Diagnosing and Balancing Approaches of Bowed Rotating Systems: A Review

Driven/driving shafts are the most important portion of rotating devices. Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of these components could result in severe vibrations, defects in other parts (particularly bearings), and ultimately catastrophic failures. A shaft bow is a common problem in heavy rotating systems equipped with such attachments as blades, discs, etc. Many factors can cause the shaft bending; this malfunction can be temporary, such as the bow resulting from a rotor gravitational sag, or can be permanent, such as shrink fitting. Since bending effects are similar to those induced by the classic eccentricity of the mass from the geometric center, i.e., unbalancing, distinguishing the differences in dynamic behaviors, as well as the symptoms, can be a labor-intensive and specialized task. This article represents a review of almost all the investigations and studies that have been carried out on the diagnosing and balancing of bowed rotating systems. The articles are categorized into two major classes, diagnosing and balancing/correcting approaches to bowed rotors. The former is divided into three subclasses, i.e., time-domain, frequency-domain, and time–frequency-domain analyses; the latter is divided into three other sub-sections that concern influence coefficient, modal balancing, and optimization method in correcting. Since the number of investigations in the time domain is relatively high, this category is subdivided into two groups: manual and smart inspection. Finally, a summary is provided, as well as some new research prospects.