 220 221). The material properties
Rotor Modeling
for the shell elements are defined using usual PSHELL and MAT1 entries. As shown above, RBE2
elements (RBE3 element can also be used) are used here to connect the rotor to the bearings in the fixed
frame. Also, it can be easily seen here that the size of the model has increased by at least 40 times
compared with the beam rotor model.
The rotordynamics summary for the rotor model defined using shell elements is shown in Figure 3-18. It
follows the same format as that for the axisymmetric rotor. The .F06 file lists the grid points that lie on
the axis of rotation and define the rotor axis. The total mass and the rotor CG location obtained for the
rotor with shell elements is the same as that obtained earlier for the rotor with beam elements and the
rotor with axisymmetric harmonic elements. Note that the polar moment of inertia is zero in this case
since the rotational degrees of freedom do not include inertia effects for shell elements.
Figure 3-18 Rotor summary for the 3-D rotor
b. Using ROTOR entry for 1-D elements

As described in Table 3-1, the rotor defined using CBEAM, CBAR and CONM2 elements can also be
defined using the ROTOR entry. Thus, the rotor defined earlier in Figure 3-5 and Figure 3-8 can also be
defined using the new ROTOR entry.
The 1-D rotor with beam elements can be defined using the ROTOR entry as:
$ ROTORG 1 1 THRU 5
ROTOR 1 FIX
PROP 1
AXIS 1 2
50
Rotor Modeling
Similarly, the 1-D rotor modeled using CBAR and CONM2 element can be defined using the ROTOR
entry as:
$ ROTOR DEFINITION
$ ROTORG 1 1 THRU 5
ROTOR 1 FIX
ELEM 21
PROP 1
AXIS 1 2
Since there is no property associated with the CONM2 elements, it is defined as part of the ROTOR entry
using the ELEM option, as observed above. The Rotordynamics summary for the above case is shown in
Figure 3-19. The rotor information provided here is similar to that listed in Figure 3-10.
Figure 3-19 Rotordynamic summary for ROTOR with CBAR/CONM2 elements
Rotor Modeling Guidelines

In this section, a brief overview of different rotor modeling approaches is provided. In general, the
approach used in the analysis depends on the following features of the model:
1. Symmetry present in rotor and stator
2. Complexity of the rotor
3. Computational time
The symmetry present in rotor and stators identifies the reference frame to be used for the rotordynamic
analysis. The next important criteria is to determine the complexity of the rotor model and the best
modeling technique to use to capture the geometry of the model. Even though higher-order elements may
capture the model details better, it comes at the expense of significant computational time. (In some
cases, the use of enhanced reduction techniques can offset the penalty associated with higher order
Rotor Modeling
models. These reduction techniques are discussed in a later chapter.) Here, four representative rotor
models are presented, and for each of the case, appropriate modeling recommendation is made to obtain
accurate results without significant computational time.
Case 1: Uniform Hollow Rotor Model

A uniform hollow rotor modeled using three different options available for analysis in fixed reference
frame is shown in Figure 3-20. Number of elements and grid points used for generating these rotor
models is listed in Table 3-2. Here it can be seen that, as compared to a one-dimensional rotor model, the
two-dimensional rotor model requires 90 times more nodes whereas the three-dimensional model
requires 290 times nodes. Thus for this simple and uniform hollow rotor, it is sensible to use one-
dimensional rotor modeled using CBEAM (or CBAR and CONM2) and defined using ROTORG to save
computational time.
Figure 3-20 Hollow Rotor Model

Table 3-2 Finite element details
Model # of Grids # of Elements
ROTORG 10 9
ROTORAX 904 675
ROTOR 2900 2870
Case 2: Symmetric Nonuniform Rotor Model

Figure 3-21 shows the Nelson-MacVaugh (Nelson and Vaugh, 1976) rotor modeled using different
elements. As seen in the figure, the rotor is nonuniform and diameter varies across the length of rotor.
52
Rotor Modeling
Figure 3-21 Nelson-MacVaugh (NM) Rotor
For this case, the one-dimensional rotor modeled using CBEAM elements may not capture the stiffness
of the rotor model correctly in the region where the rotor diameters varies sharply. For these kind of
models, the use of axisymmetric harmonic elements, as shown in Figure 3-21(b), is recommended. In
this case, the 3-D solid elements (Figure 3-21(c)) also captures the changes in rotor geometry correctly;
however, they require much more nodes and elements to capture the correct geometry, and thus they are
computationally more expensive.
Case 3: Symmetric Nonuniform Rotor

Model for a rotor shaft with propeller is shown in Figure 3-22. The finite element model consists of
CQUAD4 and solid CHEXA elements. This particular model cannot be analyzed accurately using one-
dimensional or two-dimensional elements. Since the rotor has discrete blades attached to be, the rotor
model shown here is not axisymmetric by definition. However, as the rotor blades are uniformly
distributed around the circumference, the rotor model can be approximately treated as symmetric and
analyzed in fixed reference frame. Thus, this model needs to be defined using the ROTOR entry, either
in fixed or stationary reference frame, depending on the nature of support structure. (If the discrete blades
in the model are short and can be treated as rigid, then all the blades in the rotor model can be replaced
by a concentrated mass (CONM2) element at the center of the axis of rotation/symmetry. In this case, it
would be possible to model the rotor using axisymmetric harmonic elements and define is using
ROTORAX entry.)
Rotor Modeling
Figure 3-22 Propeller with shaft
Case 4: Nonsymmetric Rotor

The model for a crankshaft generated using solid CHEXA and CPENTA elements is shown in
Figure 3-23. This model has nonsymmetric rotating structure. Thus this model can ONLY be analyzed
using the ROTOR entry in rotating reference frame, assuming it has symmetric boundary conditions
and it is attached to symmetric supports.
Figure 3-23 Crankshaft model generated using solid elements

54
Rotor Modeling
Chapter 4: Damping
4 Damping

Damping and Bearing Models 56

Linear Bearings 62

Nonlinear Bearings 64
56
Damping and Bearing Models

Several damping options are available in MSC Nastran for both the rotor and stator components. Due to
the presence of circulatory terms, damping for rotors is separated and treated differently from damping
for the stator portion of the model. Besides applying damping directly to the structural model, the user
can also include linear/nonlinear dampers in the model using Bulk Data entries like CDAMP, CBUSH,
etc. In order to model complex behavior associated with bearings in rotordynamics, several models are
available such as the two-dimensional linear/nonlinear bush element (CBUSH2D), nonlinear squeeze
film damper (NLRSFD), nonlinear radial load (proportional to gap, NLRGAP), and the nonlinear load
as a tabular function (NOLINi).
Structural Damping Options for Stator

The following options are available in MSC Nastran for applying damping to structural model of the
stator. (For each of the available options, Bulk data entries that can be used to specify the damping
parameters, and mathematical expressions used for applying the damping, are also listed.)
Structural damping:
Sources: Param G or Field ‘G’ in DAMPING card
Application:
1. Added to stiffness matrix: [KS]G =

(Only for frequency response and complex eigenvalue solutions)
2. Added to Damping matrix: [BS]G = (W3 from PARAM, W3)

where, [KGG] is G-size stiffness matrix for the stator and W3 ≠ 0. (Only in transient solutions)
Material damping:
Sources: Field ‘GE’ in material property card (eg. MAT1)
Application:
1. Added to stiffness matrix: [K4s] = (for each material type)
2. Added to Damping matrix: [BS]4 = (W4 from PARAM, W4)
where W4 ≠ 0. (Only in transient solutions)

Chapter 4: Damping 57
Rayleigh Damping
Sources: Field ‘Alpha1’ and ‘Alpha2’ in DAMPING card or PARAM, ALPHA1 and PARAM ALPHA2.
Application:
1. Added to Damping matrix: [BS] =

where, [MGG] is G-size mass matrix for the stator.
Hybrid Damping
Sources: Field ‘HYBRID’ in DAMPING card and HYBDAMP card.
Application:
Case 1: KDAMP = No
1. Added to Damping matrix: [BS]H =
Case 2: KDAMP = Yes

1. Added to Stiffness matrix: [KS]H = i[KH]
2. Added to Damping matrix: [BS]H = [-------------

KH ]
(WH from DAMPING entry)
WH
where WH ≠ 0 in transient solutions.

(Refer to QRG for further details related to matrices [BH] and [KH] under the description for bulk
data entry HYBDAMP)
Damping Options for Rotating Structure

The damping options described previously for the stator are also available for the rotating part of the
structure. However, they need to be specified through the RSPINR/RSPINT entry which is defined for
each rotor in the model. As described previously, the presence of damping terms in rotating systems leads
to a stiffness-like circulatory matrix in the equations of motion that is proportional to rotor speed.
In the case of material damping, structural damping and hybrid damping with “KDAMP=YES” for
rotors, it is possible to add the damping term either to the [B] matrix or to the [K] matrix. The actual
implementation depends upon the type of analysis (complex eigenvalue, frequency response or transient
response) and the presence of parameters WR3, WR4, and WRH.
Structural damping:
Sources: Field ‘GR’ in RSPINR/RSPINT card
Application:
58
1. Added to stiffness matrix: [KR]GR =

(Only for frequency response when PARAM, GYROAVG ≥ 0)
2. Added to damping matrix: [BR]GR = (WR3 from PARAM, WR3)
where [KRGG] is the G-size stiffness matrix for the rotor and WR3 ≠ 0.
(For complex eigenvalue analysis, frequency response when PARAM, GYROAVG < 0 and
transient analysis)
Material damping:
Sources: Field ‘GE’ in material property card
Application:
1. Added to stiffness matrix: [K4R] = (for each material type)

2. Added to damping matrix: [B4R] = (WR4 from PARAM, WR4)
where WR4 ≠ 0.
transient analysis)
Rayleigh Damping
Sources: Field ‘AlphaR1’ and ‘AlphaR2’ in RSPINR/RSPINT card
Application:
1. Added to damping matrix: [BR] =

where [MRGG] is the G-size mass matrix for the rotor.
Hybrid Damping
Sources: ROTHYBD (separate bulk data entry and not in RSPINR/RSPINT) and HYBDAMP card.
Application:
Case 1: KDAMP = No
1. Added to damping matrix: [BR]H = [BHR]
Case 2: KDAMP = Yes

1. Added to stiffness matrix: [KR]H = i[KHR]
[ KH ]
R
2. Added to damping matrix: [BR]H = ---------------- (WRH from PARAM, WRH)
WRH
where [KRGG] is the G-size stiffness matrix for the rotor and WRH ≠ 0.
transient analysis)
Circulation Matrix
As described in Chapter 2, the presence of rotor damping when the problem is analyzed in a fixed system
results in a circulatory matrix ( [ KC ]R ). This matrix adds to the system stiffness matrix. It is multiplied to
operating rotor speed and is skew symmetric in nature.
If the damping force for the rotor is given by the following expression: FDR = cR { g } , then the circulation
matrix is given by: [ K C ]R , B = cR [ J ] where [J] is a skew symmetric matrix.
For a more general case, the circulatory matrix corresponding to each 3-D grid “j” is given by:
[ K C ]R , B = [TI ][ BR ] j + [ BR ] j [TI ]
where,
[BR]j = Viscous damping matrix corresponding to grid point “j”,
[TI] = skew symmetric matrix with the following form in the rotor coordinate system, and
 0 0.5 0 0 0 0
 −0.5 0 0 0 0 0 

 0 0 0 0 0 0
[TI ] j = 
 0 0 0 0 0.5 0 
 0 0 0 −0.5 0 0 
 
 0 0 0 0 0 0
(The above matrix is only valid for 3-D grid points; that is, for rotors defined using ROTORG and
ROTOR entries. A different matrix is used for axisymmetric harmonic grid points where rotors are
defined using ROTORAX.) The 6x6 [TI]j matrix is repeated for each grid point that is part of the rotor.
Thus, the circulation matrix for different damping options defined is given by:
a. Viscous dampers in Rotor [BR] (described in the next section)
Corresponding circulation matrix: [ K C ]R , B = [TI ][ B R ] + [ B R ][TI ]

60
b. Structural damping GR
GR
Corresponding circulation matrix: [ KC ]R ,GR =  K RC  (if WR3 ≠ 0)
WR3  
where  K R  = [TI ][ KRGG ] + [ KRGG ][TI ]

C
c. Material damping
1
Corresponding circulation matrix: [ K C ]R , GE =  K 4 CR  (if WR4 ≠ 0)
WR 4 
where  K 4 R  = [TI ][ K 4 RGG ] + [ K 4 RGG ][TI ]

C
d. Rayleigh damping
Corresponding circulation matrix: [ K C ]R ,α = α 1 R  M R  + α 2 R  K R 

C C
where  M R  = [TI ][ MRGG ] + [ MRGG ][TI ]

C
e. Hybrid damping
• If KDAMP = YES
1
Corresponding circulation matrix: [ K C ]R , KH =  KH RC  (if WRH ≠ 0)
WRH 
where  KH RC  = [TI ][ KHRGG ] + [ KHRGG ][TI ]

• If KDAMP = NO
Corresponding circulation matrix: [ K C ]R , B H = [ B H RC ] = [T I ][ B H R ] + [ B H R ][T I ]
Similar expressions are also obtained when the problem is solved in a rotating coordinate system and
viscous damping (proportional to velocity) is defined in the fixed coordinate system.
Effect of Circulation Terms

Often for the analysis in a fixed reference frame, the damping defined for the rotor is referred to as the
internal damping. Internal damping is primarily due to friction at the rotor component interfaces, and it
can be modeled using any of the damping models described above. When the power inserted by internal
damping exceeds the power extracted by external damping, the rotor will become unstable. For this
instability to manifest itself the rotor must be operating above a critical speed whose mode shape
promotes interfacial friction and it must be forward whirl (Nelson, 2007).
Controlling Rotor Damping and Circulation

For some practical applications, it is desirable not to include the effect of circulation matrices. In several
cases, it may be cumbersome to define rotor damping separately from the rest of the model. In order to
accommodate these practical scenarios, a new parameter called “RDBOTH(695) ” has been introduced
using the Bulk Data entry MDLPRM . This parameter can be define in the Bulk data using the following
format:
MDLPRM RDBOTH N
where N = 0 (default),1 or 2. Changes made in the analysis for different values of N are described below:
RDBOTH Parameter to select Rayleigh damping approach as implemented in V2005, Integer. A

cumulative sum can be provided in case more than one feature are desired in the
analysis.
0 Uses current implementation for Rayleigh Damping as described in
RSPINR/RSPINT entry description (Default)
1 Switch to V2005 implementation of Rayleigh damping where damping
coefficients specified in the model through “PARAM, ALPHA1” and “PARAM,
ALPHA2” are applied to the complete model and Rayleigh damping specified
through “ALPHAR1” and “ALPHAR2” in RSPINR/RSPINT is set to 0.0.
2 Ignore circulation effects in rotordynamic analysis.
62
Linear Bearings
Linear Bearings
Connections between rotor and stator (to simulate bearings) or from rotor to rotor (to simulate gears) can
be made using scalar elements, like CELASi and CDAMPi, and bushing element CBUSH.
Scalar Elements
Scalar elements are connected between pairs of degrees of freedom (at either scalar or geometric grid
points) or between one degree of freedom and ground. Scalar elements are available as springs and
viscous dampers. Scalar spring elements (CELASi) are useful for representing elastic properties that
cannot be conveniently modeled with the usual structural elements (elements whose stiffnesses are
derived from geometric properties). The scalar damper (CDAMPi) is used to provide viscous damping
between two selected degrees of freedom or between one degree of freedom and ground.
The most general definition of a scalar spring is given with a CELAS1 entry. The associated properties
are given on the PELAS entry. The properties include the magnitude of the elastic spring, a damping
coefficient, and a stress coefficient to be used in stress recovery. The CELAS2 defines a scalar spring
without reference to a property entry. The CELAS3 entry defines a scalar spring that is connected only
to scalar points, and the properties are given on a PELAS entry. The CELAS4 entry defines a scalar
spring that is connected only to scalar points and without reference to a property entry. No damping
coefficient or stress coefficient is available with the CELAS4 entry. Element force is calculated from the
equation:
F = k (u1 − u2 )
where “k” is the stiffness coefficient for the scalar element and “u1”is the displacement of degree of
freedom i listed on its connection entry. Element stresses are calculated from the equation
σ = S .F
where “S” is the stress coefficient on the connection or property entry and is as defined above.
Grounded connections are indicated on the connection entry by leaving the appropriate scalar
identification number blank. The CDAMP1, CDAMP2, CDAMP3, CDAMP4, and CDAMP5 entries
define scalar dampers in a manner similar to the scalar spring definitions. The associated PDAMP entry
contains only a value for the scalar damper.
BUSH Elements
The generalized spring-damper element CBUSH is a structural scalar element connecting two
noncoincident grid points, or two coincident grid points, or one grid point to ground using an associated
PBUSH entry for properties. This combination is valid for any structural solution sequence. To make the
PBUSH frequency dependent it need only have an associated PBUSHT Bulk Data entry. The PBUSHT
entry, for frequency dependency, is only used in SOL 108 and SOL 111. The stiffness matrix for the
CBUSH element takes the diagonal form in the element system.
Linear Bearings
Cross Coupling in Bearing Supports

Currently, it is not possible to define cross-coupling stiffness terms directly between two grid points using
one of the scalar or bush elements described above.(CBUSH can be used with coordinate transformation
if the stiffness matrix is symmetric) However, it is possible to implement it using the DMIG entry. For
example, consider the case where a grid with ID 91 is connected to ground using a 2-D spring which has
cross-stiffness terms. Changes required in the input deck to model this scenario are shown in Figure 4-2.
A similar approach can be used for dampers too.
Figure 4-1 Model with cross-coupled spring
Figure 4-2 Input deck with DMIG stiffness

64
Nonlinear Bearings
Nonlinear Bearings
Currently, MSC Nastran does not support nonlinear analysis for Rotordynamics where the nonlinearity
is related to material property, geometry, and contact. However, in transient response, it is possible to
include the effect of nonlinear bearing forces. Nonlinear bearings that can be used for rotordynamic
analysis are briefly described here. Further details are available in MSC Nastran Dynamic Analysis User’s
Guide .
Nonlinear bearings are basically elastic elements with nonlinear force-deflection relationships. Some of
these elements also exhibit nonlinearities proportional to the velocity. For the elements described here,
the pseudo-force method is used in MSC Nastran where the deviations from linearity are treated as
additional applied loads. The dynamic equations of motion can be written as:
[ M ]{ g(t )} + [ B ]{ g (t )} + [ K ]{ g (t )} = {P (t )} + { N (t )}
where, [M], [B] and [K] are system mass, damping and stiffness matrices respectively. Note that the [B]
and [K] matrices shown here include all the rotordynamic related terms. The vectors {P(t)} and {g(t)}
denote applied nodal loads (linear) and system displacements respectively, as functions of time. The
vector {N(t)} denotes nonlinear force produced by bearing elements.
Nonlinear Gap, NLRGAP

The NLRGAP entry allows you to model contact between two coaxial cylinders; for example, a shaft and
its housing.
The description of the NLRGAP bulk data entry is shown in Figure 4-3. The NLRGAP is an idealization
of the contact between any circular shaft enclosed by a circular housing (Figure 4-4). In this idealization,
grid point A represents the outer surface of the shaft while grid point B represents the inner surface of the
housing. Grid points A and B are required to be coincident and must have a parallel displacement
coordinate system. A rudimentary friction capability is included to account for the friction induced torque
and friction induced lateral loads that occur with a spinning shaft. However, friction can be neglected, in
which case the solution is consistent with that for a nonrotating shaft in a frictionless housing.
The contact stiffness can be input either as a function of time or as a function of penetration. In both cases,
the stiffness curves are input on TABLEDi Bulk Data entries which are referenced by the NLRGAP entry.
Entering stiffness as a function of time allows the user to model special situations where structural
changes over time cause the contact stiffness to vary over time. Entering stiffness as a function of
penetration allows the user to input a nonlinear stiffness curve which might be required, for example, if
the shaft or housing were covered by some nonlinear elastic material. As with stiffness, both the
coefficient of friction and the clearance can be functions of time. The time-varying coefficient of friction
might be used where the quality of lubrication varies with time, or if experimental data shows that the
surface characteristics of the shaft and housing vary with time. The clearance can be input as a function
of time to model situations where an accelerating, spinning rotor expands due to centripetal loads.
The NLRGAP entry can also approximate the torque on the shaft and housing due to friction. If this effect
is desired, the RADIUS field of the NLRGAP must be specified. If not specified, then friction effects will
still be included in the lateral loads. The torque loads will not be computed nor applied if RADIUS is
Nonlinear Bearings
input as 0.0 or left blank. As with the NOLINs, the NLRGAP is selected by the NONLINEAR Case
Control command.
NLRGAP Nonlinear Load Proportional to Gap
Defines a nonlinear radial (circular) gap for transient response or nonlinear harmonic response.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NLRGAP SID GA GB PLANE TABK TABG TABU RADIUS
Figure 4-3 NLRGAP Bulk Data Entry
Figure 4-4 NLRGAP Implementation
The equations underlying the NLRGAP measure the relative radial displacement between the shaft grid
(Grid A) and the housing grid (Grid B) in the displacement coordinate system. When the relative radial
displacement is greater than the clearance (i.e., when contact has occurred), contact forces as well as
frictional forces are automatically applied to the grids. The contact and frictional forces are dependent on
the contact stiffness and the coefficient of friction.
Variables used in the analysis are described below:
K(t,u) Contact stiffness, function of time or displacement.

G(t) Radial clearance, function of time.
Coefficient of friction, function of time. Positive value implies shaft rotation from axis 1
μ(t)
towards axis 2.
R Shaft radius for friction induced torque calculation.
66
Nonlinear Bearings
It is helpful to visualize Grid A as belonging to the shaft and Grid B as belonging to the housing. Consider
each grid to have DOF 1 and 2 in the plane of action (e.g., DOF 1 = X and DOF 2 = Y for XY orientation).
The element relative displacement in directions 1 and 2 are:
ΔU 1 = U A1 − U B1
ΔU 2 = U A 2 − U B 2
The relative radial displacement is:
Δr = Δ U 12 + Δ U 2 2
The force in the gap when it is open ( Δ r ≤ G ( t ) ) is zero. When the gap is closed ( Δr > G (t ) ), the
penetration is defined as:
P = Δ r − G (t )
The nonlinear gap forces (S) are given by:
 G (t ) 
S = K (t , u )  1 − 
 Δr 
When transformed to the grid point coordinate system in direction 1 and 2, the nonlinear forces produced
by the NLRGAP element are given by:
N A1 = −ΔU 1 S + ΔU 2 S μ (t )
N B1 = − N A1 = ΔU 1 S − ΔU 2 S μ (t )
N A 2 = −Δ U 2 S − ΔU 1 S μ (t )
N B 2 = − N A 2 = Δ U 2 S + Δ U 1 S μ (t )
If the shaft radius R is input, then the following friction induced torque loads are also generated. The
expression for torque is given by (acting along 6th component for the force vector):
N A 6 = − R ΔrS μ (t )
N B 6 = − N A 6 = RΔrS μ (t )
Two Dimensional Linear/Nonlinear Element, CBUSH2D

The CBUSH2D entry can be used to define a two-dimensional connector element with an option to define
stiffness, viscous damping, and acceleration-dependent force constants in the two directions via the
Nonlinear Bearings
PBUSH2D bulk data entry. The input format for CBUSH2D is shown in Figure 4-5.
CBUSH2D 2-D Linear-Nonlinear Connection
Defines the connectivity of a two-dimensional Linear-Nonlinear element.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CBUSH2D EID PID GA GB CID PLANE
Figure 4-5 CBUSH2D Bulk Data Card
Frequency Dependent Coefficients

It is possible to define a user-defined SCA-object to calculate properties of CBUSH2D elements in SOLs
128, 129, and 400. The user interface for the user-defined properties of a CBUSH2D consists of the
associated PBUSH2D and an ELEMUDS entry, which defines the data which is to be passed to the user
routine. In addition, the SCAservice must be attached to the run using the CONNECT SERVICE
statement, as shown here in the FMS (File Management) section:
CONNECT SERVICE GR1 ‘SCR.MDSolver.Obj.Uds.Elements.thpad’
The format for ELEMUDS is shown in Figure 4-6 and this entry as part of a test deck for rotordynamic
analysis is shown in Figure 4-7.
ELEMUDS Element Property User Defined Service or Subroutine
Allows the user to provide element property routines for use with specified Nastran elements.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ELEMUDS PID PTYPE GROUP UNAME DEPEN
“INT” IDATA1 IDATA2 IDATA3 IDATA4 IDATA5 IDATA6 IDATA7
IDATA8 IDATA9 ... ... IDATAn
Figure 4-6 Format for ELEMUDS Entry

68
Nonlinear Bearings
Figure 4-7 Test deck with ELEMUDS in Rotordynamic analysis
THPAD using CBUSH2D

In addition, it is possible to use the ROMAC (University of Virginia Rotating Machinery And Controls
laboratory, http://www.virginia.edu/romac/) THPAD routine (which must be obtained from ROMAC) to
calculate the properties of a tilting pad journal bearing (Branagan et al., ).
The bulk data entries required for introducing the THPAD bearing routine in analysis is shown in
Figure 4-8 and Figure 4-9.
Figure 4-8 Bulk Data Cards for introducing THPAD

