Title: Rotating shafts affected by transverse cracks: experimental behaviour and modelling techniques

Authors: N. Bachschmid, P. Pennacchi, E. Tanzi

Addresses: Department of Mechanics, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 34, 20156, Milan, Italy. ' Department of Mechanics, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 34, 20156, Milan, Italy. ' Department of Mechanics, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 34, 20156, Milan, Italy

Abstract: Cracks are the most common defects which can develop due to fatigue in structures and machine elements loaded with dynamic loads. This occurs also in rotating shafts where the detection of cracks is particularly hard due to inspection difficulties. The knowledge of the dynamic behaviour of cracked rotors is useful for detecting the presence of a crack. The dynamical behaviour of cracked rotating shafts and some results obtained in laboratory tests aimed to analyse its typical static and dynamic behaviours are described as well as the models, which allow the behaviour of cracked shafts to be accurately simulated.

Keywords: rotating shafts; transverse cracks; cracked shafts; cracked rotors; turbo generators; steam turbines; reactor cooling pumps; breathing mechanism; thermal sensitivity; crack modelling; structural integrity; fatigue; dynamic behaviour; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMSI.2007.013866

International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity, 2007 Vol.1 No.1/2/3, pp.71 - 116

Published online: 31 May 2007 *

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