Asymmetric responses of rotating, thin disks experiencing large deflections

An analytical nonlinear solution for the asymmetric mode vibration of rotating disks is given in this paper through a recently developed, accurate plate theory instead of the von Karman model. The nonlinear solution can reduce to the linear one when nonlinear effects vanish. The symmetrical response is also recovered when the nodal diameter vanishes. The natural frequency varying with rotation speed and deflection amplitude is investigated through a 3.5-inch diameter computer memory disk. From this investigation, it is found that the softening of rotating disks may occur for larger nodal-diameter numbers. The methodology given in this paper can be applied to nonlinear responses in structures such as rotating shafts and traveling plates.