Lateral vibration reduction in vertically installed shafts by active control with LMS algorithm

Machines such as generators and electric motors that use vertical shafts must avoid noise and heat problems caused by vibration. Especially in the case of vertical hydro generators, vibrations caused by water flow through the turbine and imbalance of components can lead to poor performance, premature wear of components, and even system failure. Therefore, effective control of shaft vibration is very important for system maintenance and stable operation. To solve this problem, an active control method with Least Mean Squares(LMS) algorithm were applied to the lateral vibration. In the study, the vertical shaft and the active bearing were modeled using the Finite Element Method (FEM), and the external hydraulic force was employed with an unbalanced mass. Simulations were conducted and effectiveness of the simulation results was verified through the active control experiments. These results show that active bearings have the potential to solve vibration problems and extend the life of machines with vertical shafts, such as generators or electric motors.