Magnetic Actuator Control of Oil Whip Instability in Bearings

Magnetic actuators are successfully used in the control of rotating machinery using feedback to eliminate the undesired vibration. Control algorithms can be implemented through the magnetic forces applied using the magnetic actuator, which are controlled through the current induced in the coils. Throughout this paper, we suggest the elimination of the excessive oil whip vibration excited due to the rotation of flexible rotor supported on fluid film bearings using the magnetic forces. The fluid film bearings and magnetic actuators are integrated into one unit. An H∞ controller is designed considering the robustness issues to suit a flexible rotor. The controller performance is successfully tested.