Nonlinear Bearings
Figure 4-9 Usage of THPAD in rotordynamic analysis
Nonlinear Squeeze Film Damper, NLRSFD

The requirement of high power output for modern gas turbine engines has resulted in highly flexible light
weight rotor designs. Control of vibration response of these engines is a major design problem. The use
of rolling element bearings with low inherent damping make it difficult to reduce vibration amplitudes
and dynamic loads transmitted to the rotor supporting structure. Squeeze Film Dampers (SFDs) are
therefore used to provide adequate damping to maintain low amplitude vibration levels and to reduce the
dynamic loads transmitted to the bearings and rotor support structures. A general SFD model has been
successfully incorporated into the MSC Nastran time domain analysis, and this new capability provides
the means to design and analyze SFDs for general rotor orbits with multiple frequency content. The new
capability includes static loads and models the lift-off phenomenon important in the design of free-
floating dampers.
NLRSFD Nonlinear Transient Load Proportional to a Squeeze Film Damper
Defines a nonlinear transient radial squeeze film damper.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NLRSFD SID GA GB PLANE BDIA BLEN BCLR SOLN
VISCO PVAPCO NPORT PRES1 THETA1 PRES2 THETA2 NPNT
OFFSET1 OFFSET2 GROUP NAME2
NAME
RDATA1 RDATA2 RDATA3 RDATA4 RDATA5 RDATA6 RDATA7 RDATA8
Figure 4-10 Bulk data entry for NLRSFD
As described earlier, the general SFD model incorporated in MSC Nastran for transient analysis inserts
the SFD forces in the right hand side of the equations as a nonlinear force, {N(t)}. The bulk data entry
70
Nonlinear Bearings
for SFD is called NLRSFD and is shown in Figure 4-10. Input data required for SFD definition are:
journal diameter and clearance, land length, oil viscosity, and location of ports and boundary pressure at
these points.
Equations for SFD

A representative model for the squeeze film damper is shown in Figure 4-11. Here Grid I represents a
point on the damper journal (rotor) and Grid J is a point on the housing (stator). The two grid points
should be coincident and have parallel Cartesian coordinate systems. The SFD code uses relative
displacements and velocities, x , y , x , y between these two grid points as the input and outputs the forces
FX ( x , y , x , y ) and FY ( x , y , x , y ) acting on the damper journal grid point (Grid I). Equal and opposite
forces: − F X ( x , y , x , y ) and − FY ( x , y , x , y ) are applied to the SFD housing grid point (Grid J). If
parallel centering is required, then this can be modeled using the CELAS2 or CBUSH elements.
Figure 4-11 SFD Model in MSC Nastran
The squeeze-film damper model is based on work originally performed at Case Western Reserve
University (CWRU). It incorporates a numerical solution of the Reynolds lubrication equation for
incompressible laminar isoviscous films that is described in Adams, Padovan and Fertis (Adams et al.,
1982). The model is capable of handling the specified pressure boundaries at the feed (supply) and
discharge (drain) ports of the SFD. The SFD pressure distribution is determined using a one-dimensional
finite difference scheme. The one-dimensional finite difference approach accounts for static as well as
dynamic deflections and is capable of modeling general damper orbits with a broad frequency content.
The model computes the oil film forces by numerical integration of the instantaneous film pressure
distribution.
SFD Model in MSC Nastran also shows the SFD model coordinate system and the supply and discharge
port locations. Either one or two ports can be used to define pressure boundary conditions for the SFD
model. The number of grid points used in the finite difference scheme to determine the film pressure
Nonlinear Bearings
distribution is defined by the variable NGRID. For the single port model, there are NGRID points, and
for the double port model there are NGRID points between the two ports for a total of 2 x NGRID points.
Typically, a value of about 31 (an odd number is required) for NGRID will be adequate.
Figure 4-12 SFD in operation
A SFD in operation is shown in Figure 4-12, where e is the whirl vector which shows displacement of
Grid I on the rotor from Grid J on the center of housing. Using this vector, displacement and velocities
between the two points can be written as:
x =| e | cos(Ωt )
y =| e | sin(Ωt )
x = −Ω | e | sin(Ωt )
y = Ω | e | cos(Ωt )
These values are provided as input to the SFD code for the rest of the analysis.
Squeeze Film Damper in CBUSH2D

For better accuracy and to facilitate use in other solution sequences the NLRSFD was also implemented
as an element. The Squeeze Film Damper was added as an option of a more general 2-D bearing element
CBUSH2D.
The format for the PBUSH2D entry with added options to define a SFD is shown in Figure 4-13.
72
Nonlinear Bearings
PBUSH2D 2-D Linear/Nonlinear Connection Properties
Defines linear and nonlinear properties of a two-dimensional element (CBUSH2D entry).
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PBUSH2D PID K11 K22 B11 B22 M11 M22
SQUEEZE BDIA BLEN BCLR SOLN VISCO PVAPCO
NPORT PRES1 THETA1 PRES2 THETA2 OFFSET1 OFFSET2
Figure 4-13 PBUSH2D entry with option for SFD
Nonlinear Load Functions (NOLINi)

The nonlinear load functions (NOLIN1, NOLIN2, NOLIN3 and NOLIN4) are available in all of the
transient solutions for the purpose of generating direct forces from simple displacement and velocity
functions. This is a mature capability in MSC Nastran that preceded the development of the material and
geometric nonlinear capabilities. It was intended to provide a direct method for modeling certain
mechanisms and special effects at the local level where only a few degrees of freedom are coupled. It is
not intended for general nonlinear analysis since the logic cannot detect geometric changes and has no
means of using element stresses or forces. The main applications for the NOLINi functions are for local
devices such as joints and nonlinear dampers. For each nonlinear force component, the dependencies
with displacement and velocity degrees-of-freedom are explicitly defined on one or more bulk data
entries.
The limitations on the use of these functions are caused primarily by their simplicity. These limitations
are:
1. They have no memory or other path dependencies. Specifically, they provide no direct means for
including data from previous states.
2. Each input function only applies loads to a single degree of freedom, which can require a great
deal of effort to describe complex models.
3. The system treats these functions as simple forces rather than finite elements. Therefore, the lack
of a tangent matrix results in potential stability problems.
4. In the linear solutions, all degrees of freedom in the NOLIN functions must be in the dynamic
solution set.
5. In the linear solutions, the forces created by NOLIN entries lag by one time step. A common way
to attempt to account for this is to decrease the integration time step.
Nonlinear Bearings
The input data starts with a case control request: NONLINEAR (Case), with one or more NOLINi Bulk
Data entries to define the set. The four basic options to define a scalar nonlinear force, Ni, in terms of the
degrees of freedom, {gj}, are summarized in the table below.
Table 4-1 Options for Nonlinear Load using NOLIN
Option Function Comments

NOLIN1 Ni = SF(gj) F(gj) is a TABLEDi input
NOLIN2 Ni = Sgjgk Product of two variables
NOLIN3 Ni = S(gj)A, gj > 0 A is an input exponenet
NOLIN4 Ni = -S(-gj)A, gj < 0 As 3 except for negative g
The variables, gj, may be displacement or velocity components of grid, scalar, or extra points in the
solution set. In the DIRECT TRANSIENT solutions, the connected degrees of freedom, gi and gj, etc.,
must remain in the solution set. In the modal transient solutions, only extra points are available for use
by the NOLINi entries. In nonlinear transient solutions, all degrees of freedom are available; however,
extra points are not supported. Note that these functions mimic the basic nonlinear function generators
used in passive analog computers. They may be added together and combined with other functions such
as MPCs and scalar elements to handle a variety of problems.
The bulk data format for the NOLIN1 entry is shown in Figure 4-14 . Other NOLIN options follow a
similar format.
NOLIN1 Nonlinear Load as a Tabular Function
Defines a forcing function for transient response or nonlinear harmonic response of the form
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NOLIN1 SID GI CI S GJ CJ TID
Figure 4-14 NOLIN1 Bulk Data Entry

74
Nonlinear Bearings
Chapter 5: Rotor Usage
5 Rotor Usage

Rotor Usage 76

Case Control Entries 77

Parameters 78

76 Rotordynamics User’s Guide
Rotor Usage
Rotor Usage
Rotor modeling techniques available in MSC Nastran were discussed in Chapter 3. In order to perform
complex eigenvalue, frequency response, or transient analysis, some other entries need to be defined in
Case Control and Bulk Data. Most of these entries are common to the three types of rotors discussed in
the previous chapter. Brief overview of these entries is provided in rest of the chapter. More details are
available in the MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide.
Chapter 5: Rotor Usage 77
Case Control Entries
Case Control Entries
RGYRO
The RGYRO Case Control command activates the rotordynamics capability, and selects the RGYRO
Bulk Data entry for use in complex modes, frequency response, and static analysis. For transient
response, the RGYRO command selects the UNBALNC (described later in this chapter) Bulk Data entry.
If the UNBALNC entry is not required, setting RGYRO to YES will include the gyroscopic effects in the
transient response calculation. Setting RGYRO to NO will deactivate gyroscopic effects in all
solutions.For more information see, RGYRO (Case) .
CAMPBELL
This entry specifies parameters for the generation of the Campbell Diagram in complex eigenvalue
analysis (SOL 107). When there is a Case Control request for the Campbell diagram, the selected
RGYRO Bulk Data entry (described later in this chapter) must have the ASYNC option specified in its
SYNCFLG field (Field 3). Otherwise, the program terminates the execution with an appropriate fatal
message. For more information see, CAMPBELL (Case) .
Parameters
Parameters
WR3, WR4, and WRH

The nature of damping to be used for rotordynamic analysis can be controlled based on the definition of
following parameters for complex eigenvalue analysis and transient response analysis. For frequency
response, it is dependent on these values and the parameter GYROAVG. For more information see,
WR3, WR4, WRH .
GYROAVG
The parameter GYROAVG is used to specify one of the two formulations for frequency response analysis
using the rotordynamic capability. The default is to determine any frequency-dependent terms for each
frequency. This option activates the frequency-dependent looping option. Setting the value < 0 uses an
‘average’ frequency formulation. This option avoids using the frequency-dependent looping and results
in a shorter execution time. For this option, PARAM WR3 /WR4 /WRH must be specified to include
rotor damping. For more information see, GYROAVG .
WHIRLOPT
When the analysis is performed in rotating reference frame, (only available with ROTOR entry), the
synchronous analysis for forward and backward whirl modes follow different set of equations of motion.
The user has the option to select required whirl mode option using this parameter. Here, the forward whirl
analysis is treated as the default option. For more information see, WHIRLOPT .
Bulk Data Entries
Bulk Data Entries

The RGYRO and RSPINR/RSPINT entries are honored and processed only in residual or assembly jobs
and are ignored in external superelement creation jobs.
RGYRO
The RGYRO entry in Bulk Data includes identification number that is selected by the Case Control
command. Only one RGYRO entry can be selected at a time, and the others specified in the input file are
ignored. This card also specifies whether the analysis is synchronous or asynchronous analysis using the
“SYNCFLG” field. This information is a required input for frequency response and complex modes
analyses. In case of multiple rotors present in the analysis, the “REFROTR” field specifies the reference
rotor ID for the analysis. The “SPUNIT” field specifies whether the entries SPDLOW, SPDHIGH, and
SPEED are given in terms of RPM (revolutions/minute) or frequency (revolutions (cycles)/unit time).
When there is a Case Control request for a Campbell diagram, the selected RGYRO Bulk Data entry must
have the ASYNC option specified in its SYNCFLG field. Otherwise, the program terminates the
execution with an appropriate fatal message. For more information see, RGYRO .
RGYRO Rotordynamic Analysis Parameters
Specifies synchronous or asynchronous analysis, reference rotor, and rotation speed of the reference
rotor.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
RGYRO RID SYNCFLG REFROTR SPDUNIT SPDLOW SPDHIGH SPEED ROTRSEID
RSPINR
The RSPINR entry specifies the relative spin rates between rotors and identifies the axis of rotation for
complex eigenvalue, frequency response, and static analysis. The positive spin direction is from Grid A
to Grid B. For each rotor defined in the model (either in residual or in external superelement), a
corresponding RSPINR entry is required. If SPTID is a real number, the value is considered constant.
The SPTID field specifies relative spin rate. If SPTID is real, it is used directly as scaling factor for rotor
speed. If SPTID is an integer number, the value references a DDVAL entry that specifies the relative rotor
spin rates. The number of spin rates for each rotor must be the same. Relative spin rates are determined
by correlation of table entries. The ith entry for each rotor specifies the relative spin rates between rotors
at RPMi/FREQi. Spin rates for the reference rotor must be in ascending or descending order. Based on
the value provided for SPTID, the expression for rotor speed in terms of reference rotor speed is given
by:
Bulk Data Entries
Ω = α + βΩref
where α and β are determined by a least-mean-square fit of the relative rotor speeds input on the RSPINR
between SPDLOW and SPDHIGH of the reference rotor (specified using RGYRO entry), and Ωref is the
rotor speed for reference rotor.
The RSPINR entry is also used to specify damping options for the rotor (except Hybrid damping). The
rotor damping is included in the analysis as described in Chapter 4. For more information see, RSPINR .
RSPINR Relative Spin Rates Between Rotors
Specifies the relative spin rates between rotors for complex eigenvalue, frequency response, and static
analysis.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
RSPINR ROTORID GRIDA GRIDB SPDUNT SPTID ROTRSEID
GR ALPHAR1 ALPHAR2
RSPINT
The RSPINT entry performs similar function as RSPINR for transient analysis. For transient analysis,
the SPTID field references a TABLED1 entry that specifies the rotor spin rate history. For more
information see, RSPINT .
RSPINT Rotor Spin Rates
Specifies rotor spin rates for transient analysis.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
RSPINT ROTORID GRIDA GRIDB SPDUNT SPTID SPDOUT ROTSEID
GR ALPHAR1 ALPHAR2
ROTHYBD
This entry is used to introduce hybrid damping option for rotors. The ROTORIDi – HYBDAMPi pair
values referencing nonexistent rotors are ignored. Hybrid damping can result in very densely populated
damping matrix causing significant performance penalty. Details about the matrices generated hybrid
damping is given in HYBDAMP card in QRG. For more information see, ROTHYBD .
Bulk Data Entries
ROTHYBD Hybrid damping for rotors
Specifies hybrid damping data for rotors.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ROTHYBD ROTORID1 HYBDAMP1 ROTORID2 HYBDAMP2
CAMPBLL
This entry is required for the generation of a Campbell Diagram using complex eigenvalue analysis.
Currently, the CAMPBLL option is supported for SOL 107 only (Not in SOL 110). The rotor speed at
which the complex eigenvalue analysis needs to be performed for a Campbell Diagram are specified
using the DDVALID field and appropriate speed units in the TYPE field. For more information see,
CAMPBLL .
CAMPBLL Campbell Diagram Parameters
Specifies the parameters for Campbell diagram generation.
Formats:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CAMPBLL CID VPARM DDVALID TYPE
DDVAL
This entry is required for generating a Campbell diagram, and it defines real rotor speed for asynchronous
complex eigenvalue analysis. For more information see, DDVAL .
DDVAL Discrete Design Variable Values
Defines real, discrete design variable values for use in discrete variable optimization, topometry
optimization or rotordynamics.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DDVAL ID DVAL1 DVAL2 DVAL3 DVAL4 DVAL5 DVAL6 DVAL7
Bulk Data Entries
UNBALNC
The UNBALNC entry is used to define rotating unbalanced loads for rotordynamic transient and
frequency response analysis. For transient response, UNBALNC is specified by the RGYRO Case
Control command. For frequency response, it is specified by the DLOAD Case Control command. The
imbalance load will be generated based on the mass value (Field “MASS”), offset values (Field
“ROFFSET” and “ZOFFSET”), and the rotor spin speed specified using RGYRO and RSPINR/RSPINT.
In the case of ROFFSET field, if the entry is a real number, the value is considered constant. If the entry
is an integer number, the value references a TABLEDi entry that specifies the value as a function of time
for transient response or frequency for frequency response. The Theta is measured from the plane defined
by the z-axis and the user specified vector (X1, X2, X3). Theta = 0.0 is in the direction of the user-
specified vector (X1, X2, X3). Unbalance rotation is in the positive z-direction.
For frequency response analysis, the EPOINTs and the continuation cards are ignored. For more
information see, UNBALNC .
UNBALNC Specifies an Unbalanced Load for Rotordynamic Transient or

Frequency Response Analysis
Used in rotordynamic analyses to specify a rotating unbalance load in terms of a cylindrical system with
the rotor rotation as the z-axis.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
UNBALNC SID MASS GRID X1 X2 X3
ROFFSET THETA ZOFFSET T/Fon T/FOFF
UFT1 UFT2 UFT3 UFR1 UFR2 UFR3
MCT1 MCT2 MCT3 MCR1 MCR2 MCR3
SCR1 SCR2 SCR3
Forces due to imbalance at grid “k” in rotor coordinate system for transient analysis are given by (where
the rotor axis is along Z axis):
 Fx (t )   m (t ) r (t ) ( Ω 2j (t ) cos θ jk (t ) + Ω
 (t ) sin θ (t ) ) 
 j jk 
  = WTMASS .  
F ( t )  m (t ) r (t ) ( Ω j (t ) sin θ jk (t ) − Ω j (t ) cos θ jk (t ) ) 

2
 y 
where
m(t) Specified by the user (MASS field in UNBALNC)

r(t) Specified by the user (ROFFSET field in UNBALNC)
Ωj(t) Specified by the user through RSINT/RSPINR entry
Bulk Data Entries
 (t )
Ω Derived from Ωj(t)
j
θjk(t) Instantaneous angular location, measured from axis 1 to axis 2 (=  Ω j (t ) dt + θ k )

0
θk Specified by the user (THETA field in UNBALNC)

j Rotor on which the grid is located
In the rotating coordinate system, similar equation for unbalance loads is used.
 Fx (t )   m(t )r (t )Ω j (t ) cos θ k 
2
  = WTMASS .  
 m(t )r (t )Ω j (t ) sin θ k 
2
 Fy (t ) rot
The number of unbalanced bulk entries cannot exceed 1000.

Bulk Data Entries
Chapter 6: Rotordynamics with MSC Patran
6 Rotordynamics with MSC Patran

Introduction 86

Example Model 88
86
Introduction
Introduction
For the first time for MSC Nastran Rotordynamics users, use of MSC Patran for developing the basic
model is encouraged. Once the baseline model is created using MSC Patran, other rotordynamics related
features can be easily manually included in the input file.
MSC Patran Set up

If you are new to Patran, here is a little configuration trick that is particular to Windows OS and that may
help you organize many more models that you will build now and in the future. Find the Patran icon on
your system. (To build this document, we worked with Patran 2014.1 64-bit.)
Right-click this icon and drag & drop it into your desired working directory and left-click Create
shortcut here. For this example, we chose > Libraries > Documents > Patran > RotorA on our system.
Figure 6-1 Customizing Patran Setup

Chapter 6: Rotordynamics with MSC Patran 87
Introduction
Now, right-click this newly created shortcut to Patran and left-click Properties. Delete the path in the
Start in: field which is the one that was chosen during installation on your system. So the Start in: field
should now be blank as shown. Click OK.
So, every time you start Patran from this particular shortcut, the default directory will be RotorA. While
one could alternatively manage Patran’s default directory, this shortcut technique is found to be very
useful.
88
Example Model
Example Model
As a first example, a hythothetical hollow cantilever rotor model is developed using Patran. The hollow
rotor is 0.5m long, and has an inner diameter of 0.05m and outer diameter of 0.1m, as shown in
Figure 6-2. The rotor is made up of steel and is spinning at 10,000 RPM. In this example, the rotor needs
to be modeled using 5 CBEAM elements and Node 1 is constrained.
Figure 6-2 Example hollow rotor model
Patran Model
Here are the main steps involved in the development of the Patran model. These steps are described in
more details in the later sections. Steps 1 to 6 are standard for any MSC Nastran model and further details
about these steps are available in the MSC Nastran’s Linear Statics Users Guide and in the MSC
Nastran’s Dynamics User`s Guide. Step 7 and Step 8 are required only if the model contains rotors.
Currently, MSC Patran supports 1D rotors defined using ROTORG only.
Step 1 Initializing Patran

Step 2 Developing Geometry in Patran
Step 3 Defining material properties in Patran
Step 4 Defining 1D Beam Properties
Step 5 Generating FE mesh
Step 6 Defining constraints for the model
Step 7 Introducing rotor definition
Step 8 Setting up Analysis
Step 9 Running MSC Nastran
For Post-Processing, MSC Patran supports generation of mode shapes and animations for the
eigenvectors in complex eigenvalue analysis. If the input file includes an option for generating Campbell
Diagram, then it can also be plotted. These features are described in Steps 10 and 11.
Step 10 Generating Mode Shapes

Step 11 Generating Campbell Diagram
Example Model
Step 1: Initializing Patran

1. Double-click the Patran shortcut in the RotorA directory that we just created.
2. Select File menu -> New and specify File name: to be rotor. Click OK.
Before any actions can be carried out, Patran requires the definition of a database. Notice how the
directory defaults to RotorA now, see Figure 6-3.
Figure 6-3 Defining Patran File
3. In the New Model Preference tab, select Tolerance -> Default, as shown in Figure 6-4.
4. Click OK
90
Example Model
Figure 6-4 Setting up model tolerance
Step 2: Developing Geometry in Patran

1. Click the Geometry tab
2. Select Curves -> select Line By XYZ (see Figure 6-5(a))
The previous two steps populate the Geometry tool with the following choices: Action: Create, Object:
Curve, and Method: XYZ as shown in Figure 6-5(b). Alternatively, the same Action-Object-Method
sequence can be obtained by using the individual dropdown menus within the Geometry tool on the right.
Example Model
Figure 6-5 Creating geometry
3. Specify the length of the rotor which measures 0.5 meters (see Figure 6-5(b)). Accepting MSC
Nastran’s basic coordinate system, specify a line from the origin to the <X Y Z> coordinate <0.5
0 0>. (see Figure 6-5(b))
4. Click Apply.
Patran now shows this line in the GUI, as shown in Figure 6-6.
Figure 6-6 Line Geometry

92
Example Model
Step 3: Defining material properties in Patran

1. Begin defining the rotor’s material and section properties by clicking the Properties tab and the
Isotropic button in succession, see Figure 6-7.
Figure 6-7 Main menu to define material properties
This action invokes the materials tool, as shown in Figure 6-8.

