LAUSR

Abstract In this study, a new improved theoretical model of rotor-bearing system has been presented to analyse the behaviour of the system due to the transverse crack on the rotor. Firstly, a mathematical model of the system with a transverse crack on rotor has been developed. In the modelling, the rotor is taken as Timoshenko beam and the unbalance force also included, which vary with rotating speed. The rotor is supported by two healthy deep groove ball bearing at both ends. The contact between balls and races of the bearings is considered as nonlinear spring, whose stiffness is obtained by Hertzian contact deformation theory. After the modelling of the rotor, the equation of motion has been derived which represents the dynamic behaviour of the system. Bifurcation diagrams are used to investigate the influence of depth and size of the crack on the dynamic behaviour of rotor ball-bearings system. Results indicate that if the depth and size of the crack increase the system becomes highly chaotic and unstable.