This paper is to study how the vibration modes of a cyclic symmetric rotor evolve when it is assembled to a flexible housing via multiple bearing supports. Prior to assembly, the vibration modes of the rotor are classified as “balanced modes” and “unbalanced modes.” Balanced modes are those modes whose natural frequencies and mode shapes remain unchanged after the rotor is assembled to the housing via bearings. Otherwise, the vibration modes are classified as unbalanced modes. By applying fundamental theorems of continuum mechanics, we conclude that balanced modes will present vanishing inertia forces and moments as they vibrate. Since each vibration mode of a cyclic symmetric rotor can be characterized in terms of a phase index (Chang and Wickert, “Response of Modulated Doublet Modes to Travelling Wave Excitation,” J. Sound Vib., 242, pp. 69–83; Chang and Wickert, 2002, “Measurement and Analysis of Modulated Doublet Mode Response in Mock Bladed Disks,” J. Sound Vib., 250, pp. 379–400; Kim and Shen, 2009, “Ground-Based Vibration Response of a Spinning Cyclic Symmetric Rotor With Gyroscopic and Centrifugal Softening Effects,” ASME J. Vibr. Acoust. (in press)), the criterion of vanishing inertia forces and moments implies that the phase index by itself can uniquely determine whether or not a vibration mode is a balanced mode as follows. Let $N$ be the order of cyclic symmetry of the rotor and $n$ be the phase index of a vibration mode. Vanishing inertia forces and moments indicate that a vibration mode will be a balanced mode if $n≠1,N−1,N$. When $n=N$, the vibration mode will be balanced if its leading Fourier coefficient vanishes. To validate the mathematical predictions, modal testing was conducted on a disk with four pairs of brackets mounted on an air-bearing spindle and a fluid-dynamic bearing spindle at various spin speeds. Measured Campbell diagrams agree well with the theoretical predictions.

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