Bifurcation Analysis of High Speed Spindle Air Bearings

This paper employs a hybrid numerical method combining the differential transformation method and the finite difference method to study the bifurcation behavior of a high speed spindle air bearing (HSSAB) system. The analytical results reveal a complex dynamic behavior comprising periodic, sub-harmonic, and quasi-periodic responses of the rotor center. Furthermore, the results reveal the changes which take place in the dynamic behavior of the bearing system as the rotor mass and bearing number are increased. The current analytical results are found to be in good agreement with those of other numerical methods. Therefore, the proposed method provides an effective means of gaining insights into the nonlinear dynamics of HSSAB systems.