Balancing Self Evaluation

Module 11

1. List three reasons to balance an unbalanced rotor.

2. What is numeric quantity of balance and how does a balancing machine detect
unbalance?

3. Briefly describe free centrifugal force in an unbalanced rotor.

4. List three causes of unbalance in a rotating component.

5. List the two main general methods of correcting unbalance.

6. Give a numeric example of centrifugal force when it increases proportionally to

the square of the increase in speed.

Rotor speed = 500 RPM and unbalance is 5 gram-inches, the rotor is accelerated
to 1000 RPM. What is the resulting centrifugal force?

7. What is the unbalance of 2 grams, five inches from the centre of a ten inch radius
rotor?
8. What is residual unbalance? What does this mean in terms of quantity for low
RPM and high RPM rotors?

9. What is static unbalance and how many ways can it be detected?

10. What is couple unbalance and how many ways can it be detected? Why?

11. What is quasi-static unbalance?

12. What is dynamic unbalance?

13. What are the three general categories that balancing machines and equipment
fall into?

14. With the engine installed in an aircraft, what type of balancing check would be
performed?

15. What is the difference between a hard-bearing balancing machine and a soft-
bearing balancing machine?
16. Does phase shift change with the speed at which the rotor is spun on the
balancing machine?

17. What are the four main types of unbalance?