2. Specify the Material Name as ‘steel’ as shown in Figure 6-8.
3. Click the Input Properties button and specify Elastic Modulus (210.e9), Poisson’s Ratio (.3)
and Density (7810.) as shown in Figure 6-8.
4. Click OK to close the Input Options window.
5. Click Apply in the Materials tool.
Patran relies heavily on the Apply button and you want to be certain to click it here and every time you
define something new in your model. If you are working with a limited screen resolution, you might need
to scroll down to find the Apply button. Check that the material steel should now be listed among your
listing of Existing Materials as shown in Figure 6-9.
Example Model
Figure 6-8 Entering Material Properties
Figure 6-9 Material property definition

94
Example Model
Step 4: Defining 1D Beam Properties

1. Click on the Properties tab and then on the Beam tool within the 1D Properties tool group as
shown in Figure 6-10.
Figure 6-10 Main menu to define 1D beam properties
2. Specify the beam_prop in the Property Set Name field, see Figure 6-11.
3. Select the General Section (CBEAM) element option in the Options: dropdown.
4. Click the Input Properties button in the tool interface, place the cursor in the Material Name field
and click the Mat Prop Name icon to open the Select Material interface. Select the previously
defined ‘steel’ entry and verify that the Material Name field now contains the ‘m:steel’ string.
5. The Bar Orientation indicates the bending direction of the beam. Since our beam is directed
along the x-axis, we can either specify Y (i.e. vector <0,1.,0>), as shown, or Z (i.e. vector <0,0,1.>
. Here, Y direction is selected as the bending direction by specifying vector <0,1,0> in the Bar
Orientation field.
6. Since the rotor is represented by a hollow tube, we use the built-in beam library for convenience.
Access the Beam Library by clicking its icon. Beam Library that opens is shown in Figure 6-12.
7. The “less than” and “greater than” icons allow you to scroll through the library. The first click on
the “greater than” icon reveals the appropriate icon for the parametric representation of a hollow
tube in the top left corner of the displayed 3x3 icon matrix.
8. Click on the hollow cross section icon and specify the New Section Name as “rotor_section”.
9. Enter the values for the respective outer and inner radii R1 = 0.1 and R2 = 0.05.
10. Click the Apply button to save this particular section among the Existing Sections in this model.
11. Click the Calculate/Display button to verify the beam section. This presents cross sectional
details, as shown in Figure 6-13.
12. Close the Section Display window.
13. Click OK to close the Beam Library window.
Notice that rotor_section now populates the [Section Name] field, as shown in Figure 6-14.
14. Click OK to close the Input Properties window.
Example Model
Figure 6-11 Defining beam properties

96
Example Model
Figure 6-12 Options in Patran to select beam cross section
Figure 6-13 Cross section for the hollow beam

Example Model
Figure 6-14 Final Beam properties
Step 5: Generating FE mesh

1. Click the Meshing tab to start the meshing process. In order to obtain a uniform mesh and control
the meshing process, mesh seeds will be generated first and then beam elements will be generated.
(see Figure 6-15)
2. Select Action: Create, Object: Mesh Seed, Type: Uniform. Then enter “5” as the number of
mesh seeds to be defined along the curve since we are planning to generate 5 beam elements. And
finally define the curve where the mesh seeds need to be generated (see Figure 6-16). Now, we
will generate the actual mesh for the curve.
Figure 6-15 Main Menu to generate finite element mesh

98
Example Model
Figure 6-16 Generation of mesh seeds along a curve
3. Select Action: Create, Object: Mesh, Type: Curve. (see Figure 6-17)
4. MSC Patran allows the user to control the starting node ID and elements ID while meshing. The
default value used is 1.
5. Set the curser in the Curve List input field and click on the line in the GUI. This populates the
field with the ID ‘Curve 1’ as shown. (Alternatively, you could simply type ‘Curve 1’ into that
field.)
6. Uncheck Automatic Calculation in the Global Edge Length category and set the value to 0.1 as
shown. (Note that since we have already generated mesh seeds for the current curve, this value
has no significance. However, it can be used to control mesh size for more complicated
geometries.)
7. Click the Select Existing Prop button and choose the earlier defined beam_prop set. This step
associates the entire beam_prop set with the CBEAM card and its underlying element
formulation. Click Apply.
8. Click on the Home tab (see Figure 6-18(a)), click the Label Control tool button. This allows us
to verify placement of nodes and elements of the previous meshing operation, as shown in
Figure 6-18(b).
Example Model
Figure 6-17 Steps to generate beam elements
Figure 6-18 Model with beam elements

100
Example Model
Step 6: Defining constraints for the model

To constrain the rotor in space, cantilever boundary conditions are defined on the left end.
1. Select the Loads/BCs tab, and then select the following to define displacement constraints:
Action: Create, Object: Displacement, Type: Nodal (Figure 6-19)
2. Choose an expedient New Set Name such as ‘cantilever_Rotor’
3. Click the Input Data specify zero translations <0,0,0> for T1, T2, and T3 (i.e. in X, Y, and Z) as
well as zero rotations <0,0,0> for R1, R2, and R3 (i.e. around X, Y, and Z).
4. Click OK.
5. Click the Select Application Region
6. In the pop-up window, select FEM as shown in Figure 6-20(a).
7. Then pick Node 1 under “Select Nodes”.
8. Click on “Add”. This populates the “Application Region” with Node 1. And click OK (See
Figure 6-20(b)).
Figure 6-19 Defining constraints for the beam model

Example Model
Figure 6-20 Applying constraints to the beam model
9. At the end, you should see the “Cantilever_Rotor” listed as the boundary condition under
Existing sets as shown in Figure 6-21.
10. Click Apply. The Patran display should show the boundary condition being applied to Node 1.
This verifies that all translations and rotations of this particular vertex are constrained as shown
in Figure 6-22.
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Example Model
Figure 6-21 Confirmation for definition of constraints
Figure 6-22 Beam model with constraints applied
Step 7: Introducing Rotor Definition

In order for MSC Patran to capture the Rotordynamic effect, we need define the constituents of the rotor
and direction of rotation.
Example Model
1. Click on Tools menu in Patran’s top tool bar, select the Modeling option, and click on
Rotordynamics as shown in Figure 6-23.
2. This sets Action: Create, Analysis: Steady State, and Object: Rotor as shown.
3. Choose a Rotor Name for this rotor data set such as ‘hollow_rotor’.
4. Click the cursor into the Rotor Node List field and rubber-band select all rotor nodes.
Alternatively, you could simply type ‘Node 1:6’. You will later see that this populates the
ROTORG card.
5. To specify the orientation of the rotor, select any two line rotor nodes. Node 2 and Node 3 are
specified for Spin Direction Node 2 and Spin Direction Node 3, respectively.
6. Click the Spin Profile button and specify ‘1.’ in the Speed Values field. This value is a multiplier
which we are setting to unity. Although Patran has some logic to distinguish between intended
scalar indices and decimals, it is good practice to distinguish between the two explicitly by using
the decimal point for the latter.
7. Click OK to close the Spin Profile tool tab.
8. Click Apply to commit the hollow_rotor to the Existing Rotors.
9. Click the Close button to close the Rotor Dynamics tool tab.
Figure 6-23 Selecting Rotor Dynamics tool

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Example Model
Figure 6-24 Steps involved in defining rotor
Step 8: Setting up Analysis

1. Click on the Analysis tab as shown in Figure 6-25. This invokes the Analysis tool in which the
default values of Action: Analyze, Object: Entire Model, Method: Full Run are appropriate.
Figure 6-25 Patran menu to define analysis

Example Model
Figure 6-26 (a) Setup for "Solution Type"

106
Example Model
Figure 6-27 (b) Setup for "Solution Type"
2. As shown in Figure 6-26, enter Job Name as “hollow_rotor_test”. This will be the name of the
input deck created by Patran. You can add some descriptive SUBTITLE (e.g. CBEAM Rotor) and
LABEL (e.g. Cantilevered, Left) if you like. However, this is not absolutely necessary for the
configuration of this model.
3. Click the Solution Type.
4. Select COMPLEX EIGENVALUE and choose Direct in the Formulation drop-down menu.
Verify that Solution Sequence 107 is now posted near the bottom of the Solution Type tab. Next
click on Solution Parameters
5. Select Mass Calculations as Coupled for better accuracy. Next click on COMPLEX
EIGENVALUE tab. This opens the Eigenvalue Extraction window.
6. Here, select “Complex Lanczos” as the Extraction Method. Set the Number of Desired Roots
= field to 12. Click OK in the Eigenvalue Extraction pop-up window to close it.
7. Click on Results Output Format to control the format for output. As shown in the Results
Output Format pop-up window, the default options are XDB and Print. Click OK to close this
pop-up.
Example Model
8. Click OK in the Solution Parameters pop-up window to close it. Click OK on the Solution
Type tool tab to close it.
Figure 6-28 Defining rotor in analysis

108
Example Model
Figure 6-29 Defining rotor in analysis
9. Next, click the Subcases as shown in Figure 6-28. This opens the Subcases pop-up window.
10. Since the Subcase Name is already set to ‘Default’ and the ‘Default’ in the Available Load
Cases contains all applied boundary conditions, simply click the Subcase Parameters button to
modify the Default Subcase.
11. Check Enable Rotor Dynamics in the Subcase Parameters window. Click the Specify
Spinning Properties.
12. Choose the Option: Asynchronous, select the previously defined “hollow_rotor”, set the Speed
Unit to RPM and specify Speed = 10000. This is the second speed entry that is used in RGYRO.
Example Model
13. Click OK to close the Spinning Properties window. Click OK to close the Subcase Parameters
window. Click Apply to commit these changes to the Default subcase.
14. Click Cancel to close the Subcases window.
Step 9: Running MSC Nastran using Patran

1. Click on Subcases Select and ensure that Default is in the Subcases Select box as shown in
Figure 6-30.
2. Click on OK in Subcases Select and click the Apply button in the Analysis tool tab to invoke the
analysis and Patran’s call to MSC Nastran.
Figure 6-30 Selection of final subcases
Some of the benefits of having forced Patran to write everything into the RotorA directory are now
becoming evident: All of the pertinent files are nicely collected here. In addition to the
hollow_rotor_test.db database file that we needed to define initially, Patran also kept a session file (i.e.
*.ses.*) that tracks all of our moves, and most importantly, Patran wrote the *.bdf input deck that is
passed to MSC Nastran upon invocation.
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Example Model
Once the computation completes, output databases with *.MASTER, *.DBALL, and *.xdb extension are
observed. Also, it is encouraged that the user should look into the .F06 and search for the presence of
FATAL MESSAGE before further post processing.
Next are the steps involved in Post Processing
Step 10: Generating Modeshapes

1. Click the Analysis tab and select the XDB option in the Access Results tool group as shown in
Figure 6-31.
Figure 6-31 Menu to select results for post processing
Figure 6-32 Attaching XDB file for postprocessing

Example Model
2. This invokes the Action: Access Results, Object: Attach XDB, and Method: Result Entities
as shown in Figure 6-32.
3. Next click the Select Results File and select the *.XDB file just created from the MSC Nastran
run.
4. Click the OK button in Select File and Apply button in Analysis tab.
Notice that a successful results file attachment is indicated in the message field on the bottom left, as
Figure 6-33 Completion of attaching XDB file for post processing
Figure 6-34 Selecting Results tab for plotting mode shapes
5. Next, click on the Results tab and then click the Fringe/Deformation tool in the Quick Plot set
(see Figure 6-34).
6. In the Select Result Cases field, click on Mode 1 as shown in Figure 6-35.
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Example Model
7. In the Select Fringe Result field, click on Eigenvectors, Translational. In the Select
Deformation Result field, click on Eigenvectors, Translational. Click Apply. This generates
the first mode shape as shown in Figure 6-36.
Figure 6-35 Plotting first mode shape

Example Model
Figure 6-36 First mode shape for hollow rotor
8. This Image can be saved using following steps: Click on File and then Images. This open the
Output Tab as shown in Figure 6-37.
9. In the Output tab, select “Current Viewport” as Source and pick any desired output format from
the Image Format menu.
Figure 6-37 Steps for saving modeshape
10. Animate the mode by clicking the Animation Options button as shown in Figure 6-38.
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Example Model
11. In the Number of Frames field, specify 32 as shown and click Apply.
12. Click the Select Results button and then check Animate and click Apply. Click the No Graphics
Refresh button to stop the animation.
Figure 6-38 Steps involved in generating animation for modeshape
Repeat this procedure to investigate first-order forward and backward whirling bending modes 1
through 4, axial modes 5 and 6, second-order FW and BW bending modes 7 through 10, and
potentially further.
13. Patran animations can be saved for future usage in presentations by checking the MPEG option
in the animation box as shown in Figure 6-38.
Note that the main purpose of this exercise and Patran use in general is the configuration of analysis input
decks (i.e. preprocessing) and the visualization of results (i.e. postprocessing). Since the analysis
preference was chosen to be MSC Nastran in this exercise, an MSC Nastran Bulk Data File or *.bdf input
deck was written.
It is highly recommended that users investigate the input deck created by Patran and understand different
cards defined in the model. Details of each card are available in MSC Nastran’s Quick Reference Guide.
A snapshot Snapshot of the MSC Nastran input file is shown in Figure 6-39.
Example Model
Figure 6-39 Input deck created by MSC Patran
Patran is extremely useful when working in the overall geometric context and orientation of large
subassemblies that contain rotors such as engines or entire systems such as airframes. At the same time,
we would like to emphasize MSC Nastran’s modularity that allows the user to go seamlessly between
component, subassembly, and system contexts.
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Example Model
Step 11: Generating Campbell Diagrams

Currently, MSC Patran does not include features to initiate generation of Campbell diagram in MSC
Nastran. This has to be done manually by modifying the input deck as shown in Figure 6-40. The
modifications required include:
a. Specifying two.output4 files which includes information about rotor speed and corresponding
eigenfrequencies.
b. CAMPBELL option in case control
c. CAMPBLL and DDVAL entries in bulk data section
Figure 6-40 Modification in input deck for generation of Campbell Diagram
When this modified input file is run in MSC Nastran, two additional files, namely campbell_freq.op4 and
campbell_rpm.op4 are generated. These files are required as input for generating a Campbell diagram in
Patran.
Here are the steps involved in generating a Campbell diagram.
1. Click on Utilities under the main menu Figure 6-41(a). And then click on Results and Campbell
Diagram. This will open a tab as shown in Figure 6-42(b).
2. In the Campbell Diagram Creation tab, click on Select Rotating speed file. In the pop-up
window, select the campbell_rpm.op4 file which was created during the Nastran run. Click OK
to close the window. (see Figure 6-43)
3. Similarly, click on Select Frequency File, and select the campbell_freq.op4 file.
4. Next, enter [0 1] in the Rotation Speed Multiplier to generate the reference line where rotor speed
is equal to the eigenfrequency. And finally, click on Apply to generate the Campbell diagram. The
Campbell Diagram generated for this particular problem is shown in Figure 6-44.
Example Model
Figure 6-41 (a) Generating Campbell Diagram in Patran

118
Example Model
Figure 6-42 (b) Generating Campbell Diagram in Patran

Example Model
Figure 6-43 Attaching rotor speed and eigenfrequency files
Figure 6-44 Campbell Diagram

120
Example Model
Chapter 7: Complex Eigenvalue Analysis for Rotors
Complex Eigenvalue Analysis

7 for Rotors

Complex Eigenvalue Analysis for Rotors 122

Example 130

Summary for Equation of Motion 142
122
Complex Eigenvalue Analysis for Rotors

Complex eigenvalue analysis can be used to determine whirl frequencies and critical speeds, and their
associated modeshapes. Complex eigenvalue analysis is available as a direct method (SOL 107), in which
the equations are of the same size as the number of physical variables. Complex eigenvalue analysis is
also available as a modal method (SOL 110), in which undamped modes are first computed and then used
to transform the matrices from physical to modal variables. Please refer to the Complex Eigenvalue
Analysis (Ch. 13) in the MSC Nastran Dynamic Analysis User’s Guide for more details on complex
eigenvalue analysis.
A characteristic of the motion of rotors is that the rotor appears to "whirl" in a circular or elliptical motion
relative to the support structure. The whirl motion may be either in the direction of rotor rotation (forward
whirl) or against it (backward whirl), as described in Chapter 1. Rotor whirl can be at a frequency that is
different from the rotor spin rate.
Whirl frequencies are important in determining rotor stability. Although the whirling motion may not be
at the rotational speed, whirl modes may be unstable due to internal rotor damping or external forces due
to bearing and seals. Estimating the stability of the whirl modes is important for ensuring a system
operates smoothly. Critical speeds can be viewed as a special case of whirl frequencies: the rotor whirl
is at the same frequency as the rotor spin rate. Critical speeds are important for ensuring safe vibration
levels.
Note that SOL 110 option is currently available for ROTORG only. Also, the CAMPBELL option is not
supported for SOL 110.
Equations of motion
For complex eigenvalue analysis, final equation of motion in a fixed coordinate system, as derived in
Chapter 2, is given by:
[ M ] { g} + ([ B S ] + [ B R ] + Ω [ G ] ){ g } + ([ K ] + Ω [ K C ] R ) { g } = 0
Let the DOF vector be given by: { g } = { g a ( p )} pt where, {g a (p)} is the amplitude of motion
(independent of time) and p is complex eigenvalue for the model.
In order to determine whirl frequencies, the above equation is solved for p (complex eigenvalue) and {ga
(p)} (mode shape) with the rotor spin rate Ω specified by the user (asynchronous option). Here,
p = α + iω
where, α is the real component of the eigenvalue while ω is the imaginary component. Thus, ω represents
the oscillation frequency for the model and Re{ga (p)} represents the corresponding modeshape. For this
case, the damping coefficient produced as output in the complex eigenvalue analysis is given by:
Damping Coefficient (g)= -2α/ω
Thus, the system is considered unstable when (-2α/ω) < 0.
Chapter 7: Complex Eigenvalue Analysis for Rotors 123
Critical speeds can be obtained by using the synchronous option is RGYRO as described in the previous
chapter.
For Analysis in Fixed Reference Frame

1. Asynchronous mode (ASYNC option in RGYRO)
Equation of motion for asynchronous analysis to determine whirl frequencies of the system is obtained
by substituting {g} = {g a ( p)}e pt in the above equation:
(p 2
[ M ] + p ([ B S ] + [ B R ] + Ω [ G ] ) + ([ K ] + Ω [ K C ] R ) ) { g a ( p )} = 0
Above equation can be further expanded to include different options available for defining damping for
rotor and stator portion in the model. The final expression as included in MSC Nastran is given by:
 p 2[M ] + 
 
  ([ BS ] + α 1[ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ]) +  
   
 p  n  Ω j (Ω ref ) [G ] j + [ BR ] j + [ BH R ] j + α 1Rj [ M R ] + α 2 Rj [ K R ] j +   + 
    
   GR j 1 1  
   WR3 [ K R ] j + WR 4 [ K 4 R ] j + WRH [ KH R ] j    {g ( p )} = 0
j =1
 a
 
 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] + 
 
 n    BRC  +  BH RC  + α 1Rj  M RC  + α 2 Rj  K RC  +   
       
   [ K ] + Ω (Ω )  
j j j
  ref  GR 1 1 
 KH RC    
R j j
 j =1    K RC  +  K 4CR  +
   WR3 j WR 4 j WRH j 
where
[M] Total mass matrix for the model

i –1
p Complex eigenvalue of the model

[BS] Viscous damping from dampers in the stator portion
[MS] Mass matrix for the stator portion
[KS] Stiffness matrix for the stator portion
[BHS] Hybrid damping for the stator portion
α1, α2 Rayleigh damping parameters for stator portion
Ωref Rotor speed of the reference rotor (specified by the user)
124
Ωj Rotor speed for the jth rotor

[G] Gyroscopic matrix for the rotor
[BR] Viscous damping from dampers for the rotor
[MR] Mass matrix for the rotor
[KR] Stiffness matrix for rotor
[BHR] Hybrid damping for the rotor
α1R, α2R Rayleigh damping parameters for the rotor
GR Structural damping for the rotor defined in RSPINR
[K4R] Material damping for the rotor part
[KHR] Hybrid damping for the rotor part
WR3, WR4, Parameters to convert structural damping to equivalent viscous damping.
WRH
G Structural damping for the stator portion
[K4S] Material damping for the stator portion
[KHS] Hybrid structural damping for stator
Circulation matrix due to [BR]
 BRC 
BHRC  Circulation matrix due to [BHR]
α1[ M RC ] + α 2 [ K RC ] Circulation matrix due to Rayleigh damping for rotors

GR Circulation matrix due to structural damping for rotors
 K RC 
WR3  
1 Circulation matrix due to structural damping for rotors

 K 4 CR 
WR 4 
1 Circulation matrix due to hybrid damping for rotor

 K H RC 
W RH 
{ga(p)} Modeshape corresponding to complex eigenvalue p
In the above equation, it is assumed that the parameters WRH, WR3, and WR4 are defined in the analysis
and not equal to zero. In case any of these parameters are not defined, the damping defined using GR,
GE and KH and corresponding circulation terms are ignored in the analysis.
For the complex modes analysis with synchronous excitation, the excitation frequency is equal to the spin
rate of the reference rotor; that is, ω = Ω ref = Ω . In case multiple rotors are present in the analysis, the
rotor speed for each rotor is written as a linear function dependent on the reference rotor spin
rate: Ω ( Ω ref ) = α j + β j Ω ref . The scaling factors, αj and βj are determined from the relative spin
rates specified by the user. For this case, the equation of motion to be solved is obtained by substituting
p = iΩ in the previous equation:
(−Ω 2
[ M ] + i Ω ([ B S ] + [ B R ] + (α + β Ω )[ G ] ) + ([ K ] + (α + β Ω )[ K C ] R ) ) { g a ( Ω )} = 0
This simplifies to:
( − Ω ([ M ] − i β [ G ] ) + i Ω ([ B
2
S ] + [ B R ] + α [ G ] − i β [ K C ] R ) + ([ K ] + α [ K C ] R ) ){ g a ( Ω )} = 0
The above equation can be expanded based on different options available for defining damping for the
stator and for rotors. If parameters WR3, WR4, and WRH are defined in the analysis and not equal to
zero, the expanded version of the equation is given by:
 2
n  
 −Ω  [ M ] − i  β j [G ] j  + 
  j =1  
 
  ([ BS ] + α 1[ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ]) +  
   
    [ B R ] + [ BH R ] + α 1 Rj [ M R ] + α 2 Rj [ K R ] +    
   
j j j j
   
α [G ] j +  GR  + 
   j 
j
[KR ] j +
1
[ K 4R ] j +
1
[ KH R ] j    + 
 iΩ  n   WR3 WR 4 WRH  
 
  
  j =1    BR  +  BH R  + α 1Rj  M R  + α 2 Rj  K R  +     g a (Ω) = 0
C C C C
       
   −i β    
j j j j
   j  GR 1 1   
    K RC  +  K 4CR  +  KH RC     
j

 WR3  
  
j WR 4 j WRH j

 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] + 
 
 n    BRC  +  BH RC  + α1Rj  M RC  + α 2 Rj  K RC  +  
 j  j  j   j  
 [K ] + α  
  R j j  GR 1 1  
 j =1    K R  +
C
 K 4 R  +
C
 KH R   
C

   WR 3 j WR 4 j WRH j   
Note that for the analysis in fixed reference frame, the synchronous complex eigenvalue analysis
produces both forward and backward whirl modes. Identification of these modes can be done using
Campbell diagram or by post processing the eigenvectors produced as part of output.
126
For analysis in rotating reference frame

Equation of motion for complex eigenvalue analysis when the problem is analyzed in the rotating
reference frame is given by (as derived in Chapter 2):
[ M ] { g} + ([ B S ] + [ B R ] + 2 Ω [ C ] ) { g } + ([ K ] − Ω 2 [ Z ] + Ω 2 [ K G ] + Ω [ K C ] S ) { g } = { FR }
Substituting {g } = {g a ( p )}e pt and {FR} = 0 in the above equation
( p [ M ] + p ([ B ] + [ B
2
S R )
] + 2 Ω[C ] ) + ([ K ] + Ω[ K C ]S − Ω 2 [ Z ] + Ω 2 [ K G ] ) { g a ( p )} = 0
Expanded version of the above equation for asynchronous analysis is given by:
 p 2[M ] + 
 
  ([ BS ] + α 1[ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ])  
  n  
 p+ +
   (
j =1
)
2Ω [C ] j + [ BR ] j + [ BH R ] j + α 1Rj [ M R ] j + α 2 Rj [ K R ] j 
 

 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] +  { g a ( p )} = 0
 
( C C C
)
 Ω  BS  +  BH S  + α 1  M S  + α 2  K S  +
C

 n 

 ([ K R ] j (1 + iGR j ) + i[ K 4 R ] j + i[ KH R ] j − Ω [ Z ] j + Ω [ K G ] j ) 
2 2
j =1
 
 
Note that in case multiple rotors are present in the analysis, they are constrained to have the same
rotational speed and axis of rotation for the analysis in rotating reference frame.
128
In rotating reference frame, different sets of equations exist to determine forward whirl and backward
whirl critical frequencies. And thus, separate analysis need to be performed to obtain the backward whirl
critical frequencies with the parameter WHIRLOPT turned on.
In order to obtain the forward whirling critical speeds, the criteria used is: ω = 0 or (p = 0).
Substituting this expression in the simplified equation, the following equation is obtained:
([ K ] + Ω [ K C ] S − Ω 2 [ Z ] + Ω 2 [ K G ] ) { g a ( Ω )} = 0
This can be written in standard quadratic form as:
( − Ω ([ Z ] − [ K ] ) + i Ω ( − i [ K
2
G C ] S ) + [ K ] ) { g a ( Ω )} = 0
Expanding the above equation to include damping and circulation effects:
 2 n 
 −Ω  ([Z ] j − [ KG ] j ) 
 j =1

 (
 +iΩ(−i)  BC  +  BH C  + α1  M C  + α 2  K C  +
 S  S  S  S )  { g (Ω)} = 0
 a
 n 
 (1 + iG)[ KS ] + i[ K 4S ] + i[ KH S ] +  ([ K R ] j (1 + iGR j ) + i[ K 4R ] j + i[ KH R ] j ) 
 j =1 
Note that this equation does not include the effect of viscous damping defined in the fixed or rotating
reference frame. Also, although the above equation does not include mass matrix explicitly, the
centripetal matrix [Z] and differential stiffness matrix [KG] are dependent on rotor mass distribution.
Backward whirl critical frequencies can be obtained by using the following substitution:
ω = 2Ω, that is, p = i(2Ω)
Substituting this expression in the above equation, the equation to determine backward whirl critical
frequencies is given by:
 2   
( )
n
 −Ω  4[ M ] +  − 4 i [C ] j + [ Z ] j − [ K G ] j  + 
  j =1  
 
  2 ([ B S ] + α 1 [ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ]) +  
  n  
  
 iΩ
  (
2 [ B R ] j + [ BH R ] j + α 1Rj [ M R ] j + α 2 Rj [ K R ] j ) +
  { g a ( Ω )} = 0
  j =1
  ( − i )  B SC  +  BH SC  + α 1  M SC  + α 2  K SC 
( )  

           
 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] + 
 n 
 
  ([ K R ] j (1 + iGR j ) + i[ K 4 R ] j + i[ KH R ] j ) 
 j =1 
Solvers available for complex eigenvalue analysis

