Article Details
  • Published Online:
    November  2025
  • Product Name:
    The IUP Journal of Mechanical Engineering
  • Product Type:
    Article
  • Product Code:
    IJME031125
  • DOI:
    10.71329/IUPJMECH/2025.18.4.43-59
  • Author Name:
    Rahul Basu
  • Availability:
    YES
  • Subject/Domain:
    Engineering
  • Download Format:
    PDF
  • Pages:
    43-59
Volume 18, Issue 4, October-December 2025
Whirl and Stability Analysis of Two-Spool Rotor Systems Using FEM and Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
Abstract

The paper presents a comprehensive stability and whirl analysis of a concentric two-spool rotor system, such as GE F404 turbofan, incorporating an intershaft bearing. Finite element method (FEM) is used to derive mass, stiffness, damping, and gyroscopic matrices of each spool, which are then assembled to construct the global dynamic system. To assess stability, Routh-Hurwitz criterion is applied analytically to the characteristic polynomial of the state-space model, enabling symbolic insights into parameter sensitivity. The system is further analyzed using a trained neural network (NN), achieving 96.3% predictive accuracy over a dataset of 2400 simulations, to identify safe operating zones and validate model predictions. The results indicate that optimal placement and damping of the intershaft bearing increase the stability margin by up to 30%, mitigating sub-synchronous whirl modes. The approach integrates physical modeling and data-driven learning, offering a novel and interpretable framework for rotor dynamic design.

Introduction

Multispool rotor engines are used widely due to their efficiency in high-speed applications.