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Practical Approach to Precision Balancing

6- Complications Created by Unbalance in Overhung Rotors

Assume that a rotor, such as a fan, sheave, or coupling is within itself dynamically balanced on
a balancing machine. Also assume that the residual dynamic unbalances recurring in the rotor
in both correction planes are within tolerances designated by international standards, but only
barely so. Also assume that the unbalances in each correction plane are not equal in
magnitude nor are they either 0 or 180 out-of-phase with each other. However, this
dynamic unbalance can be mentally separated into its components of static and couple
unbalance as, as shown in Fig. 8. The problem lies with the static unbalance (especially when
the static unbalance is relatively large compared to the couple unbalance), and when the static
unbalance within a rotor (such as a pump impeller or turbo supercharger) is mounted on the
outboard portion of the total rotor assembly. For now, focus only on the static unbalance
component.

Online Course for Fig. 9 shows the main rotor with its couple unbalance components removed, revealing only its
Practical Solutions static unbalance components. Focus only on the static unbalance component. With the rotor's
Vibration axial center of gravity equi-distant from each bearing, the reaction from the static unbalance
will be at both bearings, equal in magnitude and in-phase with each other. The static
Seminar Schedule unbalance will cause no couple.

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The figure below illustrates rotors mounted on their shafts whereby the total rotors'
assemblies' CG is off to one side of the main rotor. The static force that is now officially called
"quasi-static" (a term the writer has never fully accepted), means that the main rotors' static
unbalance forces are no longer acting through their total assemblies' , thereby creating new
couple unbalance. However, these couple unbalances are not a real couple that actually exists
in the main rotor. Instead, it is what Update calls a "false couple" -- a couple created by the
static unbalance component in the main rotor.

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In Fig. 8, the main rotor had dynamic unbalance expressed in two planes. The unbalances
were then mentally separated into the main rotor's static and couple unbalance components.
Therefore, for the total assembly there are two sets of couple forces. One set is the real
residual couple in the main rotor, and the other set is the false couple that was crated by the
rotor's static unbalance. Each couple can be expressed vectorially in each correction plane.
For each correction plane there are, therefore, two separate couple forces. They combine
vectorially into a resultant force for each plane. Now consider the difficulty this creates for the
person attempting to balance the rotor.

The Effect of False Couple on Narrow Rotors:

If for example, the rotor is relatively narrow, such as a narrow fan or pump impeller, it usually
has a relatively large amount of static unbalance within the outboard main rotor and relatively
small magnitudes of real couple unbalance. The false couple forces in each plane combine
vectorially with the real couple forces in the same planes. The vectorial combination of large
false couple with small real couple can create very confusing problems during the balancing
runs.

Each time the real static is reduced, the proportion of false couple it had created is also
reduced. Therefore, the real couple with which it was vectorially combined is altered
considerably. Some balancing machine programs are supposed to compensate for all this, and
claims are made that it is no more difficult balancing overhung mounted rotors than inboard
mounted rotors. However, most balancing machines in use today are not that new. Therefore,
balancing overhung rotors is so difficult that the company doing the balancing often gives up,
indicating that "outboard rotors can be balanced only in a single plane" (primarily removing
only the static unbalance and leaving the remaining real couple). This may be appropriate for
well-machined, uniform and relatively narrow rotors that don't have much remaining real
couple in them. However, machinery users (as compared to many machinery builders) require
considerably smoother running machines which have both their static and couple unbalances
removed.

The Magnified Effect of a False Couple on Overhung Rotors:

If the main rotor is far to one side along the length of the shaft or if it is mounted overhung,
even a relatively small amount of static unbalance could create a false couple that is larger in
its effect on vibration than the effect of the static unbalance alone. Depending on the balancing
machine, its age and use of computer logic, this could create difficulties in balancing on a shop
balancing machine or when performing in-place field balancing. For some of the latest
balancing machines and field balancing computer programs, there seems to be no difficulty in
balancing overhung rotors using the normal "left and right" plane separation method. But for
rotors with larger static unbalance in the main rotor (such as is relatively common in overhung
fanwheels), the static unbalance creates so much false couple that even the computer program
doesn't adequately take care of it.

Removing Static Unbalance First to Eliminate False Couple:

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For those using balancing machines that do not readily handle this problem, they should set up
their balancing machines for balancing the static and couple separately. Often they know that
this should be done, but make the mistake of using the typical balancing machine operator's
rule for two plane balancing of "removing the largest unbalance first and the least unbalance
second." That rule works well with rotors mounted between support bearings. For example, if
the left plane has the greatest unbalance, balance the left plane first, and then balance the right
plane. However, with outboard rotors, most of the time this rule causes difficulty as the rotor's
static unbalance acts in a plane so far away from the total rotor's center of gravity that the
couple it creates is considerably larger than the static unbalance force from which it originated.
Therefore, the static unbalance created couple could be much larger than the original static
unbalance that created it. When balancing by separating static unbalance from couple
unbalance, the static unbalance always has to be removed first. It not only has to be removed,
but the further out it is cantilevered, the closer the static tolerance must be. Then when there is
hardly any couple effect caused by the residual static unbalance, the remaining real couple can
be corrected.

When Balancing one Plane at a Time Doesnt Work:

Another problem arises from the fact that most balancing machine operators have been taught
to completely remove the unbalance from one plane before staring on the other (balancing in
only one plane at a time). This works well when dynamically balancing a rotor that is mounted
between its support bearings. However, for removing "pure" couple, it is not best to balance
in one plane and then in the other. Instead, couple corrections should be performed in both
planes at the same time, (in the same balancing run). Corrections in each plane have to be
equal in magnitude and 180 apart. If the couple corrections are not "pure," then a residual
static unbalance will result. As the static unbalance is acting outboard from the bearings
(cantilevered), that new residual static unbalance creates yet another "false" couple -- and the
whole mess starts all over again.

No wonder so many people either give up balancing outboard rotors in two planes, or they
use wide tolerances that result in mediocre vibration levels, at best. It may also explain why so
much field balancing is required on outboard rotors, such as cantilevered fans.

Reading all this may seem complicated for those who are not thoroughly familiar with the
procedures of balancing overhung rotors and using the separation of static and couple
unbalance. Once understood and routine, it is actually quite easy and allows balancing to as
close tolerances as are used for balancing rotors mounted between support bearings. The
same procedures are recommended for relatively narrow rotors whether mounted overhung
or not.

Here are the simple rules:

1. Separate static unbalance from couple.

2. Ignore the couple completely, no matter whether it is larger than the static unbalance or not,
and remove only the static unbalance.

3. The larger the overhung rotor is cantilevered, the closer the static balancing tolerances must
be (beyond the normal guidelines for non-outboard rotors).

4. After static balancing is completed, remove the remaining couple unbalance by working in
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both correction planes during the same balancing run.

5. Couple corrections have to be equal in magnitude and 180 out-of-phase.

6. Recheck the static unbalance. If there is more to correct, keep the first three steps in mind.

Theoretically, most balancing machine operators should have been taught all the right
principles for balancing overhung rotors in two or more planes on the specific type balancing
machine they are using; however, in reality this is sometimes not the case. Initial training may
have been incomplete, hurried or perhaps overhung rotors were not even considered. If
having difficulty, first check with the balancing machine manufacturer to determine if overhung
rotors can be balanced without having to resort to the static and couple method. (Sometimes
the problems of balancing outboard mounted rotors in two planes has been made relatively
easy by the balancing machine's computer.) If not, and the static and couple method is
required, the basic principles are as given.

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