MSC Nastran provides different options for solver to be used in complex eigenvalue analysis. In SOL
107 analysis, CMETHOD in case control selects parameters for complex eigenvalue extraction. Actual
parameters to be used in the analysis are specified using the EIGC card in bulk data. For example:
In case Control:
CMETHOD = 100
In Bulk Data:
EIGC 100 CLAN 20
For rotordynamic analysis, where the matrices can be complex and skew symmetric, use of HESS (Upper
Hessenberg) and CLAN (Complex Lanczos) method is recommended. More details about these solvers
is given in MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide and MSC Nastran’s Numerical Methods User’s Guide.
The HESS method is generally more reliable and appropriate for small size problems only. It can take
significant computational time for moderate or large size problems. For large size problem, use of
appropriate reduction methods is encouraged to reduce the size of the problem in case the user needs to
use HESS option. The CLAN method is better suited for moderate or large problem due to its
computational efficiency.
Pardiso Solver
In MSC Nastran 2016 version, Intel MKL Pardiso direct solver is introduced that can help in achieving
upto 80% reduction in total elapsed time versus the default MSC solver. Further details about the Pardiso
solver is provided in the MSC Nastran 2016 Release Guide. Note that Intel MKL Pardiso is only available
with the Lanczos (CLAN) method for eigenfrequency analyses.
You are required to use the SPARSESOLVER command in the executive section to indicate that the new
Pardiso solver should be used in the simulation. The following is example of choosing the new sparse
direct solver using the keywords PRDLU (for unsymmetric matrices),
SOL 107
SPARSESOLVER CEAD (FACTMETH=PRDLU,ORDMETH=PRDSMPMS)
CEND
130
Example
Example
In this section, above equations are used to determine whirl and critical frequencies for a representative
rotor model. The analysis is performed in both fixed and rotating coordinate systems. For the purpose of
comparison, same rotor is modeled using 1-D elements (ROTORG), axisymmetric harmonic elements
(ROTORAX), and solid elements (ROTOR). For each case, first the Campbell diagram is obtained
using asynchronous analysis, and then in the next step, critical frequencies are obtained using synchro-
nous analysis. The finite element models used in the analysis are shown in Figure 7-1. Since the rotor
model is symmetric, the problem can be analyzed in both fixed and rotating reference frame. When ana-
lyzed in rotating reference frame, the user needs to ensure that the stator portion of the model is sym-
metric.
Figure 7-1 NM Rotor modeled using three different elements
Analysis in Fixed Reference Frame

First, the analysis is performed in fixed reference frame, and Campbell diagram and critical frequencies
are obtained for the above rotor models. For the first case, the rotor is supported with symmetric springs
at two of the nodes.
Case 1: Spring stiffness used: KXX = KYY = 4.38x107 N/m2
The Campbell diagram for this case is shown in Figure 7-2. In case of 1-D modeling, two different
modeling techniques are applied using CBAR and CBEAM elements. It can be seen here that at 0 RPM,
natural frequencies predicted by different models are very close to each other. Results for variation of
whirl frequency with rotor speed show that all the models considered show good match for lower
frequencies; however, results start to separate for higher frequencies.
Example
Figure 7-2 Campbell Diagram in the fixed system
Critical frequencies can be obtained using the Campbell diagram by determining the point of intersection
of whirl frequency line with 45 degree line (dotted black line) as shown in Figure 7-2. Critical frequencies
can also be obtained by performing synchronous complex eigenvalue analysis by selecting SYNC option
in RGYRO. Results obtained for different models are listed in . Mode shapes for the first three forward
whirl bending critical frequencies is shown in Figure 7-3. The results show that the mode shapes captured
by beam model and solid element model for this simple rotor model look similar.
132
Example
Table 7-1 Critical frequencies in fixed reference frame

Mode type Frequencies (Hz)
Bar Model Beam Model Axi Model Solid Rotor
1st Bending Backward Whirl 259.1 257.3 257.1 257.63
1st Bending Forward Whirl 282.5 284.7 279.9 280.42
2nd Bending Backward Whirl 794.4 767.6 744.6 746.93
2nd Bending Forward Whirl 795.7 820.1 800.1 804.19
Torsion Mode 1097.9 1025.4 1005.79
3rd Bending Backward Whirl 1122.4 1088.7 1117.5 1130.72
3rd Bending Forward Whirl 1529.2 1628.6 1528.5 1457.38
Beam Model Solid Element Model
Bending
Mode 1
Bending
Mode 2
Bending
Mode 3
Figure 7-3 Bending modeshapes
In the first test case, bearings stiffness used at the ends did not include cross-stiffness. It is possible to
include the effects of cross-stiffness in springs indirectly using CBUSH or DMIG entry. In case KXX =
KYY and KXY= KYX, it is possible to define cross stiffness using CBUSH. However, for more general
cases, use of DMIG entry is recommended. In this modified case, following values are used for spring
stiffnesses in the analysis.
Case 2: KXX = KYY = 3.5025 x 107 N/m2

Example
KXY = KYX = 0.8755 x 107 N/m2
Both the available approaches are shown in Figure 7-4. The results obtained here compare well with those
obtained by Geradin et al. (Geradin and Kill, 1984), see Table 7-2.
Figure 7-4 Approach to define cross stiffness for bearings
Table 7-2 Critical Frequencies with modified support
Mode type Frequencies (Hz)

Bar Model Beam Model Axi Model Solid Rotor
1st Bending Backward Whirl 232.4 231.6 231.1 232.25
1st Bending Forward Whirl 273.1 274.1 270.8 271.34
2nd Bending Backward Whirl 657.6 655.4 643.1 647.52
2nd Bending Forward Whirl 794.8 793.6 772.7 775.96
Torsion Mode 1036.8 1006.1 1004.34
3rd Bending Backward Whirl 1097.9 1025.4 1026.6 1037.20
3rd Bending Forward Whirl 1472.1 1580.2 1481.9 1456.01
In the next case, the damping is introduced in the fixed system through the spring supports at the end (also
referred as external damping).
Case 3: KXX = KYY = 4.38x107 N/m2
BXX = BYY = 2.627x103 N/m

134
Example
Same damping can also be introduced in the rotating system by defining spring supports on grid points
which are part of the rotor, as shown in Figure 7-5 (also referred as internal damping). When internal
damping is present in the system, circulation terms are generated and included in equation of motion.
Figure 7-5 CBUSH definition for non-rotating and rotating portion
(solid line: external damping, dotted line: internal damping)
Figure 7-6 Campbell diagram with damping in stator

Example
The effect of internal and external damping on complex eigenfrequencies and damping ratios is shown
in Figure 7-6 and Figure 7-7, respectively. The Campbell diagram presented in Figure 7-6 shows small
effect of damping on eigenfrequencies. However, the damping ratios shown in Figure 7-7 show very
different results for the internal and external damping cases. In case of external damping (defined in
nonrotating portion), damping results in positive damping ratio indicating increase in system stability.
The results also show increase/decrease in damping ratio with rotor speed, depending on the whirl mode.
However, for the case with internal damping, forward whirl modes demonstrates significant decrease in
damping ratio with increase in rotor speed and highlight that these modes may become unstable at certain
rotor speed.
Figure 7-7 Effect of internal and external damping
Analysis in Rotating Reference Frame

The rotor model developed using solid elements can also be analyzed in the rotating coordinate system
using the ROTOR entry. The Campbell diagram obtained for this case is shown in Figure 7-8. The
Campbell diagram for analysis in rotating reference frame looks different from that obtained from
analysis in the fixed reference frame (see Figure 7-2). For the rotating reference frame Campbell diagram,
the forward whirl critical frequencies are identified by looking at the point of intersection of whirl
frequency line with X axis (find Ω such that ω = 0), while backward whirl frequencies are obtained by
determining the point of intersection of frequency lines with line corresponding to twice the rotor speed
(ω = 2Ω shown in black, starting from origin).
As in the fixed reference frame analysis, critical frequencies can also be obtained directly using the
synchronous analysis option in RGYRO for SOL 107. However, forward and backward critical
frequencies are obtained using two different analyses. Backward whirl critical frequency requires the
136
Example
WHIRLOPT parameter to be listed as “BWD.” Results obtained using synchronous analysis are shown
in Table 7-3
Figure 7-8 Campbell diagram in rotating reference frame
Table 7-3 Critical speeds in rotating reference frame

3D Rotor (Hz) 3D Rotor (RPM)
FWD Whirl BWD Whirl FWD Whirl BWD Whirl
1st Bending 274.29 252.59 16458 15155
2nd Bending 790.63 731.79 47438 43907
Torsion 1006.31 60379
Analysis in Fixed and Rotating Reference Frame

The main criteria used in determining whether to perform analysis in fixed or rotating reference frame is
dependent on the symmetry present in the rotor. In some cases, when both the rotor and the stator portion
of the model are symmetric, it is possible to analyze the same model in both fixed and rotating coordinate
reference frame. Based on the element implementation, 1-D elements like CBEAM and CBAR are better
suited for analysis in fixed system whereas higher order elements like shell and solid elements are better
suited for analysis in the rotating reference frame. For a simple case shown here, analysis is performed
in both rotating and fixed reference frame and results obtained for Campbell diagram and critical
frequencies are compared.
Example
Relation between frequencies

Consider a simplified case where the analysis in fixed reference frame results in purely imaginary
complex conjugate pair of eigenvalues: p = ± iω . For this complex eigenvalue, corresponding response
is of the form:
 
 u   u 0 cos ωt + φ u 
  =  
 v   v 0 cos ωt + φ v 
 
where u and v are lateral rotor displacement perpendicular to the axis of rotation and φu and φv are
corresponding phase differences. If Ω is the rotor speed, the corresponding mode shape in the rotating
reference is given by:
 
 u  cos ( Ωt ) sin ( Ωt )  u 0 cos ( ωt + φ u ) 
  =  
 v  – sin ( Ωt ) cos ( Ωt )  v 0 cos ( ωt + φ v ) 
 
Using the sum and difference formulae for sine and cosine, it can be shown that the frequencies
ω ± Ω appear in the solution. For example, the expression for u is given by:
This shows that the eigenfrequencies σ in the fixed reference frame are transformed to frequencies
ω ± Ω in the rotating reference frame. For the purpose of demonstration, consider a simple Jeffcott rotor
model shown in Figure 7-9. The rotor shaft is considered to be massless and rigid. The disk is attached at
the center of the shaft.
Figure 7-9 Simplified rotor model

138
Example
The Campbell diagram for this case is shown in Figure 7-10. Here, mode 1 and mode 2 correspond to the
translational motion whereas the mode 3 and mode 4 correspond to rotation of the shaft. The variation of
these modes with rotor speed is different in fixed and rotating coordinate reference frame. However, for
this simple case, it is possible to obtain the Campbell diagram in a rotating coordinate reference frame
using the Campbell diagram in a fixed reference frame by using the following expressions:
ω1 = ω1 + Ω : First backward whirl mode
ω 2 = ω 2 − Ω : First forward whirl mode
ω 3 = ω 3 + Ω : Second backward whirl mode
ω4 = ω4 − Ω : Second forward whirl mode

Results obtained using this transformation are compared with those obtained in the rotating reference
frame analysis in Figure 7-11. It can be seen here that both the set of results match very well.
Figure 7-10 Campbell Diagram in Fixed and Rotating System

Example
Figure 7-11 Campbell Diagram in Rotating System
Additional Options for Damping

Additional options are introduced in MSC Nastran to control damping applied to rotor and stator portion
of the model. In order to implement these changes, an additional parameter called “RDBOTH” was
introduced in the MDLPRM entry. The parameter is allowed to take values of 1, 2, 4, 8, or any
combination of it. Default value for this parameter is 0.
Effect of MDLPRM, RDBOTH, 1

1. Rayleigh damping specified in the model through “PARAM, ALPHA1” and “PARAM,
ALPHA2” is applied to the complete model (both stator and rotor).
2. Rayleigh damping specified through “ALPHAR1” and “ALPHAR2” in RSPINR/RSPINT is set
to 0.0.
3. Rayleigh damping is also applied to “User supplied system” matrices that are supplied to MSC
Nastran via TF, K2PP, M2PP, and B2PP Nastran input
Modified equation of motion when “MDLPRM, RDBOTH, 1” is used in the analysis is given by:
140
Example
 
 
 [ M ]{ g(t )} + 
  
( )
n
  ([ BS ] + α 1[ M ] + α 2 [ K ] + [ BH ]) +  Ω j (Ω ref ) [G ] + [ BR ]  { g (t )} +  = {F (t )}
 j =1
j j
 
 
 (1 + iG )[ K ] + i[ K 4] + i[ KH ] +  [ K ] + Ω (Ω )   B C  + GR  K C    
n
 S   R j
j =1 
j ref   R  j
 WR 3 
R  j 


Note that here Rayleigh Damping parameters, α1 and α2, defined for the non-rotating component are
applied to the mass and stiffness matrix of the complete model (including rotors).
Effect of MDLPRM, RDBOTH, 2

When the parameter RDBOTH is assigned a value of “2”, the circulation terms are ignored in the
analysis. In this case, no distinction is made between damping applied to rotor and stator and both are
included as part of [B] matrix. Modified equation of motion when “MDLPRM, RDBOTH, 2” is used in the
analysis is given by:
 
 
 [ M ]{ g(t )} + 
  ([ B ] + α 1[ M ] + α 2 [ K ] + [ BH ]) +  
 S S S S
 
   Ω (Ω ) [G ] + [ B ] + [ BH ] + α 1 [ M ] + α 2 [ K ] +   
 n    g (t ) +  = {F (t )}
j ref j R j R j Rj R Rj R j
    GR j 1 1  
  j =1  [KR ]j + [ K 4R ] j + [ KH R ] j  
   WR 3 WR 4 WRH  
 n 
 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] +  ([ K R ] j ) 
 j =1 
Effect of differential stiffness
Figure 7-12 Hollow rotor model
Effects of stress stiffening are important for 3-D rotors, especially when the model includes large flexible
structure away from the axis of rotating, high rotational speeds, and/or large diameter blades. In order to
demonstrate its effect, a hollow shell rotor model is analyzed in rotating reference frame as shown in
Example
Figure 7-12. Results shown in Figure 7-13 highlight the increase in stiffness with increase in rotor speed.
The flag for generating differential stiffness can be turned on by one of the following options:
MDLPRM RDBOTH 4
OR
MDLPRM RDBOTH 8
Solid Line: without stress stiffening, Dotted Lines: with stress stiffening
Figure 7-13 Effect of stress stiffness in rotating reference frame

142
Summary for Equation of Motion

Equations of motion for complex eigenvalue analysis are converted to the standard second order system
prior to solving them. Standard second order equation used to determine complex eigenvalues in MSC
Nastran is given by:
where [M]eq, [B]eq and [K]eq are equivalent mass, damping, and stiffness matrices, respectively, and
these matrices can be real or complex. In rotordynamic analysis, these matrices need not be symmetric.
For the asynchronous and synchronous analysis in fixed and rotating reference frame, equivalent
matrices are listed in Table 7-4.
Table 7-4 Coefficients for second order system of equations

Fixed Reference Frame
[M]eq [B]eq [K]eq

ASYNC [M] [B]S + [B]R + Ω[G] [K]+Ω[KC]R
SYNC [M]-iβ[G] [B]S + [B]R + α[G] -iβ[KC]R [K]+ α[KC]R
Rotating Reference Frame
[M]eq [B]eq [K]eq

ASYNC [M] [B]S +[B]R+2Ω[C] [K]+Ω[KC]S – Ω2[Z] + Ω2[KG]
SYNC (FWD) [Z] - [KG] -i[KC]S [K]
SYNC (BWD) 4[M] +4[C]+[Z]-[KG] 2[BS]+2[BR]-i[KC]S [K]
Table 7-5 Damping and circulation terms used for analysis in Fixed Reference Frame
Damping Circulation
Solution: ASYNC option (PARAM WR3, WR4 and WRH defined)
   
 [ BR ] + α1R [ M R ] + α 2 R [ K R ] +   [ BRC ] + α 1R [ M RC ] + α 2 R [ K RC ] + 
   
ω
GR
[KR ] +
1
[ K 4R ] +  Ω ref  GR [ K C ] + 1 [ K 4C ] + 
 WR3 WR 4   WR 3 R WR 4 R

 1   1 
 [ KH R ]   C
[ KH R ] 
 WRH   WRH 
Solution: SYNC option (PARAM WR3, WR4 and WRH defined)
   [ BRC ] + α1R [ M RC ] + α 2 R [ K RC ] + 
 [ BR ] + α1R [ M R ] + α 2R [ K R ] +  Ωβ R  GR 1 1

   C
[KR ] + C
[ K 4R ] + C 
[ KH R ] 
 GR 1  WR3 
iΩ [K ] + [ K 4R ] +  WR 4 WRH
 WR3 R WR4   [ BRC ] + α1R [ M RC ] + α 2 R [ K RC ] + 
 1 
  +α R  GR 1 1

[ KH R ]  [ K RC ] + [ K 4CR ] + [ KH RC ] 
 WRH   WR3 WR 4 WRH 
144
Chapter 8: Frequency Response Analysis
8 Frequency Response Analysis

Introduction 146

Equation used in the Analysis (Reference Frame) 147
146
Introduction
Introduction
Frequency response analysis is a method used to compute structural response to steady-state oscillatory
excitation. Frequency response analysis can be performed with the rotors spinning at user specified rates
or excitation that is synchronous with the reference rotor. In frequency response analysis the excitation
is explicitly defined in the frequency domain. All of the applied forces are known at each forcing
frequency. Forces can be in the form of applied forces or synchronous loads due to unbalance in rotor.
In MSC Nastran, direct frequency response can be obtained using SOL 108 while modal frequency
response analysis can be performed using SOL 111. Note that SOL 111 option is available for rotors
defined using ROTORG only.
Calculation of response with the rotors spinning at set speeds is performed using the asynchronous option
in RGYRO . The user specifies the rotor speeds, and the corresponding gyroscopic terms are determined
by the code and added to the equation of motion, and the response is determined. Asynchronous analysis
is required when the excitation frequency is independent of the rotor speed and usually originating from
outside the rotor component.
Calculation of frequency response with the excitation synchronous with the reference rotor is performed
using the synchronous option in RGYRO . The user specifies the rotor speed range, the gyroscopic terms
are determined for each frequency and added to the equation of motion. There are two methods for
determining the gyroscopic terms. The first method calculates the terms for each frequency and adds
them to the equation of motion (default option). The second method estimates the gyroscopic terms using
a least-mean-squared fit of the terms within the analysis range (PARAM, GYROAVG < 0).
Chapter 8: Frequency Response Analysis 147
Equation used in the Analysis (Reference Frame)
For frequency response with asynchronous excitation, Ω for each rotor is constant and can be determined
from the rotation speed of the reference rotor, Ωref, and relative rotation rates specified by the user. The
equation of motion to be solved is:
( −ω [M ] + iω (Ω(ω )[G ] + [ B ] + [ B ]) + ([ K ] + Ω(ω )[ K

2
S S ] ) ){ g (ω )} = F (ω )
C R
ω Natural frequency of the system

[M] Mass matrix
i
Ω(ω) Rotor Speed
[G] Gyroscopic matrix
[BS] Stator damping matrix
[BR] Rotor damping matrix
[K] Stiffness matrix
[KC]R Circulation terms due to damping in rotating system
g(ω) Complex frequency response
Expanding the above equation to include all options available to define damping
 −ω 2 [ M ] + 
 
  ([ BS ] + α1[ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ]) +  
 iω  n  
  +
   (
j =1
)
Ω j (Ω ref ) [G ] j + [ BR ] j + [ BH R ] j + α1Rj [ M R ] + α 2 Rj [ K R ] j  
 

 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] +  {g (ω )} = { F (ω )}
 
  [ K R ] j (1 + iGR j ) + i[ K 4 R ] j + i[ KH R ] j  
 n   
 
   B C
 +  BH C
 + α 1  M C
 + α 2  K C
 +  
 j 
R R j Rj  R  Rj  R  j
 
 j =1 +Ω j (Ω ref )   
  
GR C 1 1
 K R  +  K 4CR  +  KH RC   
  ω ω ω  
  j j j

where j references individual rotors. The factor 1/ω will be determined for each excitation frequency,
similar to frequency-dependent elements.
For the option to bypass the frequency-dependent lookup of rotor speeds (PARAM,GYROAVG,-1), the
equation of motion to be solved is:
148
 −ω 2 [ M ] + 
 
  ([ BS ] + α1[ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ]) +  
   
 iω  n  Ω j (Ω ref ) [G ] j + [ BR ] j + [ BH R ] j + α1Rj [ M R ] + α 2 Rj [ K R ] j +   + 
    
   GR
[K ] +
1
[ K 4R ] j +
1
[ KH R ] j  
   WR3 R j WR 4    {g (ω )} = F (ω )
j =1
WRH  { }
 
 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] + 
    BR  +  BH R  + α1Rj  M R  + α 2 Rj  K R  +   
C C C C
 n   j  j     j 
   [ K R ] j + Ω j (Ω ref )  
 j =1  GR j 1 1
   K R  +

C
 K 4 R  +

C
 KH R    

C
   WR 3 j WR 4 j WRH j 

The main difference here is the usage of parameters WR3, WR4 and WRH for structural damping terms.
Use of these parameters avoids the division by excitation frequency observed in the previous equation.
Also, in case the parameters WR3, WR4 and WRH are not defined in the analysis, then the corresponding
structural damping terms are not included in the analysis.
For frequency response with synchronous excitation, the excitation frequency is equal to the spin rate of
the reference rotor, that is, ω = Ωref. The spin rates of the additional rotors can be determined from the
relative spin rates specified by the user. The equation of motion to be solved is:
( −ω [M ] + iω ([B ] + [ B ] + Ω [G]) + ([K ] + Ω[ K

2
S R j ]
C R ) ){g (ω )} = {F (ω )}
Substituting ω = Ω
( −Ω ref
2
)
[ M ] + iΩ ref ([ BS ] + [ BR ] + Ω j (Ω ref )[G ]) + ([ K ] + Ω j (Ω ref )[ K C ]R ) {g (Ω ref )} = { F (Ω ref )}
The above equation can be expanded based on different options available for defining damping for the
stator and for rotors.
 −ω 2 [ M ] + 
 
  ([ BS ] + α 1[ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ]) +  
 iω  n  
  +
   (
j =1
)
Ω j (ω ) [G ] j + [ BR ] j + [ BH R ] j + α 1Rj [ M R ] + α 2 Rj [ K R ] j  
 

 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] +  { g (ω )} = { F (ω )}
 
  [ K R ] j (1 + iGR j ) + i[ K 4 R ] j + i[ KH R ] j  
 n   
  BRC  +  BH RC  + α 1Rj  M RC  + α 2 Rj  K RC  +  
           
 j =1  +Ω j (ω ) 
j j j
 
   GR 1 1 
   K RC  +  K 4CR  +  KH RC 
  
   ω j ω j ω j  
As compared to the asynchronous analysis, the gyroscopic and the circulation terms for synchronous
analysis are treated differently.
For the option to bypass the frequency-dependent lookup of rotor speeds (PARAM,GYROAVG,-1), Ωj
for each rotor is written as a linear function dependent on the reference rotor spin rate:
Ω j = α j + β j Ωref
The scaling factor, a j and βj, is determined from the relative spin rates specified by the user on the
RSPINR entries. The Ωref in the 1/ Ωref terms are replaced by the values of user parameters WR3 and
WR4. The equation of motion to be solved is:
 2
n  
 −Ω ref  [ M ] − i  β j [G ] j  + 
  j =1  
 
 

( [ BS ] + α 1[ M S ] + α 2 [ K S ] + [ BH S ]) +  
 

    [ BR ] j + [ BH R ] j + α 1Rj [ M R ] j + α 2 Rj [ K R ] j +    
      
  α j [G ] j +  GR 1 1  + 
 
j
[ K ] + [ K 4 ] + [ KH ]   +

 iΩ ref n  R R R
   WR3 j
WR 4 j
WRH j
 

     BR  +  BH R  + α 1Rj  M R  + α 2 Rj  K R  +     g a (Ω ref ) = 0
C C C C

 j =1
       
    j j j j   
   −i β j  GR 1 1   
 
  
j
 K C
 +  K 4 C
 +  KH C
 j    
 
 WR3   j WR 4   j WRH 
R R R
    
 (1 + iG )[ K S ] + i[ K 4 S ] + i[ KH S ] + 
 
 n    BRC  +  BH RC  + α 1Rj  M RC  + α 2 Rj  K RC  +  
 j  j  j   j  
 [K ] + α  
  R j j  GR 1 1  
 j =1    K R  +
C
 K 4 R  +
C
 KH R   
C

   WR3 j WR 4 j WRH j  
150
As in the asynchronous case with GYROAVG parameter, in case the parameters WR3, WR4 and WRH
are not defined in the analysis, then the corresponding structural damping terms are not included in the
analysis.
Example: NM (Nelson-McVaugh) Rotor

In this example, frequency response analysis is performed to obtain displacement in response to
synchronous excitation by the unbalance loads for the NM rotor described earlier. Here are the changes
made in the analysis deck to define synchronous unbalance loads
Case Control
FREQ = 100
DLOAD = 10
Bulk Data
FREQ1 100 0. 1.0 1000
RGYRO 1 SYNC 4 RPM 10000.0
$ UNBALANCE LOADS
UNBALNC 10 122.68 41 1. 0. 0.
1.-4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000.
As described in the previous chapter, for synchronous frequency response analysis, the DLOAD in case
control points to an unbalance entry in the bulk data. Also, the GYRO field needs to show “SYNC” as
the analysis option.
For this particular case, the variation of unbalance loads and displacement at the point of unbalance with
frequency is shown in Figure 8-1. It can be seen here that the load due to unbalance increases with the
square of the excitation frequency. Also, the displacement results show a peak at the first forward whirl
critical speed, as expected.
Figure 8-1 Loads due to unbalance and corresponding displacement

Effect of damping
In the next step, damping is introduced in the analysis through the spring supports. It is possible to define
damping in the fixed or rotating reference frame though CBUSH elements as shown in Figure 8-2. If the
damping is defined in the rotating coordinate reference frame, then the corresponding circulation terms
are included for analysis in the equations of motion.
Figure 8-2 Defining spring supports in fixed and rotating reference frame
Results obtained with external and internal damping are shown in Figure 8-3. As compared to results
obtained in Figure 8-1 for displacement, the displacement obtained in Figure 8-3 is smaller. For this
particular case, the difference between the displacements obtained with external and internal damping is
small.

