Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi)

Department of Engineering

Dynamics - Laboratory Sheet:

MEC4109 / DY03

Student name: ________________________ Course/Year: __________ Date: _________

Balancing
Objectives
After completing this experiment, the student should be able to:
• understand the static and dynamic balancing of a rotating system;
• reduce the out of balance forces and moments of a rotating system.

Equipment

The balancing machine comprises :-

1. A rigid frame from which is suspended on a cradle.
2. A variable speed motor.
3. A transducer to measure the amplitude of oscillation of the cradle.
4. A five disc rotor with slots and holes for the attachment of balancing weights.
5. A control box which provides a low voltage power supply for the drive motor, an
oscillator for the stroboscope and an analogue readout of the cradle amplitude of
oscillation .
6. A set of masses, steel rule, allen keys, pointer with magnetic base and drive belt.

The rotor to be balanced rests between end stops on two pairs of ball races clamped to a
supporting cradle, and is driven by a variable speed motor through a light flat belt. The cradle
is attached to the base of the machine by a cross-spring pivot at one end and two suspension
cables at the other. Thus the cradle and rotor assembly is free to rotate in a horizontal plane
about the axis of the cross-spring pivot, this motion being opposed by the elastic moment of the
pivot.

The amplitude of movement of the cradle is measured by a L.V.D.T. transducer which contains
the necessary electronics to provide a voltage output which is proportional to the displacement
of the core which is fastened to the cradle. The voltage output is displayed on the meter as an
out of balance amplitude.
MEC4109 Dynamics - DY03 Page 1 of 6
Part A – Background

m3

m3
m4

r3 m5
m4 m2
r4 r2
m2

r1
r5
m1
m5 m1

Figure 1 : The static and dynamic balancing of a rotating system.

m4 r4 x4

m5 r5 x5 m3 r3 x3

m2 r2 x2

Figure 2 : Moment Vector Polygon

m4r4

m5r5

m3r3

m1r1

m2r2

Figure 3 : Force Vector Polygon

MEC4109 Dynamics - DY03 Page 2 of 6

Refer to Figure 1, when the mass system is rotating at an angular velocity ω,
Centrifugal force caused by individual mass m = mrω 2
Total force = ∑ mrω 2
= ω 2 ∑ mr

When the masses are not lying on the same plane then the vectors mr will form moments about
the pivot plane.

Let x be the distances between the pivot plane and the masses.
Moment of one mass = mrx ω 2
Total moment = ∑ m ω 2rx
= ω 2 ∑ mrx

∑ mrx can be found by drawing the moment vector polygon as shown in Figure 2.
For moment balance, ω ∑ mrx = 0, i.e. the moment vector polygon must be closed.
2

∑ mr can be found by drawing the force vector polygon as shown in Figure 3.

For static force balance, ω 2 ∑ mr = 0 , i.e. the force vector polygon must be closed.

Part B – Procedures

1. Switch on the motor and slowly increase the rotor speed to ≈ 300 rpm and record the
actual rotor speed.

2. Record meter reading of vibration amplitude.

3. Decrease the rotor speed back to 0 rpm and switch off the motor.

4. Clamp out-of-balancing masses to the corresponding discs as shown

5 4 3 2 1

100 mm 100 mm 100 mm 100 mm

MEC4109 Dynamics - DY03 Page 3 of 6

 Disc m, (g) r, (mm) θ, (deg)
2 ______ _____ ______

3 ______ _____ ______

4 ______ _____ ______

5. Run the rotor to the speed as in step(1) and repeat steps (2) and (3).

6. Construct the moment vector polygon and force vector polygon to determine the
balancing masses to be added to disc 1 and 5 to give completely balance.

7. Add balancing masses to the rotor discs according to the results obtained in step (6).

8. Repeat step (5) to check the validity of your graphical results for static and dynamic
balancing.

Plane m r θ x mr mrx
g mm deg mm g mm g mm2
1 0 0
2 100
3 200
4 300
5 400

Speed of Rotor Vibration Amplitude

(r.p.m.) Reading
Rotor with no mass

Rotor with out-of-balance

masses only
Rotor with balancing masses
added to disc 1 and 5

MEC4109 Dynamics - DY03 Page 4 of 6

Part C – Discussions

1. Compare the vibration amplitude before and after adding balancing masses to rotor discs.
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2. Comment on the amount of vibration observed after the rotor is ‘balanced’.

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3. Is the solution obtained unique (i.e. is there any other possible solution)?
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4. Does the out of balance amplitude increase with the rotating speed? Why?
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MEC4109 Dynamics - DY03 Page 5 of 6

5. Comment on whether dynamic balancing will also fulfil static balancing. Is it reversible?
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Summary

Write briefly what you have learnt in this experiment.

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-END-

MEC4109 Dynamics - DY03 Page 6 of 6