Gyroscopic Effects in Machinery

Abstract

Many elements of machinery consist of a body spinning about a certain axis, and when this axis is forced to rotate about some other axis, gyroscopic effects come into play. In some cases the gyroscopic effects are useful and designed into the system; in other cases the effect is undesirable but unavoidable, and it must therefore be taken into account in the design. In most cases the gyroscopic effect gives rise to pulsating bearing pressures and bending moments in rotors which involves fatigue considerations in the rotors and special consideration in the design of the bearings.