152
Effect of GYROAVG parameter

The case with external damping was analyzed again with “PARAM, GYROAVG, -1”. The results
obtained for this case show small difference in results, see Figure 8-4. However, the computational time
required for this problem drops from 0.08 sec to 0.01 sec. Thus, this feature is useful for obtaining quick
approximate results.
Figure 8-4 Effect of “Param, GYROAVG, -1”
Frequency Dependent Bearings

For linear frequency response analysis, linear frequency dependent bearing properties can be defined
using the PBUSHT card. Brief description of the PBUSHT card, which defines properties for the
CBUSH elements is shown in Figure 8-5.
PBUSHT Frequency Dependent or Nonlinear Force Deflection Spring and

Damper Property
Defines the frequency dependent properties or the stress dependent properties for a generalized spring
and damper structural element.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PBUSHT PID “K” TKID1 TKID2 TKID3 TKID4 TKID5 TKID6
“B” TBID1 TBID2 TBID3 TBID4 TBID5 TBID6
“GE” TGEID1 TGEID2 TGEID3 TGEID4 TGEID5 TGEID6
“KN” TKNID1 TKIND2 TKNID3 TKIND4 TKIND5 TKIND6
FDC FUSE DIR OPTION LOWER UPPER
FSRS LRGR
Figure 8-5 PBUSHT entry to define frequency dependent bearing properties
Modifications made in the bulk data to introduce the PBUSHT entry are shown below:
CBUSH 201 211 1091 0

CBUSH 202 211 1111 0
PBUSHT 211 K 1001 1001

B 1003 1003
PBUSH 211 K 4.38+7 4.38+7
B 2627.0 2627.0
TABLED1 1001
0. 4.38+7 250. 4.38+7 1000. 8.38+7 ENDT
TABLED1 1003
0. 2627.0 250. 2627.0 1000. 1627.0 ENDT
Note that both PBUSH and PBUSHT entries are defined in the analysis. For this analysis, the bearing
properties are kept unchanged till 250 Hz. Thereafter, the bearing stiffness has been increased while the
damping has been slightly reduced. Effect of these changes can be seen in Figure 8-6 where the
resonance peak has shifted to the right due to increase in stiffness. Also there is small increase in peak
amplitude due to reduction in bearing damping.
154
Figure 8-6 Use of PBUSHT entry for frequency dependent bearing properties
Modal Analysis (for ROTORG only)

If the model includes only line rotors defined using ROTORG, then modal frequency response analysis
can also be performed using SOL 111. In order to transform a test deck from direct frequency response
analysis to SOL 111 test deck, the following changes are required:
In Case Control
Change the solution sequence number and include a method card
SOL 111
CEND
METHOD = 100
Bulk Data
Include real eigenvalue analysis in the deck which points to METHOD defined in the case control.
EIGRL 100 10
The results obtained using SOL 111 show forces and displacement requested as part of output, just like
direct frequency response analysis. It also shows real eigenvalue analysis performed to extract the mode
shapes for modal analysis (see Figure 8-7).
Figure 8-7 Real Eigenvalue analysis performed for extracting modeshapes
Modal frequency response was performed using 10 eigenvalues and again with 50 eigenvalues. Results
obtained for these cases are shown in Figure 8-8 and compared with those obtained using SOL 108. It can
be seen that for all the three cases, the response is almost identical.
Figure 8-8 Displacement obtained from real and modal frequency response analysis
156
Chapter 9: Transient Response Analysis
9 Transient Response Analysis

Introduction 158

Equation of motion 159

Input file for transient analysis 162

Comparison with axisymmetric and 3D rotors 168

Usage of Nonlinear Elements 169
158
Introduction
Introduction
Transient analysis with rotordynamics includes gyroscopic terms and option to specify rotor imbalance.
Both nonlinear and direct linear transient response solutions internally calculate the gyroscopic and
unbalance force terms for each time step. The transient excitation is explicitly defined in the time domain.
All of the external forces applied to the structure are known at each instant in time. Transient analysis
also supports usage of nonlinear bearing elements like NLRGAP, NLRSFD and NOLINi. Details related
to general transient analysis in MSC Nastran in provided in MSC Nastran Dynamic Analysis User’s
Guide . Only details related to rotordynamic analysis are provided in this section. Note that the modal
transient solution sequence, SOL 112, is not supported for rotordynamic analysis. However, external SE
approach can be used to obtain model reduction, if required.
For transient analysis with rotordynamics, use of nonlinear transient solver like SOL 400 is
recommended due to enhanced numerical stability.
Chapter 9: Transient Response Analysis 159
Equation of motion
Equation of motion
Equation of motion solved in transient analysis is given by:
[ M ]{ g(t )} + ([ BS ] + [ BR ] + Ω (t )[G ]){ g (t )} + ([ K ] + Ω (t )[ K C ]R + Ω
 (t )[ K T ] ) { g (t )} = {F (t )}
S
where, [KT] is a skew symmetric matrix and for each grid point in the model it is defined by:
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0
 K rT  =  
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 I11 
 
 0 0 0 0 − I11 0 
Note that the equation of motion used for the transient analysis includes effect of rotor spin rate.
Expanded version of the above equation is given by:
[M ]{g(t )} +
 G 1 1 
 ([ BS ] + α1[ M S ] + α 2 [ KS ] + [ BH S ]) + W 3 [ KS ] + W 4 [ K 4S ] + WH [ KH S ] 
 
 n  Ω j (t ) [G] j + [ BR ] j + [ BH R ] j + α1Rj [ M R ] + α 2Rj [ KR ] j +  {g (t )} +
   
  GR 1 1  
 j =1  [ KR ] j + [ K 4R ] j + [ KH R ] j  
  WR 3 WR 4 WRH  
 [ KS ] + 
 
 n    BR  +  BH R  + α1Rj  M R  + α 2Rj  KR  +  
C C C C
 j  j    j 
  [ K ] + Ω (t )   (t )[ K T ]  {g (t )} = {F (t )}


 j =1  R j j  GR j 1 1  +Ω j R j 
   KR  j + WR4  K 4R  j + WRH  KH R  j  
C C C

   WR 3 
where,
[BS] Viscous damping from dampers in the stator portion
[KS] Stiffness matrix for the stator portion
[BHS] Hybrid damping for the stator portion
α1, α2 Rayleigh damping parameters for stator portion
Ωj(t) Rotor speed for the jth rotor
[BR] Viscous damping from dampers for the rotor
160
Equation of motion

[KR] Stiffness matrix for rotor
α1R, α2R Rayleigh damping parameters for the rotor
GR Structural damping for the rotor defined in RSPINR
WR3, WR4, WRH Parameters to convert structural damping to equivalent viscous damping.
G Structural damping for the stator portion
[K4S] Material damping for the stator portion
Circulation matrix due to [BR]
 BRC 
Circulation matrix due to [BHR]
 BH RC 

GR Circulation matrix due to structural damping for rotors
 K RC 
WR3
1 Circulation matrix due to structural damping for rotors
 K 4CR 
WR 4
1 Circulation matrix due to hybrid damping for rotor
 KH RC 
WRH
{g (t)} State vector for transient analysis (D-set DOF)
F(t) Linear Loads and Nonlinear forces from bearings and connectors
Unbalance loads for Transient Analysis

Unlike its use in the frequency response, complex modes, and static solutions, the RGYRO (Case) does
not reference an RGYRO Bulk Data entry. Instead, the RGYRO Case Control command references an
UNBALNC Bulk Data entry. A brief description of the unbalance entry from QRG is shown in Figure 9-1.
Equation of motion
UNBALNC Specifies an Unbalanced Load for Rotordynamic Transient or

Frequency Response Analysis
Used in rotordynamic analyses to specify a rotating unbalance load in terms of a cylindrical system with
the rotor rotation as the z-axis.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
UNBALNC SID MASS GRID X1 X2 X3
ROFFSET THETA ZOFFSET T/Fon T/FOFF
UFT1 UFT2 UFT3 UFR1 UFR2 UFR3
MCT1 MCT2 MCT3 MCR1 MCR2 MCR3
SCR1 SCR2 SCR3
Figure 9-1 Unbalance (UNBALNC ) Entry for transient analysis
Variables relevant to describe the unbalance loads are described below:
MASS Mass of imbalance (m)

GRID Grid identification number for applying imbalance
X1, X2, X3 Components of vector used to define cylindrical coordinate system centered at GRID
ROFFSET Offset mass in the radial direction (r) in the unbalance coordinate system
ZOFFSET Offset mass in the Z direction (Z) in the unbalance coordinate system
THETA Angular position, in degrees, of the mass in the unbalance coordinate system.(θ)
UFT/UFR EPOINT to output unbalance forces and moments (for transient analysis only)
Using these variables, forces and moments generated by unbalance loads can be expressed as:
 F1 (t )  m(t )r (t )(Ω 2j (t ) cos(θ jk (t )) + Ω  (t ) sin(θ (t ))) 

j j
  = WTMASS   
 m(t )r (t )(Ω j (t ) sin(θ jk (t )) − Ω j (t ) cos(θ j (t ))) 
2
 F2 (t ) 
 M 1 (t )  0 −1  F1 (t ) 
 =Z  
 M 2 (t )  1 0   F2 (t ) 
where, θ j ( t ) =  Ω j ( t ) dt + θ (angular position for kth unbalance load)

0
162
Input file for transient analysis

The NM rotor described earlier is used again for the transient analysis. In this case, external loading is
obtained through the rotor imbalance, but any generic time dependent load can also be used in the
analysis.
Figure 9-2 NM Rotor model for transient analysis
Changes required in different sections of the input file for transient analysis are described below:
a. Case Control Section
ECHO = SORT
SPC = 2
RGYRO = 10
TSTEP = 1
SET 99 = 41
SET 98 = 95,92,93,94
DISP(SORT2,PHASE)=99
OLOAD(SORT2,PHASE)=99
NLLOAD(SORT2,PHASE)=99
SDISP(SORT2) = 98
b. Time Step and rotor speed definition in Bulk Data
TSTEPNL 1 100000 .00001 10
+
+ 0
$ Rotors Relative Spin Rates
RSPINT 4 9 10 FREQ 1 95
TABLED1 1
0.0 0.0 0.005 0.0 .5 400. 1000. 400.
ENDT
c. Unbalance Load definition

$ UNBALANCE LOADS
UNBALNC 10 122.68 41 1. 0. 0.
1.-4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000.
92 93 94
EPOINT 92 93 94 95
Results obtained from the transient analysis are described below. Here also, we have considered the effect
of both internal and external damping, as described in the previous chapter. (also presented in Figure 9-3)
Figure 9-3 External and internal Damping for rotordynamic analysis
Effect of external Damping

Variation of unbalance load and displacement with time is shown in Figure 9-4. The spin rate defined
earlier increases from 0 to 400 Hz in 0.5 seconds and then it stays constant. The unbalanced loads
observed follow the expected trend. The loads increase with square of rotor speed till 0.5 secs and then
they stay constant for rest of the analysis. Further insight into the results is presented in Figure 9-5 to
Figure 9-8.
164
Figure 9-4 Unbalance loads and corresponding displacement from transient analysis
Figure 9-5 X-Y components of unbalance load
Figure 9-5 shows the variation of loads in X-Y direction due to rotor unbalance. Note that rotor is oriented
along the Z-direction and XY plane is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. It can be seen in the results
that loads in X and Y direction have a phase difference of 90 deg, as expected. The loads in the Y
direction are lagging behind by 90 deg.
Figure 9-6 Displacement near the critical speed region
The displacement shown in Figure 9-4 show increase in amplitude of displacement with time as the rotor
speed increases. However, after 0.37 seconds, there is decrease in amplitude and the amplitude is steady
after 0.5 seconds. The variation of displacement between 0.35 to 0.55 seconds is shown in Figure 9-6. It
highlights the transition zone described earlier. This behavior for displacement can be explained by
plotting displacement along with rotor speed, as shown in Figure 9-7 and Figure 9-8. In these figures, the
right axis (in green) shows variation of rotor speed provided as input. The results presented in these figure
show that the peak amplitude in displacement is observed near 0.375 sec where the rotor speed is around
285 Hz. This frequency coincides with the first forward whirl critical speed observed in the complex
eigenvalue analysis of the rotor model.
Figure 9-7 Variation of rotor speed and displacement with time

166
Figure 9-8 Variation of rotor speed and displacement with time near the forward whirl
critical speed
Effect of internal Damping

Effect of internal damping is studied by connecting bearing to the rotor directly in the rotating reference
frame (hypothetical case). Here two different cases are considered. In case 2, the damping and stiffness
due to bearings is same as in case 1, but the effect of circulation terms is reduced by half.
a. Internal damping 1
CBUSH 201 211 91
CBUSH 202 211 111
PBUSH 211 K 4.38+7 4.38+7
B 2627.0 2627.0
b. Internal Damping 2
CBUSH 201 211 91
CBUSH 202 211 111
CBUSH 203 211 1091
CBUSH 204 211 1111
PBUSH 211 K 2.19+7 2.19+7
B 1313.5 1313.5
Results for these two cases with internal damping are shown in Figure 9-9 and compared with those
obtained using external damping (which does not produce any circulation matrix). Here it can be seen
that for case 1, displacements diverge after the first forward whirl critical speed. However, for case 2,
where the effect of circulation terms is reduced by half, the results do not diverge. But they show higher
vibration as compared to the externally damped bearing case. Thus, internal damping needs to be
carefully analyzed as it may lead to higher vibration or instability in the rotordynamic analysis.

168
Comparison with axisymmetric and 3D rotors
Comparison with axisymmetric and 3D rotors

The NM rotor used in this analysis can also be modeled using 2D axisymmetric harmonic and solid
elements as described earlier. Response obtained using these higher order elements is shown in
Figure 9-10. It can be seen here that the maximum amplitude predicted by these three analyses are close
to each other.
Figure 9-10 Transient Response obtained using higher order elements

Usage of Nonlinear Elements

In transient analysis, it is possible to include nonlinear bearing elements for rotordynamic analysis.
Nonlinear bearing elements can be specified using NLRGAP , NLRSFD and NOLINi (p. 3057) entries.
In the previous example, the maximum displacement amplitude obtained is around 0.08 units. As a
hypothetical case, consider a scenario where the maximum amplitude is restricted to 0.05 units using a
very stiff spring. A behavior like this can be modelled using the nonlinear NLRGAP element. For
simplicity, beam rotor model defined using ROTORG entry is used in the analysis. Changes required in
the input file to include the above mentioned nonlinear NLRGAP element is described below:
Figure 9-11 Introducing nonlinear bearing element in the analysis
Changes in case Control
NONLINEAR = 1001
Changes in Bulk data entries

$ NLRGAP
GRID 141 0. 0. 0.0889
GRID 1141 0. 0. 0.0889
RBE2 303 141 123456 41
NLRGAP 1001 141 1141 XY 11 12
CBUSH 203 212 1141 0
PBUSH 212 K 1.0+20 1.0+20
TABLED1 11
0.0 1.0+12 1000. 1.0+12 ENDT
TABLED1 12
0.0 0.05 1000. 0.05 ENDT
Displacement obtained with the nonlinear NLRGAP element is shown in Figure 9-12 and Figure 9-13.
Results show that, although the displacement of Grid 41 is reduced to 0.05, it does not decay after
crossing the first forward whirl critical speed as observed in the earlier case.
170
Figure 9-12 Effect on nonlinear NLRGAP element on transient response
Figure 9-13 Displacement obtained using nonlinear NLRGAP element

172
Chapter 10: Nonlinear Frequency Response
10 Nonlinear Frequency Response

Introduction 174

User Interface 176

Analysis Setup 180

Theoretical Details 185

Examples 187
174
Introduction
Introduction
There is a class of dynamic response analyses where a structure exhibiting nonlinearities is subjected to
a harmonic excitation in which the response is essentially periodic. That is to say that the degree of
nonlinearity in the system is light enough that the response may be described sufficiently accurately by
a combination of harmonic responses, i.e. periodic; this is achieved using Fourier series.
Some examples of this class of dynamic response problems are rotor/stator contact under abnormal
running conditions, an overload condition in an oscillating mechanism causing periodic contact or
perhaps just simply a nonlinear bearing stiffness. The response of such systems may exhibit multiple
solutions in a steady-state vibration response scenario, possibly with amplitude jumps as the system
moves from one frequency to another, such as might occur in a rotor that is increasing or decreasing in
speed. These jumps reveal different behavior of the dynamic system with increasing or decreasing
excitation frequency.
The nonlinear harmonic response solution sequence uses the harmonic balance method to calculate the
periodic response of a non-linear system under harmonic excitation. This requires the definition of a
frequency domain problem in the presence of nonlinearities. The harmonic balance method assumes the
steady-state response consists of a sum of sinusoidal responses finding the coefficients of the sinusoids
to satisfy the equations of motion. Harmonic balance is only efficient if a small number of sinusoids are
necessary to approximate the solution to a desired accuracy and this is why the nonlinearities in the
system must be mild.
As with any nonlinearity, it must only be present in the residual structure, but this does not preclude the
use of superelements or ASET degrees of freedom to perform static condensation or dynamic reduction
using CMS (Component Mode Synthesis). In fact this is a recommended technique in order to keep the
number of degrees of freedom for harmonic balance to a minimum.
Nonlinear harmonic response is available in the presence or absence of rotors, but there must be at least
one degree of freedom defined on nonlinear force type entries such as the NLRGAP, NLRSFD and
NOLINi entries. Other types of nonlinearity that may be defined include the CBUSH2D element or
indeed any elements having frequency dependent properties.
MSC Nastran, which incorporates SCA technology, adds the possibility of creating a user defined service
whereby the NLRSFD entry is able to call external user defined behavior to replace the standard
NLRSFD behavior.
Its limitation therefore is that it can only capture harmonic components, so any frequencies which are not
pure sub- or super-harmonics of the excitation will be lost. It is also possible that either no solution exists
(an unstable dynamic system), or that more than one solution is possible. The nonlinear system being
studied may exhibit bifurcation or turning points, points for which a small incremental change in
frequency results in more than one solution. In addition the system may exhibit a step change in the
response from one frequency to the next, what is referred to in the literature as “jump phenomena”. In its
present form, the presence of bifurcation or turning points cannot be determined in nonlinear harmonic
response analysis and the resulting solution is just one of the possible states. Jump phenomena are
revealed by examining the response curves.
Chapter 10: Nonlinear Frequency Response 175
Introduction
In a system with bearing clearance, like hydrodynamic or magnetic bearings, the stiffness of the system
changes depending on whether the bearing forces overcome the clearance in the bearing resulting in
contact or no-contact conditions. Each of the contact/no-contact states may have essentially linear
behaviour, but the overall behavior is nonlinear if the system changes from one state to another. Probably
the simplest example of such a system is the Duffing oscillator. The Duffing equation is:
3
ax·· + bx· + cx + dx = f cos ωt (10-1)
and is defined in any text book on nonlinear dynamics. This equation exhibits jump phenomena for
certain frequency values f where the solution “jumps” from one significantly different value to another
for a small change in frequency. To complicate matters, the jump differs depending on whether the
change in frequency is positive or negative.
When the system is nonlinear, there is also the possibility of sub and super harmonic responses. The
response frequencies in linear harmonic analysis are the same as the forcing frequency. Permanent
oscillations whose frequencies are a fraction of the forcing frequency (½, ¼, ...) may occur in a nonlinear
system; these oscillations are known as sub-harmonic response. Sub-harmonic responses require special
conditions (e.g. particular damping characteristics and a non-symmetric stiffness) whereas super-
harmonic responses, i.e. permanent oscillations whose frequencies are a multiple of the forcing frequency
(2, 3, …), are always present; whether they show significant response levels depends on the damping in
the system. These are complex phenomena which may in themselves exhibit jumps further complicating
matters. Refer to book on Shock and Vibration (Harris, 1987) for a more complete discussion of sub and
super harmonic responses.
Nonlinear harmonic response uses an iterative procedure to find the coefficients for the combination of
sinusoids that form the steady-state response. Newton’s method of iteration is employed to solve a system
of nonlinear algebraic equations. A trial solution is attempted for displacements and the corresponding
forces in any NLRGAP, NLRSFD or NOLINi entries are calculated from the user supplied data. The
residual forces in the system are calculated and a convergence error is obtained. Based on the size of the
convergence error, the solution is either accepted or an updated displacement scaling is calculated and
the new displacements calculated. The sequence loops until either a diverging system is detected or
convergence obtained.
176
User Interface
User Interface
Frequency dependent loading for SOL 128 can be applied through standard forcing functions available
in MSC Nastran or through the unbalance loads in case rotors are present in the model.
File Management Section (FMS)

One modified FMS entry, related to the SCA UDS (Service Component Architecture User Defined
Subroutine), is required if a user defined service is to be used. When a user defined service (UDS) is to
be used to describe the behavior of the NLRSFD type nonlinearity in nonlinear harmonic response, the
FMS CONNECT entry is used with the SERVICE qualifier to make the connection between the GROUP
name on the NLRSFD bulk data entry and the name of the external service.
Executive Section
Nonlinear harmonic response is available as SOL 128 or SOL SENLHARM. This is a complete solution
sequence based around linear frequency response (SOL 108) in which nonlinearities may be taken into
account.
Case Control
The case control entry NLHARM has been added for nonlinear harmonic response to reference the
NLHARM bulk data entry. The existing NONLINEAR case control entry, previously dedicated to
transient response analysis, may now also be used in nonlinear harmonic response to reference nonlinear
force bulk data entries (NOLIN1, NOLIN2, NOLIN3, NOLIN4, NLRGAP, NLRSFD).
NLHARM
The NLHARM case control entry is dedicated to nonlinear harmonic response; it is used to reference a
bulk data NLHARM entry.
NLHARM=n
where n is the ID of the NLHARM bulk data entry.
NONLINEAR
The existing NONLINEAR case control entry, which was previously dedicated to transient linear and
transient nonlinear analysis, may now be used in nonlinear harmonic response analysis.
The NONLINEAR case control command is used in exactly the same way in nonlinear harmonic
response as it is in transient response to refer to the collection of nonlinear force entries (NLRGAP,
NLRSFD and NONLINi).
User Interface
Bulk Data Entries

