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Chapter 11. BALANCING OF MACHINES
11.1 Introduction
Unbalance is the most common source of vibration in machines with rotating parts. It is
very important factor to be considered in modern machine design, especially where high
speed and reliabilitiy are significant considerations.
Unbalance in a rotor is the result of an uneven distribution of mass, which causes the rotor
to vibrate. Since the mass component rotates, the force also rotates and tries to move the
rotor along the line of action of the force. The vibration will be transmitted to the rotor's
bearings, and any point on the bearing will experience this force once per revolution.
Balancing is the process of attempting to improve the mass distribution of a rotor, so that
it rotates in its bearings without uncompensated centrifugal forces.
11.2 Static and dynamic balancing of rigid rotors
Static balancing
Static balancing apply to a rotor in motion and if the rotor has diameter of more
than 7 to 10 times its width, it is also called a single-plane rotor.
Static unbalance is defined as the eccentricity of the centre of gravity of a rotor,
caused by a point mass at a certain radius from the centre of rotation.
An equal mass, placed at an angle of 180° to the unbalanced mass and at the same
radius, is required to restore the centre of gravity to the centre of rotation.
Static balancing involves resolving primary forces into one plane and adding a
correction mass in that plane only. It can also be done by removing fixed quantities
of material, for example by drilling.
The requirement for static balance is simply that the sum of all forces on the
moving rotor must be zero.
Note that the only forces acting on this system are the inertia forces. For balancing,
it does not matter what external forces may be acting on the system. External forces
cannot be balanced by making any changes to the system's internal geometry.
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Unbalanced masses
The requirement for static balance
Breaking into x and y components
b
And:
Balanced masse
Or by vector equation:
Example:
MR vectors represent inertia forces, they act
radially outward and must be drawn parallel to
the corresponding radii.
The vector MeRe as shown is required to close the
polygon and produce equilibrium.
The magnitude of MeRe, when scaled, is found to
be 369 units.
If it is desired to find the mass Me at a 88.9mm
radius:
e is measured and found to be 2660
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Exercise:
Static balancing machines
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Dynamic balancing
Considering a rotor which has two concentrated masses M1 and M2 lying in different
planes C and D.
Even in the case two masses are equal, the static forces are in balance and also that the
dynamic forces F1 and F2 are equal and thus in balance. However, F1 and F2 produce an
unbalanced couple equal to F1 x a, which will set up reactive forces RA and RB at the
bearings A and B.
The purpose of balancing any rotating equipment is to eliminate or to reduce as much
as possible the forces transmitted to the bearings in order to eliminate vibration. Thus
we see that in balancing a rotating system we must balance not only forces but also
moments.
Illustrating the method for dynamic balancing a rotor
Unbalanced masses M1, M2 and M3 that lie in several transverse planes.
Choose any two transverse reference
planes A and B.
The distance in the axial direction
from plane A to masses M l, M2, M3:
a1, a2, a3.
Distances to the right of plane A are
a2 a3 considered positive (+) and distances
to the left are negative (-). .
Inertia force: F = MR2
Balancing moments about plane A by adding a
mass MB in plane B so that the sum of the
moments about the X axis is zero and the sum of
the moments about the Y axis is zero:
Adding a mass MA in plane A so as to balance all
forces in the X direction and the Y direction:
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Example with the rotor in the previous slide:
If we desire to find the values and angular positions of two masses which, if added
at a 76-mm radius, will balance the system statically and dynamically.
The location of planes A and B shown in the figure have been arbitrarily chosen.
Using the equations mentioned in the previous slide, we can find:
MA = 3.44 kg, A = 237.30
MB = 1.98 kg, B = 37.40
Or by graphical solution:
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Schematic drawing of a pivoted-cradle balancing machine