Plastic Models in Turbomachinery Foundation Studies

Over a period of years, the static and dynamic behavior of turbomachinery foundations have been studied with scaled plastic models. Experimental data from several investigators show the type of information that can be obtained for resonant frequencies, mode shapes and response levels in the laboratory. Model test data are compared with measurements made on full-size structures and also calculated from analytical models. Accuracy is dependent on the degree to which similitude requirements are met. Experimental results are also presented to show how structural models have been used to determine the effect of foundation termination, rotor unbalance and bearing support stiffness.