There are three bulk data entries (NLHARM, NLFREQ and NLFREQ1) relating specifically to nonlinear
harmonic response. The NOLINi bulk data entries may now be used in nonlinear harmonic response, but
they do not require any special remarks.
NLHARM
The NLHARM bulk data entry is used to define the parameters for nonlinear harmonic response.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NLHARM ID SUBFAC NHARM NLFREQ
ID Identification number referenced by the NLHARM case control entry (integer > 0).
SUBFAC Factor for capturing sub-harmonic response (Integer >=1, Default= 1). See remark 3.
NHARM The number of harmonics to include in the solution (integer > 0). See remark 2.
NLFREQ Identification number of the NLFREQ or NLFREQ1 entry specifying the forcing
frequency list (integer >0).
Remarks
1. The NLHARM ID must be unique among all NLHARM entries.
2. The greater the degree of nonlinearity, the larger the number of harmonics required to find a
solution. The number of harmonics (NHARM) may therefore influence the ability of the
algorithm to find solutions to the nonlinear problem posed. However, the larger the number of
harmonics, the more computational effort is required to compute a solution.
3. The response frequencies in linear harmonic analysis are the same as the forcing frequency.
Permanent oscillations whose frequencies are a fraction of the forcing frequency (½, ¼, ...) may
occur in a nonlinear system; these oscillations are known as sub-harmonic response (Harris,
1987).
NLFREQ
The NLFREQ entry is used to define the forcing frequencies for nonlinear harmonic response.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NLFREQ ID F1 F2 F3 … Fn
ID Identification number referenced by the NLFREQ field (field 5) of an NLHARM bulk
data entry. (Integer > 0).
Fi Forcing frequency values in cycles per unit time (Real >= 0.0).
178
User Interface
Remarks
The frequencies may be specified in any order; they do not have to be in ascending or descending order.
Only one NLFREQ or NLFREQ1 entry with the same ID is allowed.
NLFREQ1
The NLFREQ1 entry is used to define the forcing frequencies for nonlinear harmonic response by using
a start frequency, a frequency interval and a number of intervals.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NLFREQ1 ID F1 DF NDF
ID Identification number referenced by the NLFREQ field (field 5) of an NLHARM bulk
data entry. (Integer > 0)
F1 First forcing frequency in the set (real >= 0.0)
DF Frequency increment (real <> 0.0, required). See remark 1.
NDF Number of frequency increments (Integer > 0, Default= 1)
Remarks
1. If DF is positive, it defines a frequency increment. In this case, the first excitation frequency will
be F1 with all subsequent excitations frequencies being of larger value than F1. If DF is negative,
it defines a frequency decrement. In this case, the first excitation frequency will still be F1, but
now all subsequent excitations frequencies will be of smaller value than F1. In both cases, the
initial conditions for a frequency are the response configuration at the previous excitation
frequency. The initial conditions for the first frequency are zero.
2. Only one NLFREQ or NLFREQ1 entry with the same ID is allowed.
TABLED5
The TABLED5 entry is used generally to define a value as a function of two variables for use in
generating frequency-dependent and time-dependent dynamic loads. In nonlinear harmonic response it
is used to define an NLRGAP whose force-penetration characteristics vary with frequency.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
TABLED5 TID
X(1) TID(1) X(2) TID(2) X(3) TID(3) X(4) TID(4)
… … ENDT
TID Table identification number. (Integer > 0)
X(i) X value for the function specified by TID(i) (Real, no Default).
TID(i) ID of a TABLED1, TABLED2, TABLED3 or TABLED4 defining the function Y for
the given value of X. (Integer > 0, no Default).
User Interface
Remarks
1. This table returns a value that is a function of 2 variables . The first variable value x is specified
on this entry as X(i), the function versus y for the specified value for X(i) is specified on the
referenced table TID(i).
2. When used with the NLRGAP entry to define a frequency dependent gap force as a function of
penetration, the frequency values are input as X(i) and the variation of force vs. penetration is
input on a series of TABLED1 entries referenced by the table values TID(i), one for each required
change in properties with respect to frequency.
3. 2D linear interpolation is carried out for values of (x,y) not specified on the tabular entries.
NLRGAP
The NLRGAP entry defines a nonlinear radial (circular) gap for transient response or nonlinear harmonic
response.
NLRSFD
The NLRSFD entry defines a nonlinear radial squeeze film damper for transient response or nonlinear
harmonic response.
180
Analysis Setup
Analysis Setup
Setting up a nonlinear harmonic analysis is relatively easy and is a natural progression from a direct
frequency response analysis (SOL 108). It is strongly recommended that you set up the analysis to run
linear direct frequency response and establish a healthy model. Linear CELASi elements along with rigid
elements, if necessary, may be used to connect the degrees of freedom (DOFs) at which the nonlinearities
will eventually be defined. It is also possible at this stage to establish a condensation strategy in order to
reduce the number of degrees of freedom that will be retained for the eventual nonlinear harmonic
response analysis. SOL 128 is a completely integrated implementation and it is therefore possible to use
any of the condensation methods usually available for linear and nonlinear analysis. These include:
• Superelements with or without CMS
• A-set definition with or without CMS
• O-set definition with or without CMS
• Automated CMS (MDACMS)
Generally, it is desirable to retain only the DOFs (degree of freedom) connected to nonlinearities for the
resolution of the nonlinear problem, but ultimately the user decides which DOFs to retain. The only
requirement is that the DOFs attached to nonlinearities must be retained; thereafter, any other DOFs may
be added to the retained set. Typically, the number of DOFs connected to nonlinearities is small, even if
the total number of DOFs in the model is large, so using a condensation strategy can yield a significant
saving in elapsed time for the calculation. Condensation may be carried out using static (Guyan)
reduction or using modal synthesis (CMS). To learn more about these methods please refer to the MSC
Nastran Superelements User’s Guide .
Once you have the linear direct frequency response set up, there are only a few simple modifications
necessary to turn this into a nonlinear harmonic response analysis.
1. Change SOL 108 to SOL 128
2. Remove the FREQUENCY= specification in the case control.
In SOL 108, the FREQUENCY= case control command is used to call the set of FREQi entries
in the bulk data which define the set of excitation frequencies for the frequency response problem.
In nonlinear harmonic response, the excitation frequencies are a sequence of frequencies where
the initial conditions of one frequency are the steady state response from the previous excitation
frequency. Consequently, the excitation frequencies are defined on either an NLFREQ or
NLFREQ1 bulk data entry referenced by the NLHARM bulk data entry.
3. Add a case control NLHARM (Case) = entry which references the ID of a bulk data NLHARM
entry.
4. Add a NONLINEAR (Case) = case control entry which refers to the set of nonlinear force entries
(NOLINi, NLRGAP, NLRSFD).
5. Remove the modelling technique you used in place of the nonlinear forces.
Analysis Setup
If CELASi and/or rigid elements were used, these should be removed ready to be replaced by one
or more of the nonlinear force entries NOLINi, NLRGAP or NLRSFD. Note: you may actually
wish to retain some or all of these entries in order to avoid singular structures. This may happen
if the nonlinear force specification results in zero forces between an otherwise unconnected
component; in this case a small spring stiffness between the potentially singular structures can be
used to stabilize an otherwise unstable problem.
6. Add nonlinear force entries at the required degrees of freedom.
There must be at least 1 dof referenced by a nonlinear force entry. The set ID of the collection of
NOLIN1, NOLIN2, NOLIN3, NOLIN4, NLRGAP and NLRSFD entries is called up by the ID of
the case control NONLINEAR= entry.
7. Add a bulk data NLHARM entry.
This is referenced by the case control NLHARM= entry and defines any sub-harmonic content
(optional), the number of harmonics (required), and the NLFREQ or NLFREQ1 entry which
defines the set of excitation frequencies. See the section above for the format of the NLHARM
entry.
8. Add an NLFREQ or NLFREQ1 entry.
If you want to excite the structure at specific frequencies, use the NLFREQ entry. Use the NLFREQ1
entry to define an increasing or decreasing frequency sequence. See the section above for the format of
the NLFREQ and NLFREQ1 entries.
It is recommended for the first run that the nonlinear force entries define linear characteristics. This will
allow the results to be checked against the linear direct frequency response; the answers should be the
same, even though the problem will be solved using an iterative technique.
Parameters for controlling the analysis

The interface to nonlinear harmonic response is driven by the inputs defined below. The sequence of
excitation frequencies is defined on NLFREQ or NLFREQ1 entries and harmonic response control data
supplied on the NLHARM entry. This allows specification of the number of harmonics and sub-
harmonics to consider for the nonlinear harmonic response analysis as well as referencing the excitation
frequency bulk data entries NLFREQ or NLFREQ1.
PARAM, MXICODE0, 5
In nonlinear harmonic response analysis, if the solution fails to converge more than MXICODE0 times
in succession, a new trial displacement vector is calculated. MXICODE0 allows the number of
successive failed convergences to be modified before a new trial displacement vector is calculated.
(Default is 5).
182
Analysis Setup
PARAM, NHPLUS, 20
In nonlinear harmonic response analysis, in order to avoid aliasing in the calculation of the Fourier
coefficients, a certain number of extra evaluation points are used. NHPLUS allows the number of extra
points to be defined. (Default is 20).
This technique comes from a paper (Bellinger, 1995) where the number of time steps, S, selected should
be in the range (2K-1) ≤ S ≤ 3(2K-1) and K is the number of frequencies present in the signal.
PARAM, NLHTOL, 1.0E-5

During the iteration procedure of nonlinear harmonic response, the norm of the residual load vector for
the current step is divided by the norm of the residual load vector for the previously converged step; this
value is then compared with NLHTOL. If the value is smaller than NLHTOL, the system is considered
to have converged. (Default is 1.0E-5).
PARAM, NLHTWK, 1.1

In nonlinear harmonic response analysis, if convergence is not obtained, a line search procedure is
initiated to calculate a scaling factor for the displacement vector from which updated nonlinear loads are
subsequently calculated. If the solution fails to converge more than 5 times in succession (modifiable by
PARAM,MXICODE0), a new trial displacement vector is calculated using a push off factor the size of
which is defined by NLHTWK. (Default is 1.1).
Handling Non-Convergence in Nonlinear Harmonic Response

During the ascending or descending sequence of excitation frequencies defined on the NLFREQi entries,
if instability is encountered at a particular frequency, the solution may fail to converge at that frequency.
Non-convergence may be attributed to several causes, and the possibility must always be considered that
there simply is no solution to the system at a particular frequency because the system has become
dynamically unstable.
In most cases of non-convergence not attributed to dynamically unstable conditions, either the number
of harmonics or the sub-harmonic content is insufficient, or the system has reached a bifurcation or
turning point. Try increasing the number of harmonics or sub-harmonics (NLHARM entry) as well as
adjusting the parameters described above. If none of these is successful, the system may have struck a
bifurcation point. Try adjusting the excitation frequencies slightly; for example, if using the following
excitation frequencies 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0…etc., try adjusting these to 5.1, 10.1, 15.1, 20.1. In the
current implementation, there is no automatic treatment for possible bifurcation points and the subject of
using a continuation strategy is under discussion for a future development.
In the case of non-convergence, the response quantities are set to zero, and the calculation continues to
the next excitation frequency in the sequence retaining the initial conditions of the solution from the last
converged frequency. If the solution at the next excitation frequency does not converge, the same
procedure is followed until a converged solution is found.
Analysis Setup
There may come a time when it is judicious to change the initial conditions particularly when the next
excitation frequency becomes distanced from the last converged frequency after a sequence of failed to
converge excitation frequencies. In this situation, where the initial conditions for an excitation frequency
have become somewhat distanced from the previously converged excitation frequency, it may not mean
very much physically to continue to use the initial conditions from that previously converged excitation
frequency.
It would perhaps therefore be favorable to start from zero conditions as always happens for the first
frequency of an analysis starting from scratch. There is some difficulty in deciding how far away from
the previously converged excitation frequency is acceptable to return to zero initial conditions.
No method of resetting initial conditions to zero is programmed as standard, except starting from cold an
analysis with a different frequency specification. For the current implementation, the user must take
action to initiate a strategy.
It is possible that the solution at a particular frequency falls directly on a bifurcation point which creates
a singular problem.
Comments on Nonlinear Forces

As already mentioned, there must be at least one degree of freedom defined on nonlinear force type
entries such as the NLRGAP, NLRSFD and NOLINi entries. If no nonlinear force entries are defined in
the input file, the following message will be issued:
USER FATAL MESSAGE 9187 (SENLHARM)
THERE ARE NO NONLINEAR DEGREES OF FREEDOM FOR NONLINEAR HARMONIC
RESPONSE ANALYSIS
Nonlinear forces may be defined as functions of displacement or velocity depending on the choice of bulk
data entry. The NLRGAP and NLRSFD entries were designed for defining nonlinear forces in a radial
manner in support of rotating structures, but their use is not limited to these cases. The NLRSFD entry
may be used in conjunction with a user defined service (UDS) to define an arbitrary external function to
calculate forces as a function of several different parameters. The NOLINi entries allow tabular
(piecewise) definition of nonlinear forces (NOLIN1), a scaled product of 2 DOFs (NOLIN2), or a power
function in the case of NOLIN3 and NOLIN4.
For tabular input, the interpolation of nonlinear forces does not undergo any smoothing after the values
are read from the force-displacement definition, so sharp changes in their characteristics can cause
convergence difficulties.
184
Analysis Setup
Figure 10-1 Bilinear force interpolation
Figure 10-1 shows a bilinear force-displacement variation for a nonlinear bushing stiffness. In order to
avoid a step change in the definition of the nonlinear force-displacement characteristics, a cubic law may
be used to configure a close match to the bilinear variation using a NOLIN3 and NOLIN4 entry, rather
than defining the bilinear behaviour directly on a NOLIN1 and TABLED1 entry. In some cases, it may
not be possible to do this; in this case, ensure many points are used to define the characteristics on the
TABLED1, seeking gradual changes in characteristics rather than step changes.
Response analysis in the frequency domain involves handling complex quantities to define the real and
imaginary parts of the response. This notion is more easily understood as the magnitude and phase angle
of the response quantities. It must be remembered, however, that nonlinear force definition involves only
real quantities. This is entirely consistent with the way in which the nonlinear harmonic response problem
is solved as the frequency domain (complex) problem is transform to a time domain (real only) problem
by Fourier coefficients in order that an iteration procedure may establish force equilibrium. Once force
equilibrium is established (convergence), the resulting time domain response is then transformed to the
frequency domain using the same Fourier coefficients.
Theoretical Details
Theoretical Details
Harmonic balance intrinsically uses a linear combination of sinusoidal responses to represent the total
response. If the steady-state response consists of just a few dominant sinusoids, which may easily be the
case if the nonlinearities are mild, then harmonic balance is able to represent the periodic response
accurately.
The harmonic balance method converts a system of nonlinear differential equations into a system of
nonlinear algebraic equations, the solution to which is the set of coefficients for the sinusoids making up
the steady-state response. The nonlinear algebraic equations are solved using Newton’s method of
iteration.
The general equation of motion reads:
[M ]{u(t )}+ [B]{u(t )}+ [K ]{u(t )} = {P(t )} (1)

where:
[M] System mass

[B] System damping
[K] System stiffness
{u(t)} Displacement at time t
{ u· ( t ) } Velocity at time t
{ u··( t ) } Acceleration at time t
{P(t)} Applied load at time t
To include nonlinear displacement, velocity, and acceleration dependent properties, these can be added
as nonlinear forces {F (u(t ), u (t ), u (t ) )}nl
[M ]{u(t )}+ [B ]{u (t )}+ [K ]{u (t )}+ {F (u(t ), u (t ), u (t ) )}nl = {P (t )} (2)

Equation (2) can be rewritten as,
R{u (t )} = [M ]{u(t )} + [B ]{u (t )} + [K ]{u (t )} + {F (u(t ), u (t ), u (t ) )}nl − {P(t )} = {0} (3)

If the loading and response are periodic, the above equation can be transformed to the frequency domain.
N
(
R{u (ω n )} n =0 = [M ]{u(ω n } + [B ]{u (ω n )} + [K ]{u (ω n )} + Fˆ (ω n ) { }
nl
)
− {P (ω n )}
N
n =0
= {0}
(4)
186
Theoretical Details
where
ω is 2πf 0 ⁄ ν
f0 is the assumed fundamental frequency of the response
v is the sub-factor for sub-harmonic response
{Fˆ (ω )}n nl
is the Fourier Transform of {F (u(t ), u (t ), u (t ) )}nl
The presence of nonlinear forces requires an iterative procedure to minimize the function R {u (ω n )} . A
common method to solve this type of problem is Newton’s method, but before applying this procedure,
equation is split into real and imaginary parts and written in matrix format.
Newton’s Method uses the following approximation to attempt to solve nonlinear problems,
∂R{u }
R{u + Δu } = R{u }+ {Δu} = {0}
∂{u }
(5)
or
∂R{u}
{Δu} = − R{u}
∂{u} (6)
The solution uses an iterative approach:
1. The harmonic response is converted to a time-domain response.
2. Nonlinear bearing force derivatives are determined using the responses from step 1.
3. The new bearing force derivatives are used to recalculate the harmonic response.
4. This procedure is repeated until the solution converges.
∂R{u}i
{Δu}i +1 = − R{u}i
∂{u} (7)
where
{u}i+1 = {u}i + {Δu}i+1 (8)
Examples
Examples
Example 1
This example from (Zu and Ji, 1998) shows a rotor bearing system (see Figure 10-2) in which an out-of-
balance load excites a rigid overhung disk mounted on a flexible shaft turning in bearings exhibiting
nonlinear stiffness.
Figure 10-2 Rotor Bearing System
The round solid shaft of diameter 0.1 metres is 1.0 metre long and runs in two bearings, one located at
one end of the shaft while the other is positioned just inboard of the disk such that the disk is overhung.
The bearings are mounted on an isolation material that exhibits nonlinear stiffness varying with a cubic
law. The overhung massive rigid disk exhibits a small eccentricity in its mass distribution.
Shaft material properties:
Young’s modulus 2.07E+11 Nm-2

Density 7750 kgm-3
Disk properties:
Mass of disk 2000 kg

Inertia (polar) 200 kgm2
Inertia (diametral) 100 kgm2
Bearing stiffness and damping (symmetrical)
Linear stiffness 1.5E+7 Nm-1

Nonlinear stiffness 3 -3
(d is the value of displacement) 1E+12d Nm
Damping 1.72E+4 Nsm-1
188
Examples
Firstly, the analysis is run in a linear direct frequency response with linear bearing properties. The
analysis is then repeated in the nonlinear harmonic solution sequence, still with linear bearing properties
and the answer is compared. Finally, the nonlinear bearing stiffness properties are added and the response
compared against theory (Zu and Ji, 1998).
Model Data
The bulk data for the model is shown; this data is common to all runs (common.dat).
PARAM,GRDPNT,0
PARAM,COUPMASS,1
$
$ ROTOR
ROTORG,1,1,2,3,4
RGYRO,66,SYNC,1,FREQ
RSPINR,1,1,4,FREQ,1.
GRID,1
GRID,2,,.5
GRID,3,,1.
GRID,4,,.99
CBEAM,1,1,1,2,,1.
CBEAM,2,1,2,4,,1.
CBEAM,3,1,4,3,,1.
PBEAM* 1 1 7.8539820-3 4.9087390-6
* 4.9087390-6 9.8174780-6
+
.68 .68
MAT1,1,2.07+11,,.27,7.75+3
$
$ DISK MASS & INERTIA
CONM2,6,3,,2000.
,200.,,100.,,,100.
$
$ STATOR
GRID,5
GRID,6,,.99
$
$ ROTOR TO STATOR CONNECTION
RBE2,941,5,123456,1
RBE2,953,6,123456,4
$
$ GROUND
GRID,105
GRID,106,,.99
$
$ BEARING DAMPING
CDAMP2,20442,1.72+4,105,2,5,2
CDAMP2,20443,1.72+4,105,3,5,3
CDAMP2,20552,1.72+4,106,2,6,2
CDAMP2,20553,1.72+4,106,3,6,3
$
$ REMOVE SINGULAR DOFS
SPC1,1,14,2,3,5,6
SPC1,1,123456,105,106
Examples
$
$ OUT OF BALANCE FOR ROTOR
UNBALNC,77,2000.,3,,1.
,1.4142-3
Linear Frequency Response – SOL 108

In this first analysis, only the linear stiffness of the bearings is considered. This allows easy comparison
between a linear frequency response in SOL 108 and nonlinear harmonic response (with linear
nonlinearities) in SOL 128.
Here is the case control and additional bulk data required for the linear frequency response.
SOL 108
CEND
LINE=9999999
DISP(SORT2,PHASE)=ALL
SPC=1
RGYRO=66
DLOAD=77
FREQ=88
BEGIN BULK
include ‘common.dat’
$
$ BEARING STIFFNESS
CELAS2,10442,1.5+7,105,2,5,2
CELAS2,10443,1.5+7,105,3,5,3
CELAS2,10552,1.5+7,106,2,6,2
CELAS2,10553,1.5+7,106,3,6,3
$
FREQ1,88,9.549296,.0530516,240
ENDDATA
Linear Frequency Response – SOL 128

In this second analysis, the same problem is now run in nonlinear harmonic response which solves the
problem in an iterative manner.
Here is the case control and additional bulk data required for the linear harmonic response in SOL 128.
SOL 128
CEND
LINE=9999999
SPC=1
RGYRO=66
DLOAD=77
NONLINEAR=1000
NLHARM=2000
BEGIN BULK
$
$ LINEAR BAERING STIFFNESS (HALVED)
CELAS2,10442,7.5+6,105,2,5,2
190
Examples
CELAS2,10443,7.5+6,105,3,5,3
CELAS2,10552,7.5+6,106,2,6,2
CELAS2,10553,7.5+6,106,3,6,3
$
$ LINEAR BEARING STIFFNESS (HALF PROVIDED BY NOLIN1)
NOLIN1,1000,5,2,-1.,5,2,1001
NOLIN1,1000,5,3,-1.,5,3,1001
NOLIN1,1000,6,2,-1.,6,2,1001
NOLIN1,1000,6,3,-1.,6,3,1001
TABLED1, 1001,
, -1.0, -7.5+6, 1.0, 7.5+6, ENDT
$
NLFREQ1,88,9.549296,.0530516,240
NLHARM,2000,1,1,88
$
ENDDATA
For these two linear analyses, the magnitude response of grid point 3 in Y direction is shown in
Figure 10-4.
The linear frequency response curve is hidden by the nonlinear harmonic response curve; this
demonstrates that the linear problem can be solved using the 2 different methods (SOL 108 and 128) and
the response is the same.
Nonlinear Frequency Response – SOL 128

In this third analysis, the cubic nonlinear stiffness of the bearings is added.
Here is the case control and additional bulk data required for the nonlinear harmonic response in SOL
128.
SOL 128
CEND
LINE=9999999
SPC=1
RGYRO=66
DLOAD=77
NONLINEAR=1000
NLHARM=2000
BEGIN BULK
$
$ BEARING STIFFNESS
CELAS2,10442,1.5+7,105,2,5,2
CELAS2,10443,1.5+7,105,3,5,3
CELAS2,10552,1.5+7,106,2,6,2
CELAS2,10553,1.5+7,106,3,6,3
$
$ CUBIC NONLINEAR STIFFNESS (TENSION)
NOLIN3,1000,5,2,-1+12,5,2,3.
NOLIN3,1000,5,3,-1+12,5,3,3.
NOLIN3,1000,6,2,-1+12,6,2,3.
Examples
NOLIN3,1000,6,3,-1+12,6,3,3.
$ CUBIC NONLINEAR STIFFNESS (COMPRESSION)
NOLIN4,1000,5,2,-1+12,5,2,3.
NOLIN4,1000,5,3,-1+12,5,3,3.
NOLIN4,1000,6,2,-1+12,6,2,3.
NOLIN4,1000,6,3,-1+12,6,3,3.
$
$ Spin up
NLFREQ1,88,9.549296,.1591549,240
$ Spin down
$NLFREQ1,88,47.74648,-.1591549,240
NLHARM,2000,1,1,88
$
ENDDATA
The analysis is run in two parts, the first starting from a cyclical frequency of 9.55 Hz (60 radians/second)
with an increasing frequency up to a frequency of 47.7 Hz (300 radians/second); this simulates a spin-up
event where each frequency is considered in its steady state condition. The second part of the analysis
simulates a spin-down event starting from a cyclical frequency of 47.7 Hz with a decreasing frequency.
The magnitude of the Y direction response of GRID point 3 is plotted against rotational frequency with
the resulting two curves:
Figure 10-3 The Y direction response of GRID point 3
Clearly there is a zone of bifurcation just before 23 Hz; that is to say, after 23 Hz, two possible states
exist. In the spin-down case, the solution jumps from one solution to the other and then retraces the spin-
up response curve; an unstable condition exists between these two.
The results are in good agreement with those reported in reference (Zu and Ji, 1998).
192
Examples
Example 2
Use of NLRGAP element
The NLRGAP element can be used to define nonlinear force-displacement relation as a function of
frequency for nonlinear frequency response analysis performed using SOL 128. Brief description of this
feature is given in QRG description of NLRGAP element.
For nonlinear harmonic response either a TABLED1 entry or a TABLED5 entry may be referenced
leading to three possible scenarios:
a. The number entered in the TABK field is a positive integer referencing a TABLED1 entry. In
this case, the pairs of values defined on the TABLED1 entry are frequency vs. gap stiffness.
b. The number entered in the TABK field is a negative integer, the absolute value of which
references a TABLED1 entry. In this case, the pairs of values defined on the TABLED entry
are gap penetration vs. gap force.
c. The number entered in the TABK field is a positive integer referencing a TABLED5 entry. In
this case, the pairs of values defined on the TABLED5 entry are frequency vs. a TABLED1
ID that defines pairs of gap penetration vs. gap force.
Example: Consider the NM rotor used earlier in the analysis.
Figure 10-4 NM rotor used in the analysis
The rotor used in this example problem is shown in Figure 10-4. The unbalance load is defined on the
Grid 41 while the rotor is supported using linear bearings at Grid 91 and Grid 111. For this analysis,
additional nonlinear bearing elements are defined at Grid 91. Nonlinear element used in this analysis is
NLRGAP and it defines nonlinear force-deflection relationship which varies with frequency, see
Figure 10-5. Changes made in the input file to introduce the nonlinear bearing element is described
below:
Examples
Figure 10-5 Nonlinear Force deflection curve as a function of frequency
For this particular case, introduction of the nonlinear NLRGAP elements results in an increase in the
stiffness of support structure. As a result, the peak frequency is shifted to the right, as seen in Figure 10-6.
194
Examples
Figure 10-6 Effect of nonlinearity

Chapter 11: External Superelement Analysis with Rotors
External Superelement Analysis

11 with Rotors
 Introduction 196
 Support for Copy and Move/Mirror Capability for External SEs 197

Sample Problem 199
 Results from External SE Analysis 207
196
Introduction
Introduction
The external superelement (SE) capability involving the use of the EXTSEOUT Case Control command
was added to MSC Nastran in 2004. Since then, this capability has become the most popular and most
widely employed SE usage. The reasons for this are many. First, the feature is fully automated and is easy
to use. Second, the feature allows users to employ SE usage without divulging or sharing proprietary
model, material and geometry details. Finally, when properly used, the capability can result in significant
improvements in productivity and efficiency, particularly when the analysis of large models is involved.
With the enhancements in MSC Nastran 2014, any number of ROTORG, ROTORSE, ROTOR (in fixed
reference) and/or ROTORAX Bulk Data entries that define rotors may be specified in external SEs and
the residual, but Bulk Data entries that pertain to usage of rotors (like RGYRO, RSPINR, RSPINT and
UNBALNC entries) are allowed and processed only in the residual. This design has the advantage that,
once the rotors are defined in the external SEs, different variations of their usage may be accomplished
in the assembly job by having different variations of the RGYRO, RSPINR and/or RSPINT rotor usage
entries. Thus, this design gives the user the freedom to form different rotordynamic configurations in
assembly jobs for performing specific types of analysis like complex eigenvalue analysis or frequency or
transient response analysis.
With the above design, gyroscopic matrices and other rotor related matrices are computed for rotors in
the SE in which they are defined (whether it be an external SE or the residual). Speed factors are applied
to rotor related matrices of all rotors only in the residual. All of these matrices are then combined
appropriately to perform the analysis specified by the user.
The above scenario also introduces another interesting aspect into the design. With the enhancements in
MSC Nastran 2014, it is quite possible that there may very well be rotors with duplicate IDs across
external SEs and the residual. In order to allow for this scenario, rotors whose usage is specified in the
assembly job need to be identified not only by their rotor IDs, but also by the IDs of the SEs in which
they are defined. To facilitate this, a field called ROTRSEID has been added to the existing RGYRO,
RSPINR and RSPINT Bulk Data entries to specify the ID of the SE in which a particular rotor is defined.
Yet another point to consider is that the mass summary information for rotors is generated and output only
in the jobs that define the rotors. Thus, for instance, if there are rotors in both external SEs and the
residual, the assembly job generates and outputs rotor mass summary information only for the rotors
defined in the residual. The mass summary information for the rotors defined in upstream external SEs
is available only in the corresponding external SE creation jobs. The program points this out via an
appropriate user information message in the assembly job if any rotors defined in external SEs are
referenced in the assembly job.
Chapter 11: External Superelement Analysis with Rotors 197
Support for Copy and Move/Mirror Capability for External SEs
Support for Copy and Move/Mirror Capability for

