A Study of the Structural Dynamics of CFRP Chopper Disks

The Institute of Lightweight Structures of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Technische Universität München has been designing and producing CFRP chopper disks for over a decade, specializing in designs for light disks with a high rotational speed. Chopper disks are commonly used in neutron “Time-of-Flight” (TOF) spectroscopy. They are disks with one or more apertures rotating around an axis parallel to the neutron beam, reaching operational speeds of up to 22,000 rpm. The basic requirement on the design of a chopper disk is its mass. An ultralight chopper disk, however, frequently implies instability. With its natural frequencies being very low, the disk is prone to oscillations during operation. In contrast, a dynamically stable disk reacts more directly in case of an abrupt stop and can easily be controlled. Ideally, therefore, the natural frequency of the disk needs to be higher than its operational speed. This paper presents the results of a study whose principal aim it is to provide a better understanding of the dynamical behavior of CFRP disks in order to include this parameter in the design phase.      «

The Institute of Lightweight Structures of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Technische Universität München has been designing and producing CFRP chopper disks for over a decade, specializing in designs for light disks with a high rotational speed. Chopper disks are commonly used in neutron “Time-of-Flight” (TOF) spectroscopy. They are disks with one or more apertures rotating around an axis parallel to the neutron beam, reaching operational speeds of up to 22,000 rpm. The basic requi...     »