Gyroscopic Couple

If a uniform disc of polar moment of inertia I is rotated about its axis with an angular velocity , its Angular Momentum is a vector and can be represented in diagram (c), by the line op which is drawn in the direction of the axis of rotation. The sense of the rotation is clockwise when looking in the direction of the arrow.

If now the axis of rotation is precessing with a uniform angular velocity about an axis perpendicular to that of , then after a time , the axis of rotation will have turned through an angle and the momentum vector will be oq. The Gyroscopic Couple is given by:(2)

(3)

The direction of the couple acting on the gyroscope is that of a clockwise rotation when looking in the direction pq. In the limit the direction of the couple is perpendicular to the axe of both and The reaction couple exerted by the gyroscope on its frame is in the reverse sense( It is advisable to draw the vector triangle opq in each case.

Worked Examples
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Example 1: The diagram shows the Gyro unit of an aircraft instrument in which the rotor is carried in a closed casing mounted in bearings so that its axis is normally vertical but free to take up any direction.

The rotor speed is maintained constant in an anti-clockwise direction, when seen from the top, by air jets inside the casing which impinge onto its slotted periphery. The used air may then leave the casing by the four orifices indicated, these are uncovered as required by gravity controlled vanes. If the rotor axis is tilted through an angle in the XOZ plane, explain which orifice must be uncovered so that the reaction from the jet tends to restore the axis to the vertical. If this force is 0.0004 lb. at a distance of 0.825 in. from O and the wheel is equivalent to a uniform solid disc 1.75 in. in diameter weighing 0.3 lb. and running at 9000 r.p.m., find the time required for the axle to return to the vertical is is

The axis of rotation has to precess anti-clockwise about OY when seen from the left. The Gyroscopic torque on the rotor must be anti-clockwise about OX when seen from the right and this can be achieved by opening vent D (4) (5)

Re-arranging to give the angular velocity of precession gives:(6)

(7)

Example 2: A pair of locomotive driving wheels with the axle have a moment of inertia of . The diameter of the wheels is 6 ft.3 in. and the distance between the wheel centres is 5 ft. When the locomotive is traveling at 70 m.p.h. on a level track, defective ballasting causes one wheel to fall and to rise again in a total time of 0.1 sec. If the displacement of the wheel takes place with simple harmonic motion, find the gyroscopic reaction on the locomotive.

The rail is in effect acting as a cam with the wheel as the follower. As the motion is simple harmonic the displacement is given by:(8)

Note. For the justification of the above equation see "The theory of Machines - Cams equation (1) (9)

(10)

The maximum velocity of precession of the axle is given by:(11)

The angular velocity of the wheels and axle:(12)

(13)

Example 3: A pair of flanged wheels 4 ft. in diameter, mounted on an axle, roll along rails spaced 5 ft. apart and at the same level and around a curve of 500 ft. mean radius, at a speed of 40 m.p.h. Each wheel is assumed to be a thin disc weighing 600 lb. Determine the vertical force between each wheel and the rail allowing for both centrifugal and gyroscopic effects and also the horizontal force assuming this to be at the outer rail.

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17) i.e. clockwise about qp as shown in the diagram.

(18)

= 51.4lb. which is positive at the outside wheel and negative at the inside. (19)

(20) This produces an equal horizontal reaction at the outside rail and a couple of which tends to over turn the wheels. This is balanced by vertical reactions at each wheel of 514/5 =102.8 lb. These are positive at the outside and negative at the inside. Hence the total vertical reaction at the inside wheel is:(21) (22)

The horizontal force at the outer rails = the centrifugal force = 257 lb. Example 4: The turbine rotor of a ship weighs 6 tons and has a radius of gyration of 19.5 in. It rotates at 1800 r.p.m. clockwise when looking forward from the stern. Determine the gyroscopic effects set up if:(a) The ship , when traveling at 15 knots, steers to the left in a curve of 200 ft. radius. (b) The ship is pitching and the bow is descending with its maximum velocity. The pitching is simple harmonic, the periodic time is 20 sec. and the total angular movement between extreme positions is (c) The ship is rolling and at a certain instant has an angular velocity of 0.02 radians per second clockwise when looking from the stern. In each case explain clearly how you determine the direction in which the ship tends to move as a result of the gyroscopic action. (U.L.) Note One ton = 2240 lb. : One Knot = one nautical mile per hour = 6080 ft. per hour. (23)

(24)

(a) (25)

(26)