External SEs
There are many practical cases in which we encounter geometrically identical components. Blades of
turbines and engines and many components in airplanes and automobiles are examples of such cases.
When external SEs are employed to represent such components, the copy and move/mirror feature
available since MSC Nastran 2014 allows the user to employ additional copies of an already reduced
external SE (the “primary” SE) in an assembled configuration without having to perform reduction
operations on each of the additional geometrically identical components (the “secondary” SEs). Instead,
the boundary matrices for all of the “secondary” external SEs are obtained automatically via appropriate
internal transformations of the corresponding boundary matrices of the “primary” external SEs.
The following important points should be noted with regard to the usage of the copy and move/mirror
feature:
• The primary SE does not include SEs upstream of the primary SE.
• If the primary SE is a part SE, then the secondary SE is a "G-set" copy of the primary SE. In this
case, the boundary, loads, constraints and reduction procedure of a secondary SE can be different
from those of its primary SE.
• If the primary SE is an external SE resulting from the use of the EXTSEOUT Case Control
command in an earlier job, then the secondary SE is an "A-set" copy of the primary SE. In this
case, the boundary, loads, constraints and reduction procedure of the secondary SE are set and
are the same as those of its primary SE.
• A secondary SE requires the specification of either an SELOC entry or an SEMPLN entry. If an
SELOC entry is specified, then an identical copy of its primary SE will be positioned at the
location implied by the SELOC entry. If an SEMPLN entry is specified, then a mirror image of
the primary SE will be positioned.
• It should be noted that even a primary external SE can be re-positioned in an assembly run by
use of an SELOC or SEMPLN entry.
The above capability greatly enhances user convenience and productivity by eliminating the need to
individually model geometrically identical external SEs and contributes to enhanced efficiency for
performing the analysis of such assembled configurations.
198
Support for Copy and Move/Mirror Capability for External SEs
Figure 11-1 Copy/Move feature in MSC Nastran for superelements

Sample Problem
Sample Problem
Here, a model plane with two identical engines is analyzed where each engine includes two axisymmetric
rotors. In order to compare the results, three different cases are considered as indicated below.
a. Single-shot run: Here, the complete plane with both the engines is analyzed at once, without
the usage of external superelements (see Figure 11-2)
b. External SE assembly run using two external SEs: In this case, the left and right engines are
part of two separate external superelements with IDs of 200 and 400, respectively. The model
used for the creation run of the right engine is shown in Figure 11-3. The model includes both
rotating and non-rotating components. Besides the physical DOFs of the boundary points
shown in Figure 11-3, modal DOFs for the complete model are also used in the analysis
performed in the assembly run.
The model for the assembly run with the left and right engines included as external superelements is
c. External SE assembly run using one external SE and the MIRROR feature: In this case, only
the external SE model for the right engine is used. The left engine is attached to the residual
structure by mirroring the right engine about the mirror plane as shown in Figure 11-5.
Figure 11-2 Model for single-shot run
Figure 11-3 Engine model used for external SE creation run

200
Sample Problem
Figure 11-4 Model with engines as two external SEs
Figure 11-5 Model with left engine obtained using mirror feature
Input File for creation run

Both SOL 101 and SOL 103 can be used for the creation run. Additional features required in different
sections of the input file for creating external SE is described below:
File Management
$ ASSIGN STATEMENTS FOR STORING EXTERNAL MATRICES IN THE OP2 FILE
ASSIGN OUTPUT2='freedom_103a_op2' UNIT=35 DELETE
Case Control
$ INCLUDE THE EXTSEOUT COMMAND
extseout(asmbulk=auto, extbulk, extid=200, dmigop2=35)
Sample Problem
Bulk data Entries
Figure 11-6 ASET and QSET DOFs for the creation run
202
Sample Problem
Successful execution of the input file for creation run generates following files at output
a. *.asm File
This file identifies SE in the model and ID corresponding OP2 file. This file can be included anywhere
in the assembly run. Snapshot of the file is shown in Figure 11-7.
Figure 11-7 Snapshot of the *.asm file

Sample Problem
b. *.pch File
The PCH files includes all the bulk data entries pertaining to the external SE. It identifies external
boundary points, and lists out grid location of all the ASET DOFs to be used in the assembly run.
Information regarding modal DOFs is also included in this analysis. Snapshot of the PCH file is shown
in Figure 11-8
Figure 11-8 Snapshot of the PCH file
c. OP2 file
This file contains all the matrices generated during the creation run.
Assembly Run
The analysis for the assembled structure with all the external SEs created earlier can be performed in any
of the solution sequences where rotors are supported. In order to include an external SE with rotor in the
residual run, following changes need to be made in the assembly run:
File Management section

$ ASSIGN STATEMENTS FOR READING EXTERNAL MATRICES FROM THE OP2 FILE
ASSIGN INPUTT2='freedom_103a_op2' UNIT=35 $
204
Sample Problem
Bulk data Section
Copying an External SE
Copying an external SE created apriori and then relocating it to a different location in the model requires
usage of the SEBULK and SELOC bulk data entries.
SELOC Partitioned Superelement Location
Defines a partitioned superelement relocation by listing three noncolinear points in the superelement
and three corresponding points not belonging to the superelement.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
SELOC SEID PA1 PA2 PA3 PB1 PB2 PB3
Figure 11-9 Snapshot of SELOC entry
In the example shown below, a new external SE with SE ID 4 is created by repeating SE with ID 3. And
then it is repositioned in the model by defining three points (19, 20, and 36) that belong to the SE and
three points (1027, 1028, and 1042) that are part of residual model.
SEBULK,4,REPEAT,3
SELOC,4,19,20,36,1027,1028,1042
Generating mirror image of an external SE

A mirror image of an existing external SE can be created by using combination of SEBULK and
SEMPLN entries. Brief description of the SEMPLN entry is given in Figure 11-10. It requires the user to
list three grids or points that define the plane of symmetry. The user needs to ensure that there exists
Sample Problem
corresponding grid points in the residual model to make the connection between the new external SE and
residual. This connection can be verified by looking at the output in.F06 file, as shown in Figure 11-11.
SEMPLN Superelement Mirror Plane
Defines a mirror plane for mirroring a partitioned superelement.
Format:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
SEMPLN SEID “PLANE” P1 P2 P3
Figure 11-10 Snapshot of the SEMPLN entry
In the example shown below, a mirror image of an existing SE with ID 400 is created using YZ as the
mirror plane.
sebulk,200,repeat,400
sempln,200,plane,800001,800002,800003
POINT 800001 0.00.00.0
POINT 800002 1.00.00.0
POINT 800003 0.00.01.0
Information in the output file

Besides the actual output requested in case control, the external SE assembly run provides information
about the boundary connection and rotors defined in the external SEs, as shown in Figure 11-11 and
Figure 11-12, respectively. Figure 11-11 shows the connection made between the grid points defined in
the assembly (residual) run and grid points defined as part of ASET in the external superelement creation
run. It also lists all the modal DOFs defined in the creation run. User need to ensure that correct
connection has been made between the grid points defined in residual and in EXT SE to obtain correct
results. In case rotors are present in the EXT SE creation run, the .F06 file for the assembly run lists all
the rotors defined in the external superelements as shown in Figure 11-12. Other details related to rotor
mass and spin direction is available in the .F06 file of the creation run.
206
Sample Problem
Figure 11-11 Boundary connection information in .F06 file
Figure 11-12 Rotor information in .F06 file

Results from External SE Analysis

In order to validate the external Superelement analysis, three different types of models described
previously are analyzed using:
i) SOL 107 to obtain complex eigenvalue frequencies;

ii) SOL 108 to obtain frequency response for external applied force, and
iii) SOL 109 to obtain direct transient response.
SOL 107 Results (Complex Eigenvalue Analysis)

The Campbell diagram obtained for the three cases, shown in Figure 11-13, Figure 11-14 and
Figure 11-15, are similar.
Figure 11-13 Campbell diagram for single-shot run (without tracking)

208
Figure 11-14 Campbell diagram for the external SE assembly run with two external SEs
(without tracking)
Figure 11-15 Campbell Diagram for external SE assembly run using mirror feature (without
tracking)
Further comparison is performed for frequencies 1, 5, 9 and 13, as shown in Figure 11-16. The results
obtained in this section demonstrate that the complex eigenfrequencies obtained for each of the three
cases are similar, thus validating the implementation for the external SE analysis.
Figure 11-16 Comparison for different frequencies (with mode tracking)
SOL 108 Results (Direct Frequency Response)

For this analysis, a force of fixed amplitude at varying frequency (same as the rotational speed of the
rotor) is applied to the rotors in the engine and the response at the tip of the right wing and tip of the tail
is observed. The results shown in Figure 11-17 and Figure 11-18 show good agreement between the
results obtained for the three cases.
210
Figure 11-17 Displacement at the tip of the right wing
Figure 11-18 Displacement at the tip of the tail

SOL 109 Results (Direct Transient Response)
As in the previous case, time-dependent forces of fixed amplitude and frequency is applied to
the rotors in the engine whose rotational speed is increasing linearly with time and the
response at the tip of the right wing and tip of the tail is observed. The results obtained for
direct transient response match very well for the three cases considered here (see Figure 11-19
and Figure 11-20).
Figure 11-19 Displacement at the tip of Right wing
Figure 11-20 Displacement at the tip of the tail

212
12 Multiple Rotors In Fixed System

Introduction 214
214
Introduction
Introduction
MSC Nastran supports multiple rotors in an analysis model. They can be all of the same type or different
(ROTORG, ROTORAX, or ROTOR). (In case, the ROTOR entry is used for analyzing a rotating
structure in rotating reference frame, then ROTORAX and ROTORG cannot be used since they are
defined in fixed reference frame.)
For analysis in the fixed reference frame, rotor speed of each rotor can be specified independently. User
has the option to specify rotor speed as a real multiple of the reference rotor`s speed or using a table
lookup. For complex eigenvalue analysis and for frequency response analysis, both asynchronous and
synchronous analysis are supported. For synchronous analysis in SOL 107 and synchronous analysis in
SOL 108 with the GYROAVG option, the rotor speed of each rotor is approximated as linear function of
reference rotor`s speed. For all other cases, actual rotor speed of each rotor is used in the analysis. (See
further details in QRG under the RSPINR entry, or equations in Chapter 7 and Chapter 8)
Example
For the purpose of demonstration, consider a second cantilever rotor defined next to a NM rotor as shown
in Figure 12-1. Here, both the rotors are defined using ROTORG and they are completely independent of
each other.
NM Rotor
Cantilever Rotor
Figure 12-1 Rotor models used for analysis
The second rotor defined above is analyzed first separately using SOL 103 and SOL 107 to determine
real eigenvalues and critical eigenvalues, respectively. The results obtained are shown in Table 12-1.
215
Introduction
Table 12-1 Real and critical eigenvalue for cantilever rotor (Hz)
Mode Real Eigenvalues Critical Frequencies

1 189.91 188.47
2 189.91 191.38
3 1152.22 1088.12
4 1152.22 1222.50
5 1236.60 1236.60
Steps to introduce multiple rotors in the analysis

For each rotor defined in the analysis, corresponding rotor definition card and RSPINR entry need to be
defined. Also, only one RGYRO entry is required in the analysis which identifies reference rotor and
rotor speed for asynchronous analysis.
Case 1: Rotors spinning at same speed
$---------------- ROTOR 1 ---------------------------------------
$ Rotor Dynamics data
ROTORG 1 1 THRU 15
ROTORG 1 41 91 111
RSPINR 1 9 10 RPM 1.
$---------------- ROTOR 2 ------------------------------------------
ROTORG 2 21 THRU 26
RSPINR 2 21 22RPM 1.
In this model, both Rotor 1 and Rotor 2 are defined with Rotor 1 as the reference rotor. When complex
eigenvalue analysis is performed for this model with the SYNC option, following critical speeds are
obtained:
Table 12-2 Critical Frequencies for model with multiple rotors
Mode Frequencies (Hz) Source

1 189.91 Rotor 2
2 189.91 Rotor 2
3 270.30 Rotor 1
4 270.30 Rotor 1
5 795.15 Rotor 1
6 795.15 Rotor 1
7 1025.38 Rotor 1
8 1152.22 Rotor 2
216
Introduction

9 1152.22 Rotor 2
10 1236.60 Rotor 2
Here, the MSC Nastran results do not identify corresponding dominant rotor for the critical frequencies
obtained. However, MSC Nastran provides rotor energies for each mode as shown in Figure 12-2. Based
on this information, the dominant rotor for each critical frequency was identified as shown in Table 12-2 .
Figure 12-2 Rotor energy distribution
In case the rotors are spinning at different rotor speeds, there are two options currently available in MSC
Nastran to provide different rotor speeds as a function of reference rotor spin speed. These options are
shown below:
217
Introduction
Case 2: Rotors spinning at different speed

• Option 1
• Option 2
RSPINR 1 9 10 RPM 11
DDVAL 11 100. 200.
RSPINR 2 21 22 RPM 22
DDVAL 22 200. 400.
In this first option, the speed of second rotor is direct multiple of reference rotor speed. However, in case
option 2, any generic piecewise linear variation can be specified. Critical frequencies obtained for this
case are shown in Table 12-3 and compared with those obtained earlier in Table 12-2. Note that the
critical frequencies of the second rotor have shifted slightly in this case. This is due to the fact the
synchronous analysis is now looking for the frequencies where the rotor speed is half of the structural
frequency. Critical speeds for the reference rotor is the same both cases.
Table 12-3 Results from SOL 107 analysis (SYNC option)
Case 1 Case 2
Mode Frequencies (Hz) Source Frequencies (Hz)
1 188.47 Rotor 2 187.05
2 191.38 Rotor 2 192.88
3 257.31 Rotor 1 257.31
4 284.75 Rotor 1 284.75
5 767.55 Rotor 1 767.55
6 820.14 Rotor 1 820.14
7 1025.38 Rotor 1 1025.38
8 1088.12 Rotor 2 1030.65
9 1222.50 Rotor 2 1088.70
10 1236.60 Rotor 2 1236.60
For the analysis with multiple rotors spinning at different speeds, correct critical frequencies for Rotor 2
can be obtained by performing the synchronous complex eigenvalue analysis again with Rotor 2 as the
reference rotor.
Results obtained for this case are shown in Table 12-4. It should be noted that in this case, the critical
frequencies obtained for Rotor 1 will be incorrect.
218
Introduction
Table 12-4 Reference Rotor: Rotor2
Reference Rotor: Rotor2

1 188.47 Rotor 2
2 191.38 Rotor 2
3 263.63 Rotor 1
4 277.34 Rotor 1
5 781.69 Rotor 1
6 807.96 Rotor 1
7 1025.38 Rotor 1
8 1088.12 Rotor 2
9 1177.44 Rotor 1
10 1222.50 Rotor 2
Complex Frequency Response analysis

MSC Nastran allows the user to specify multiple unbalance loads. These loads can be specified on the
same rotor or on different rotors. Unbalance loads are currently determined based on the reference rotor
speed. Multiple unbalance loads can be specified in the bulk data section in following way:
$ Multiple Unbalance Loads
$ For ROTOR 1
UNBALNC 10 122.68 41 1. 0. 0.
1.-4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000.
$ For ROTOR 2
UNBALNC 10 122.68 26 1. 0. 0.
1.-4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000.
Note that both the unbalance entries have same ID which is referenced by the DLOAD entry in CASE
Control. Also, the user does not need to specify the rotor ID for unbalance loads explicitly. MSC Nastran
automatically identifies rotor for applying unbalance load based on the grid point specified. Unbalance
loads generated due to above bulk data entries and corresponding displacement is shown in Figure 12-3
and Figure 12-4, respectively. The results of displacement in Figure 12-4 show peaks at the forward whirl
critical speed for each of the rotor, as obtained earlier in Table 12-2.
219
Introduction
Figure 12-3 Unbalance loads on the two rotors
Figure 12-4 Displacement due to unbalance loads (undamped case)
Transient Analysis
MSC Nastran supports transient analysis with multiple rotors operating at different rotor speeds. In this
analysis, no approximation is made for determining the rotor speeds. Multiple unbalance loads or any
220
Introduction
kind of external loads can be applied to the rotating or non-rotating components of the model. Changes
to be made in the input file to model multiple rotors are described below.
Case Control Section

In case control, the RYGRO entry is specified. It also includes set of EPOINTS which store force output
from the unbalance loads and variation of rotor speed with time. Output from EPOINTS can be extracted
using SDISP.
RGYRO = 10
TSTEP = 1
SET 99 = 41,26
SET 98 = 92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99
DISP(SORT2,PHASE)=99
OLOAD(SORT2,PHASE)=99
NLLOAD(SORT2,PHASE)=99
SDISP(SORT2) = 98
Bulk Data Section

Rotor speed for each of the rotors can be specified independently through the RSPINT entry. It also
includes the option to define an EPOINT which can be used to save variation of rotor speed with time at
each time step. In this case, EPOINT 95 and 96 are used to save rotor speed information for rotor 1 and
rotor 2 respectively.
$ Rotors Relative Spin Rates
TABLED1 1
0.0 0.0 0.005 0.0 .5 400. 1000. 400.
ENDT
TABLED1 2
0.0 0.0 0.005 0.0 .5 800. 1000. 800.
ENDT
Unbalance loads are specified in the similar manner as in the frequency response analysis case. The
unbalance entry ID is same as that specified by RGYRO in case control.
$ Multiple Unbalance Loads
$ Rotor 1
UNBALNC 10 122.68 41 1. 0. 0.
1.-5 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000.
92 93 94
$ Rotor 2
UNBALNC 10 122.68 26 1. 0. 0.
1.-5 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000.
97 98 99
EPOINT 92 93 94 95
EPOINT 96 97 98 99
Results obtained for this model are in Figure 12-5, Figure 12-6 and Figure 12-7. The variation of rotor
speed with time is shown in Figure 12-5. For both the rotors, the rotor speed increases linearly with time
till 0.5 seconds and then it stays constant. Maximum speed for rotor 1 is 400 Hz, whereas for rotor 2, it
221
Introduction
is 800 Hz. The loads due to unbalance for the rotor speed variation described earlier is shown in
Figure 12-6. Here, the loads increase with square of rotor speed till 0.5 sec and then it stays constant.
Figure 12-5 Variation of rotor speed with time
Figure 12-6 Unbalance Loads on the two rotors
The displacement produced due to unbalance loads is shown in Figure 12-7. For each of the rotor
maximum response is observed when the rotor speed is near the first forward whirl critical speed. For
rotor 1, maximum amplitude is observed at 0.375 sec where the rotor speed is around 290 Hz. Similarly,
for the second rotor, maximum amplitude is observed at 0.137 sec where the rotor speed is around 200
Hz. Both these frequencies are in the neighborhood of their respective rotor`s first forward whirl critical
speed.
222
Introduction
Figure 12-7 Variation of displacement and rotor speed with time

Chapter A: Nomenclature, Glossary of Terms, and References
Nomenclature, Glossary of
A Terms, and References
 Nomenclature 224
 Glossary of Terms 227

References 229
Nomenclature
Nomenclature
[B] Damping in the model
[BS] Damping due to non-rotating portion of the model (Stator Damping)
[BR] Damping due to rotating portion of the model (Rotor Damping)
[BHS] Hybrid damping for the stator
 BRC  Circulation matrix due to [BR]
 BH RC  Circulation matrix due to [BHR]
[DR] Viscous damping matrix in the rotating system
{FR} External force vector in rotating coordinate system.

{FS} External force vector in fixed coordinate system
[K] Stiffness matrix for the model
[Kc]R Circulation terms due to damping in rotating components
[Kc]S Circulation terms due to damping in fixed components
[KS] Stiffness of the non-rotating portion of the model
[KG] Differential Stiffness due to axial centrifugal load
GR
 K RC  Circulation matrix due to structural damping for rotors
WR 3 
1
 K 4 CR  Circulation matrix due to structural damping for rotors
WR 4 
Chapter A: Nomenclature, Glossary of Terms, and References 225
Nomenclature
[T] Transformation matrix from fixed to rotating coordinate system

[Z] Centrifugal softening matrix
D Dissipative energy
G Structural damping parameters for stator
GR Structural damping parameters for rotor
g Damping Coefficient
g(ω) Complex frequency response
i –1
{ga(p)} Modeshape corresponding to complex eigenvalue p

L Lagrange`s Potential
Id, Ip Diametral and polar moment of inertia
N(t) Nonlinear forces due to bearing elements
p Complex eigenvalue
U System`s Potential Energy
W Work done by non-dissipative forces
W3, W4, WH Parameters for converting structural damping to equivalent viscous damping
for stator
WR3, WR4, WRH Parameters for converting structural damping to equivalent viscous damping
for rotors
u,v Translational velocities in the fixed system in X and Y direction
α, β Parameters determined by a least-mean-square fit of the relative rotor speeds
input on the RSPINR between SPDLOW and SPDHIGH of the reference rotor
α1, α2 Rayleigh Damping Parameters for stator
α1R, α2R Rayleigh Damping Parameters for rotor
Ω Rotor Operating Speed
Rotation and angular velocity about Z axis in the fixed frame
φ , φ
Rotation and angular velocity about X axis in the fixed frame
θ ,θ
ψ ,ψ Rotation and angular velocity about Y axis in the fixed frame
ω X , ωY , ω Z The instantaneous angular velocities about the X , Y and Z (Rotating

coordinate system)
Nomenclature
Derivative with respect to time
Variable defined in rotating coordinate system

