Oil whip detection using stator current monitoring

The oil whirl and oil whip phenomena have been well known since many decades. The performance of rotating machinery supported by fluid film bearings are limited by instability threshold known as oil whirl and oil whip. However, there exists confusion on the parameters that affects the stability of the system. In this study, authors investigate the onset of instability on a flexible rotor mounted on journal bearings. Result shows that misalignment is the parameter that is more responsible for the cause of instability. In this paper, authors investigate oil whirl and oil whip using Variation in rotor displacement and stator current samples during machine run up under loading condition were measured, analyzed and presented.