(27) In the following diagram op and oq represent the angular momentum, over a short interval of

time as the ship turns left. i.e. a clockwise rotation. The direction of the reaction couple is clockwise about qp i.e. looking from the inside of the curve, and will tend to lif the bows. (b) (28)

Differentiating and equating to zero for the maximum velocity of pitch. (29)

(30) If op and oq are now taken to be in a vertical plane with oq below op ( bows descending), the gyroscopic effect is clockwise about qp (i.e. looking vertically upwards) tending to turn the ship to the left. (c) None, since the axes of roll and the rotor are the same. Example 5: (a) A motor car takes a right hand bend of 100 ft. radius at a speed of 40 m.p.h. . Determine the magnitude of the centrifugal and gyroscopic couples acting on the vehicle and state the effect that each of these has on the road reactions of the road wheels. Assume that:-

Each road wheel has a moment of inertia of and an effective radius of 15 in. The rotating parts of the engine and transmission are equivalent to a flywheel weighing 140 lb. with a radius of gyration of 4 in. The engine turns in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front. The back axle ratio is 4 to 1, the drive through the gear box is direct. Also the gyroscopic effects of the half shafts at the back axle are to be ignored. The car weighs 2500 lb. and its centre of gravity is 24 in. above the road.

(b) If the turn had been in a left-hand direction, and all other details had remained the same, which answers, if any, would need to be modified. (U.L.)

(31)

(32)

This increases the reaction on the outer wheels and decreasing those on the inside. (Compare this with example 3) For the wheels:(33)

(34)

(35)

This has the same effect as the centrifugal couple. For the engine (36) (37) (38)

This will increase the reaction on the rear weels and decrease those on the front. (Compare this with example 4 part (a))

(b) The first two effects remain the same (i.e.relative to the inside of the bend), but the gyroscopic effect of the engine will now increase the reaction on the front wheels and decrease those on the rear. Example 6: A uniform beam of weight 4 lb and length 2 ft. rotates in a vertical plane about its mid point with an angular velocity of 65 rad./sec. Its axis of rotation is precessed in the horizontal plane with an angular velocity of 10 rad./sec. (a) Calculate the value of the gyroscopic torque when the beam is at an angle to the horizontal. (b) Sketch the graph connecting gyroscopic torque with for angles from 0 to (U.L.)

Diagram (a) shows the position of the beam at a particular instant. OZ is the axis of rotation and OY the axis of precession.

A particle of mass

at a distance r from O will have the following components of acceleration:-

Centripetal due to the rotation about OZ of towards O centripetal due to the rotation about OY of perpendicular to OY Coriolis due to the velocity parallel to OX and the precession of to OZ.

parallel

It is the last of these components of acceleration which produces the gyroscopic torque about OX. (39)

(40)

(41)

(42) Note that there are also torques produced about the other axes but a more general method of analysis will now be given. The principal axes are OU, OV. and OZ and the moments of inertia about these axis are , 0 and respectively. The angular moments about these axes are , 0, and . if , and are the angular moments about OX, OY, and OZ, then these are obtained by resolving the principal angular momenta. i.e. (43) (44) (45) The torques about the three axes are then given by the rate of change of angular momenta i.e. (46)

(47)

(48)

Where

and

, these being the angular velocities of the axes (49) (50) (51)

which precess with the beam. Note that

The variations of these torques between

are shown on the diagram.

Effect of the Gyroscopic Couple on an ship and Aeroplane :Ships and aeroplanes consist of large moment of inertia propeller and fly wheels. In the case ships the fly wheel must be mounded such that the spinning axis is along the length. In the case of ships the engine is mounded on the rear side, whereas for aeroplanes the high moment of inertia propellers are on the front. Therefore the gyroscopic couples are in reverse order.

1. When the engine or propeller of aeroplane rotates in anticlockwise direction when viewed from the rear or tail end and the aeroplane takes a left turn, then the effect of reactive gyroscopic couple will be to dip the nose and raise the tail of the aeroplane. 2. When the aeroplane takes a right turn under similar conditions above, the effect of reactive gyroscopic couple will be to raise the nose and dip the tail of the aeroplane. 3. When the ship steers to the right under similar conditions as discussed above, the effect of the reactive gyroscopic couple will be to raise the stern and lower the bow. 4. When the rotor rotates in the anticlockwise direction, when viewed from the stern and the ship is steering to the left, then the effect of reactive gyroscopic couple will be to lower the bow and raise the stern.