Glossary of Terms
Glossary of Terms
Asynchronous Analysis Analysis where the rotor speed is specified by the user and independent of
frequency of excitation of eigenfrequency.
Axisymmetric harmonic Elements defined using Fourier coefficients for rotordynamic analysis,
elements mostly analyzed with harmonic index = 1 for lateral bending.
Campbell Diagram Plot that shows the variation of whirl frequencies with rotor speed.
Centrifugal Softening Reduction in bending stiffness observed when the problem is solved in a
rotating reference frame. It is proportional to the square of rotor speed.
Circulatory matrix Skew symmetric matrix proportional to rotor speed generated when the
damping defined in a rotating reference frame is transferred to a fixed
reference frame and vice versa, added to stiffness matrix [K].
Coriolis Matrix Skew symmetric matrix proportional to rotational speed for analysis in a
rotating reference frame, added to damping matrix [B].
Critical Speed Rotational speeds at which vibration due to rotor unbalance is a local
maximum.
It can also be defined as a rotational speed of the system when a multiple of

rotor speed coincides with one of the system's natural frequencies.
Differential/Geometric Additional stiffness due to axial centripetal force in a rotating reference
Stiffness frame.
External Damping Damping associated with the stator when problem is analyzed in fixed
reference frame.
Gyroscopic Matrix Skew symmetric matrix proportional to rotational speed for analysis in a
fixed reference frame, added to damping matrix [B].
Internal Damping Damping associated with the rotor when problem is analyzed in fixed
reference frame.
Mode Tracking For Campbell diagram plotting, it is useful to track rotor modes in case the
eigenvalues of the modes change order.
Reference Rotor Rotor specified in the RGYRO entry, in case multiple rotors are present in
the analysis.
Rotor Unbalance When the rotor mass centerline does not coincide with its rotational axis,
then mass unbalanced inertia related rotating forces occur.
Glossary of Terms
Rotor Whirl Planar motion of a rotor is called a whirling motion or a whirl.
Backward Whirl: Here, the rotor whirl direction is opposite to that of the
applied angular velocity.
Forward Whirl: Here, the rotor assembly whirls in the same direction as the
applied angular velocity.
Synchronous Analysis Analysis where rotor speed is same as the actuation frequency (for
frequency response analysis) or same as the eigenfrequency (for complex
eigenvalue analysis)
References
References
Adams, M. L., Padovan, J., & Fertis, D. G. (1982). Engine dynamic analysis with general nonlinear finite-
element codes, Part 1: Overall approach and development of bearing damper element. Journal of
Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 104(3), 586-593.
Branagan, L. A., Barrett, L. E., & Cloud, C. H. (). A manual for use with tilting pad bearing program
THPAD. University of Virginia, Romac Report, (284).
Bellinger, D. (1985), Dynamic Analysis by the Fourier Transform Method with MSC.Nastran,
Proceedings 1995 MSC World Users' Conference.
Dimarogonas, Andrew D., Stefanos A. Paipetis, and Thomas G. Chondros. (2013) Analytical methods in
rotor dynamics. Springer Science & Business Media.
Friswell, M. I., Penny, J. E. T., Garvey, S. D. and Lees, A. W. (2010). Dynamics of rotating machines.
Cambridge University Press.
Genta, Giancarlo (2007). Dynamics of rotating systems. Springer Science & Business Media.
Geradin M. and Kill N., (1984), “A new Approach to Finite Element Modeling of Flexible Rotors. “
Engineering Computations, Vol. 1, 52-64.
Harris, C. M. (1987), Shock and Vibration Handbook, Page 4-8, 3rd Edition, McGraw Hill
Jeffcott, H. H. (1919). XXVII. The lateral vibration of loaded shafts in the neighbourhood of a whirling
speed.—The effect of want of balance. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and
Journal of Science,37(219), 304-314.
Kumar, M. Santhosh (2011). “Rotor dynamic analysis using ANSYS.” IUTAM Symposium on Emerging
Trends in Rotor Dynamics. Springer Netherlands.
MSC Nastran Dynamic Analysis Users Guide, Version 2016 (2016), MSC Software, Newport Beach, Los
Angeles, CA.
MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide, Version 2016 (2016), MSC Software, Newport Beach, Los
Angeles, CA.
MSC Nastran Reference Manual, Version 2016 (2016), MSC Software, Newport Beach, Los Angeles,
CA.
MSC Nastran Superelements User’s Guide, Version 2016 (2016), MSC Software, Newport Beach, Los
Angeles, CA.
MSC Nastran User Defined Services User`s Guide, Version 2016 (2016), MSC Software, Newport
Beach, Los Angeles, CA.
MSC Nastran SCA Service Guide, Version 2016 (2016), MSC Software, Newport Beach, Los Angeles,
CA.
Nandi, A., and Neogy S., (2001), “Modelling of rotors with three-dimensional solid finite elements.” The
Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design 36(4), 359-371.
References
Nelson, F. C. (2007). Rotor dynamics without equations. International Journal of COMADEM, 10(3), 2.
Nelson, H. D. and Vaugh, J. M. (1976), “The Dynamics of Rotor-Bearing Systems Using Finite
Elements”, Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering 98(2), 593-600.
Rao, J. S. (2011) History of rotating machinery dynamics. Vol. 20. Springer Science & Business Media.
Seshu, P. (1997) “Substructuring and component mode synthesis.” Shock and Vibration 4.3 Pages: 199-
210.
Shanmugam A., Padmanabhan C., (2006), “A fixed–free interface component mode synthesis method
for rotordynamic analysis”, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Volume 297, Issues 3–5, Pages 664-679.
Stephenson R. W., Rouch K. E. and Arora R., (1989), “Modelling of Rotors with Axisymmetric Solid
Harmonic Elements” Journal of Sound and Vibration 131(3), 431-443.
Ushida, A. and Chua, L.O. (1984), Frequency-domain analysis of nonlinear circuits driven by multi-tone
signals, IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst., Vol. CAS-31, pp. 766-778
Vollan, Arne, and Louis Komzsik (2012). Computational techniques of rotor dynamics with the finite
element method. CRC Press.
Vance, John M., Fouad Y. Zeidan, and Brian Murphy. (2010) Machinery vibration and rotordynamics.
John Wiley & Sons.
Vollan, Arne, and Komzsik, L. (2012). Computational Techniques of Rotor Dynamics with the Finite
Element Method. CRC Press.
Wagner M. B., Younan A., Allaire P., and Cogill R., (2010) “Model Reduction Methods for Rotor
Dynamic Analysis: A Survey and Review,” International Journal of Rotating Machinery, vol. 2010, 17
pages.
Zu, J.W. and Ji, Z.Y. (1998) "Steady-State Response of Continuous Nonlinear Rotor-Bearing Systems
Using Analytical Approach", Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, ASME, 120, pp 751 -
758.
Axisymmetric Harmonic
B Elements for Rotordynamic
Analysis
 Introduction 232
 Element Details 233
232
Introduction
Introduction
In the MSC Nastran 2013.1 release, axisymmetric harmonic elements were introduced for rotordynamic
analysis. For this purpose, two new axisymmetric harmonic elements are developed: CQUADX and
CTRIAX. These are similar to solid elements since the degrees of freedom are displacements (not
rotations). The CQUADX element has four vertex points and up to four (optional) mid edge points. The
CTRIAX element has three vertex points and up to three (optional) mid edge points. These elements
resemble the existing shell elements available in MSC Nastran (MSC Nastran Reference Manual, 2014)
but refer to the PAXSYMH card to define material properties.
A detailed description about dynamics of rotors and finite element discretization using axisymmetric
harmonic elements is provided in Geradin and Kill (1984) and Stephenson et. al (1989). In this appendix,
additional details related to implementation inside MSC Nastran are provided. The process used for
developing axisymmetric finite element models from an axisymmetric 3-D solid structure is shown in
Finite element modeling using axisymmetric harmonic elements.
233
Element Details
Element Details
Figure B-1 Finite element modeling using axisymmetric harmonic elements
Axisymmetric harmonic element analysis is performed in a cylindrical coordinate system. In the

following, “x” is the radial coordinate, “y” is the axial coordinate, and “θ” is the azimuthal angle in an
element coordinate system. Grid points lie in the (x,y) plane with “x” greater than or equal to zero, as
shown in Finite element modeling using axisymmetric harmonic elements. An error check is performed
inside the code to ensure that the axisymmetric rotor model being analyzed does not violate this
requirement.
Let {r, y, θ}T represent the position vector for a grid point in the cylindrical coordinate system (r=radial,
y=axial, and θ=azimuthal). The displacements at a grid point using Fourier coefficients can be written
as:
where, “n” is the harmonic index and “θ” is the azimuthal angle. In this manner, non-axisymmetric
solutions may be found for axisymmetric structures. For linear analysis, the harmonics are not coupled,
and the harmonic analysis finds the solution for a single specified “n”. The value for “n” may be 0, 1, 2,
3, …. For rotordynamic problems, n = 1 is used for lateral-bending analysis and n = 0 is used for
axial/torsion analysis. The solution variables are not local displacements, but coefficients of either or. For
the Ur and Uy displacements, the coefficients of represent solutions symmetric about the (x,y) plane while
the coefficients of represent solutions anti-symmetric about the (x,y) plane. For n = 0, and are used for
expansion and is used for torsion; is uncoupled from the other two.
For rotordynamic analysis, bending deformation that corresponds to n = 1 is sufficient to capture the
gyroscopic effects. For harmonic n = 1, the simplified equations are:
234
Element Details
The strain displacement law for axisymmetric harmonic elements is given by:
 d 
 dr 0 0 
 
 0 d
0 
 ε rr   dy 
ε   
 rr   1 0
1 d  U
 r
ε   r dθ   
ε =  θθ  =  r  U y 
 ε rr   d d
0  U θ 
ε yy   dy dr 
   
ε θ r   0 1 d d 
 r dθ dr 
1 d d 1
 0 − 
 r dθ dr r 
This expression is used to determine the stiffness matrix for these elements.
The element displacement vector at each node can be written as:
For interpolation, standard Lagrangian shape functions [N] can be used. Using these shape functions, the
displacements can be written as:
where i = number of nodes in the element.

Based on the kinetic energy expression (Geradin and Kill, 1984), the element mass matrix is the
following:
The gyroscopic matrix for the element is given by:

235
Element Details
where
Each submatrix gi,j is the following:
gi,j =
The material properties may be isotropic or anisotropic, and they can also be temperature dependent. The
material temperature is assumed to be axisymmetric. If an anisotropic material is used, it is required that
the material be axisymmetric. Material damping is also supported in the analysis.
Constraints/Boundary Conditions
A configuration consisting of the new axisymmetric harmonic elements need not always define a rotating
structure. It could very well define a stationary structure like the casing of an engine or a water tank. A
point is defined to be on the axis of symmetry if its “X” coordinate is less than 1.E-4 from the axis of
symmetry (see Finite element modeling using axisymmetric harmonic elements). Points on the axis of
symmetry require special constraints to ensure continuity of displacements. These constraints are
automatically supplied by the program. For externally applied forces and thermal loads, it is necessary to
be consistent with the convention used for matrices. The stiffness, mass and gyroscopic matrices are for
2π radians.
The new axisymmetric harmonic elements may share grid points with other spring and damper elements.
However, much care is needed. This connection is made between the harmonic displacement components
of the axisymmetric harmonic elements and the global displacement components of other elements. The
usage of the new connector element RBAX3D to make connections to a 3-D grid point is recommended.
The new RBAX3D connector helps to connect points of the axisymmetric harmonic elements to regular
3-D points on the axis of symmetry. This has only been implemented for harmonic n=1and n=0.
236
Element Details
Multi-point constraints may also be used with axisymmetric harmonic elements. Rigid body elements are
generally not compatible with these elements since rotation degrees of freedom are not used. However,
they can be used for the special case when there are two coincident grid points (no offset).
Chapter C: User Defined Subroutines Using CBUSH2D
User Defined Subroutines Using

C CBUSH2D

Analysis in Windows Machine 238

Analysis on Linux 246
238
Analysis in Windows Machine

This appendix describes steps involved in defining a user defined subroutine for usage in CBUSH2D
entry.
Test machine Windows 7 Professional, DELL PRECISION M 4700

Requirements • Windows MSC Nastran ver_num i4/i8 version
• SDK folder in: C:\MSC.Software\SDK\ver_num
Steps to modify the external CBUSH2D

1. Copy the implementation folder from the installation directory:
C:\MSC.Software\MSC_Nastran\ver_num \util_ver \nast\services\Implementations
(Available with standard MSC Nastran download)
To
E:\test_cbush2d
(You can put the implementation folder anywhere you prefer, if you do, modify the commands
appropriately)
2. Also you need to copy the three files SConopts,SConscript,SConstruct to the same folder as
E:\test_cbush2d
3. Put the buildit.bat into the same location as E:\test_cbush2d
4. Modify the buildit.bat so that the scons is pointing from:
C:\MSC.Software\SDK\ver_num \Tools\scons (for i4)
C:\MSC.Software\SDK\ver_num\Tools\sconsi8 (for i8)
(or the correct directory on your computer)
Chapter C: User Defined Subroutines Using CBUSH2D 239
The following is the contents of buildit.bat

----------------------------
setlocal
rem
rem batch file to build a SCA object
rem in order to build,
rem after unzipping the zip file.
rem *replace C:\SCA_Example\solver_SDK with the directory you put
the files in and run this file.
rem * replace scons with sconsi8 for mode=i8
rem if desired, specify different locations for apps_local and
sca_object
rem
C:\MSC.Software\SDK\20141\Tools\scons %*
APPS_LOCAL=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local
SCA_OBJECT=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk
Endlocal
--------------------------------
5. We can now modify the source code:
E:\test_cbush2d\Implementations\Elements\src\cbush2d\ext_cbush2d.F
Please note that the source file must be in the implementation folder.
6. We can build the object at E:\test_cbush2d
Open a DOS prompt at this location, and type: buildit cbush2d
Therefore we are only creating the object cbush2d at the APPS_LOCAL at
E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\WIN8664\lib\SCA\MDSolver\Obj\Uds\Elements (for i4)
E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\WIN8664I8\lib\SCA\MDSolver\Obj\Uds\Elements (for i8)
You can see the cbush2d.dll there. Make sure that the cbush2d.dll has the correct time when you
execute the buildit script.
240
7. In order to run MSC Nastran using your dll, it is recommend that you use a bat file to set the SCA
environment variables, and also point to the MSC Nastran exe correctly.
8. The following bat file is used: run_test.bat
For i4
set SCA_SERVICE_CATALOG=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\res\SCAServiceCatalog.xml
set SCA_RESOURCE_DIR=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\res
set SCA_LIBRARY_PATH=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\WIN8664\lib
set SCA_KERNEL_DEBUG=SvcLoad=all,ShrLibLoad=all,SvcTableDump=all,SvcCatalogDump=
allcall C:/MSC.Software/MSC_Nastran/20141_I4/bin/nastranw.exe beam_108_cbush2d old=no
scr=yes notify=no
For i8
set SCA_SERVICE_CATALOG=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\res\SCAServiceCatalog.xml
set SCA_RESOURCE_DIR=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\res
set SCA_LIBRARY_PATH=E:\test_cbush2d\sdk\apps_local\WIN8664I8\lib
set SCA_KERNEL_DEBUG=SvcLoad=all,ShrLibLoad=all,SvcTableDump=all,SvcCatalogDump=all
call C:\MSC.Software\MSC_Nastran\20160_I8\bin\nast20160.exe beam_108_cbush2d old=no
scr=yes notify=no
Name of the BAT file: run_test.bat. Make sure that your library path, and the MSC Nastran exe is at the
correct path.
In the DOS prompt you can type: run_test
Modifying ext_cbush2d.F
The information provided in the ELEMUDS is made available to ext_cbush2d.F through the following
arrays:
iarray : for integers
rarray : for real numbers
ciarray: for characters
Output produced by cbush2d routine are:

2x2 stiffness matrix (KXX, KYX, KXY and KYY)
2X2 damping matrix (CXX, CYX, CXY and CYX)
The input variable “freqva” corresponds to the frequency currently being used in the analysis. The code
inside ext_cbush2D.F can be customized to generate 2x2 stiffness and damping matrices for the current
frequency “freqva” using the inputs provided through ELEMUDS.
Example
Spring stiffness that needs to be included in the analysis:
Frequency(f) KXX KYX KXY KYY
f=0 3.503e7 8.756e6 8.756e6 3.503e7
0 < f ≤ 45. 3.503e7 8.756e6 8.756e6 3.503e7
45 < f ≤ 85. 4.503e7 7.756e6 7.756e6 4.503e7
85 < f ≤ 115. 5.503e7 6.756e6 6.756e6 5.503e7
f > 115. 6.503e7 5.756e6 5.756e6 6.503e7
CXX=CYX=CXY=CYY=0
Changes required to input test deck and ext_cbush2d.F to obtain this distribution is described
below:
a. Changes in input file:
File management statement:
CONNECT SERVICE TESTF 'SCA.MDSolver.Obj.Uds.Elements.cbush2d'
In Bulk data:
CBUSH2D 16 1000 911 912 XY
PBUSH2D 1000 0.0 0.0
ELEMUDS 1000 PBUSH2D TESTF cbush2d FREQ
real 0.0 3.503+7 8.756+6 8.756+6 3.503+7 0.00.0
0.0 0.0 45.4.503+7 7.756+6 7.756+6 4.503+7
0.00.00.00.0 85.5.503+7 6.756+6
6.756+6 5.503+7 0.00.00.00.0115.
6.503+7 5.756+6 5.756+6 6.503+7 0.00.00.0
0.0
b. ext_cbush2D.F
subroutine ext_cbush2d(freqva, iarray, rarray, ciarray, kxx, kyx,
& kxy, kyy, cxx, cyx, cxy, cyy, len_iarray, len_rarray,
& len_carray, elid, error_code)
implicit none
integer, intent(in) :: len_iarray, len_rarray, len_carray, elid

integer, intent(out) :: error_code
real, intent(in) :: freqva
real(8), intent(out) :: kxx, kyx, kxy, kyy, cxx, cyx, cxy, cyy
integer, intent(in), dimension(len_iarray) :: iarray

real, intent(in), dimension(len_rarray) :: rarray
integer, intent(in), dimension(len_carray) :: ciarray
242
character(len=4) :: carray
integer err
integer :: scaReturn
integer i
integer, external :: printf06
if (len_carray > 0) carray = transfer(ciarray, carray)
err = printf06("hello worldyy")
write(6,*) 'ext_cbush2d top: freqva', freqva
write(6,*) 'len_iarray, len_rarray',len_iarray,len_rarray
write(6,*) (rarray(i), i=1,len_rarray)
if (freqva.eq.rarray(1)) then
c
c nominal frequency call
c
scaReturn = printf06('nominal call')
kxx = rarray(2)
kyx = rarray(3)
kxy = rarray(4)
kyy = rarray(5)
cxx = rarray(6)
cyx = rarray(7)
cxy = rarray(8)
cyy = rarray(9)
else if (freqva.le.rarray(10)) then
c frequency dep call
c
scaReturn = printf06('freq dep call')
kxx = rarray(2)
kyx = rarray(3)
kxy = rarray(4)
kyy = rarray(5)
cxx = rarray(6)
cyx = rarray(7)
cxy = rarray(8)
cyy = rarray(9)
kxx = rarray(11)
kyx = rarray(12)
kxy = rarray(13)
kyy = rarray(14)
cxx = rarray(15)
cyx = rarray(16)
cxy = rarray(17)
cyy = rarray(18)
kxx = rarray(20)
kyx = rarray(21)
kxy = rarray(22)
kyy = rarray(23)
cxx = rarray(24)
cyx = rarray(25)
cxy = rarray(26)
cyy = rarray(27)
else if (freqva.gt.rarray(28)) then
kxx = rarray(29)
kyx = rarray(30)
kxy = rarray(31)
kyy = rarray(32)
cxx = rarray(33)
cyx = rarray(34)
cxy = rarray(35)
cyy = rarray(36)
endif
write(6,*) 'inside EXT_CBUSH2D'

write(6,*) 'Dimensional Stiffness (lb/in):(KXX,KYX,KXY,KYY)'
write(6,'(ES10.3E1)')KXX,KYX,KXY,KYY
write(6,*) 'Dimensional Damping (lb*s/in):(CXX,CYX,CXY,CYY)'
write(6,'(ES10.3E1)') CXX,CYX,CXY,CYY
end subroutine ext_cbush2d
Example
In order to verify if the code works as expected, analysis is performed using SOL 107 and SOL 108 and
results obtained are compared with those obtained for a test deck using DMIG entries.
a. SOL 107
For the SOL 107 analysis, the spring and damping stiffness corresponding to f = 0 Hz are used in the
analysis.
Corresponding DMIG entries in beam_107_sync_dmig.dat
DMIG STIF 0 1 1
DMIG STIF 91 1 91 1 3.503+7
91 2 8.756+6
DMIG STIF 91 2 91 1 8.756+6
91 2 3.503+7
Test deck with CBUSH2D used for comparison is: beam_107_sync_cbush2d.dat
244
Identical results are obtained for critical frequencies using both the decks, as shown below.
b. SOL 108
Frequency range used for the analysis:
FREQ1 100 30.0 10.0 10
In order to compare the results, four different test cases are used with varying spring stiffnesses set up
using DMIG entries.
Test Deck KXX KYX KXY KYY
beam_108_dmig1.dat 3.503e7 8.756e6 8.756e6 3.503e7
a. Comparison with beam_108_dmig1.f06
Here, results match for 30 and 40 Hz frequencies.

b. Comparison with beam_108_dmig2.f06
Here, results match for 50, 60, 70 and 80 Hz frequencies.
c. Comparison with beam_108_dmig3.f06
Here, results match for 90, 100 and 110 Hz frequencies.

d. Comparison with beam_108_dmig4.f06
Here, results match for 120 and 130 Hz frequencies.

246
Analysis on Linux
Analysis on Linux
Requirements:
1. MSC Nastran ver_num i4/i8 version
2. SDK installation is separate and must be installed. Installer is a common installer for both i4 and
i8 versions. In this example as shown below it is installed in /scratch/ssp/sdk_ver_num . And we
have used the i4 version. Make a note of the Tools Folder. The scons and sconsi8 executable
resides here.
Compiling external CBUSH2D

1. Copy the services folder from the MSC Nastran installation directory to a local directory.
This example has copied them to /scratch/ssp/services. If builds for both i4 and i8 are needed then
this process should be followed for each architecture in separate services directories.
Following shows the MSC Nastran installation where services directory can be found.
Only files pertaining to CBUSH2D under the elements subdirectories need to be present. Others can be
deleted. This will improve the compilation time.
Analysis on Linux
Your directory structure should look similar to images shown below.
Your directory structure should look similar to images shown below.
2. Change over to src directory where the routine is located. (shown in image below.)
3. We can now modify the source code:ext_cbush2d.F

Please leave the source file in this directory. Scons will automatically recognize it and
compile/link it when scons is run in step5.
4. After modifying the routine switch the directory to root level where services are installed. In this
example /scratch/ssp/services is being used.
5. To compile and link the routine to MSC Nastran issue the scons command
248
Analysis on Linux
For the i4 version: /scratch/ssp/sdk_ver_num Tools/scons > scons.log.

For the i8 version: /scratch/ssp/sdk_ver_num Tools/sconsi8 > scons.log
This step will go thru and creation of Object and Apps local directories and end with
scons: done building targets.
After the successful build in the services folder other directories would have been created and folder will
look as follows.
Environment variables to this path must be setup prior to the running MSC Nastran.
You can see the libcbush2d.so in the following directory for mode=i4:
/scratch/ssp/services/LX8664_SERVICES_OPT/Implementations/Elements/src/cbush2d.
For mode = i8, libcbush2d.so is available in:
/scratch/ssp/services/ LX8664I8_RHE63/Implementations/Elements/src/cbush2d
6. Following SCA environment variables needs to be set prior to running the MSC Nastran.
Depending on the shell being used following environment variables should be set.
Following is the example using csh.
For i4
Analysis on Linux
setenv SCA_SERVICE_CATALOG
/scratch/ssp/services/Apps/res/SCAServiceCatalog.xml
setenv SCA_RESOURCE_DIR /scratch/ssp/services/Apps/res
setenv SCA_LIBRARY_PATH /scratch/ssp/services /Apps/LX8664_RHE63/lib
For i8
setenv SCA_SERVICE_CATALOG
/scratch/ssp/services/Apps/res/SCAServiceCatalog.xml
setenv SCA_RESOURCE_DIR /scratch/ssp/services/Apps/res
setenv SCA_LIBRARY_PATH /scratch/ssp/services
/Apps/LX8664I8_RHE63/lib
7. After setting the environmental variables MSC Nastran job can be submitted using following
command.
For mode = i4
prod_ver test_cbush2d old=no scr=yes notify=no mode=i4
For mode = i8
prod_ver test_cbush2d old=no scr=yes notify=no mode=i8
Definitions Used in this document

The Rotordynamics guide uses certain definitions to denote installation directories, and product versions
of MSC Nastran.
install_dir The full path to the directory used in the installation

Example: The system RC file is install_dir/conf/nast2016rc.
prod_ver The Product and Version of MSC Nastran
Example: For MSC Nastran 2016 prod_ver=nast2016
ver_num The version number. For MSC Nastran 2016, this is 2016.
util_ver The version number used for building utilities.
Example: For MSC Nastran 2016 util_ver=msc20160
msc_arch The architecture of the platform.
Example: win64i4 for Windows 64 i4 version
Example: linux64i4 for Linux 64 i4 version
250
Analysis on Linux

MSC Nastran Rotor Dynamics Guide PDF

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MSC Nastran 2016

Revision 0. April 12, 2016

List of MSC Nastran Books 9

Training and Internet Resources 11

Basic Concepts of Rotordynamics 16

Overview of MSC Nastran Rotordynamics 25

Equations of Motion in Fixed Reference Frame 29

Equation of Motion in Rotating Reference Frame 33

Final Equations of Motion 36

3 Elements Supported for Rotordynamics Analysis

Case Control Entries 77

Bulk Data Entries 79

6 Rotordynamics with MSC Patran

7 Complex Eigenvalue Analysis for Rotors

Summary for Equation of Motion 142

8 Frequency Response Analysis

Equation used in the Analysis (Reference Frame) 147

9 Transient Response Analysis

Equation of motion 159

Input file for transient analysis 162

Comparison with axisymmetric and 3D rotors 168

Usage of Nonlinear Elements 169

10 Nonlinear Frequency Response

User Interface 176

Analysis Setup 180

Theoretical Details 185

11 External Superelement Analysis with Rotors

Sample Problem 199

Results from External SE Analysis 207

12 Multiple Rotors In Fixed System

A Nomenclature, Glossary of Terms, and References

Glossary of Terms 227

B Axisymmetric Harmonic Elements for Rotordynamic Analysis

Element Details 233

C User Defined Subroutines Using CBUSH2D

Analysis on Linux 246

About this Book

Chapter 1. Introduction to Rotordynamics

Chapter 2. Equations of Motion

Chapter 3. Rotor Modeling

Chapter 4. Damping and Rotor Bearing Models

Chapter 5: Rotor Usage

Chapter 6: Rotordynamics using Patran

Chapter 7: Complex Eigenvalue Analysis

Chapter 8: Frequency response analysis

Chapter 9: Transient response Analysis

Chapter 10: Nonlinear frequency response analysis

Chapter 11: External SE analysis with rotors

Chapter 12: Multiple Rotors

Appendix A. Nomenclature, Glossary of Terms, and References

Appendix B. Element Details for Axisymmetric Harmonic Elements

Appendix C. User Defined Subroutines Using CBUSH2D

MSC Nastran 2004

MSC Nastran 2005 r3

2007 MD Nastran R2.1

2012 MSC Nastran

2013 MSC Nastran

2014 MSC Nastran

2014.1 MSC Nastran

2016 MSC Nastran release

List of MSC Nastran Books

Installation and Release Guides

Training and Internet Resources