Abstract
In this paper it is intended to set-up a sound model of the 60,000rpm 100kW prototype APU gas turbine rotor-bearing system, and particularly to investigate the influences of the tie shaft on the rotordynamic characteristics of the entire APU gas turbine rotor-bearing system, employing the dual shaft model. Firstly, a mock-up APU rotor has been constructed to test and verify the model. Analytical natural frequency results have agreed with the corresponding modal test ones to within 5% difference. Then, the rotordynamic characteristics of the prototype APU rotorbearing system have been investigated. Natural vibration and unbalance response analyses results have shown that the inner tie shaft resonance can cause high enough vibration of the outer main rotor shaft. This could be a concern as the rotor journals operate on very thin air film at high speed. It is concluded as a conservative design practice that the inner tie shaft should be explicitly modeled in the rotordynamic analysis of the APU rotor-bearing system.