Tuesday, August 4, 2015 (2:00 p.m. in Yost 306)

Title: Stabilization of Rotor-Dynamic Vibrations by Means of Additive, Stochastic Noise

Speaker: Tyler Aust (Case Western Reserve University)

Advisor: Wojbor Woyczynski (Professor, Case Western Reserve University)

Abstract: Throughout the energy industry, rotating equipment serves a vital role. From power generation to transportation and processing of oil & gas, rotating equipment is the fundamental technology upon which energy is produced and commoditized. The current cost of energy (i.e. crude oil, natural gas, etc.) is heavily influenced by the cost of owning and maintaining turbines, compressors, and other such machinery. Because these installations are rotating dynamical systems, harmonic vibrations manifest at certain rpm’s. Machine failures are liable to occur from these destructive vibrations. Passive dampening systems curb the damage caused by these rotational vibrations. However, the efficacy of this conventional method is severely limited. The research proposed herein suggests an active dampening system capable of drastically increasing the mean-time-between failure for rotating equipment. By introducing additive stochastic noise into a dynamical system, it is theoretically possible to stabilize stationary vibration signals. If successful, this active dampening system could improve the reliability of rotating equipment, thereby reducing maintenance costs for the energy industry. Hence, this thesis incorporates work in stochastic analysis to address a continuing issue for the energy industry.