Centrifugal force stiffens a rotating blade
Multiple studies and engineering models confirm that centrifugal force induces a geometric stiffening effect on rotating blades, increasing their structural stiffness and natural frequencies.
The retrieved literature consistently confirms that centrifugal forces during rotation cause geometric or centrifugal stiffening in blades and beams, increasing their natural frequencies and effective stiffness. The claim is well-supported by multiple theoretical and finite element studies.
M. Piovan, R. Sampaio. A study on the dynamics of rotating beams with functionally graded properties. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSV.2009.06.015
The study notes that flexible beams, including blades, become stiffer under high-speed rotation due to geometric stiffening from centrifugal and axial-bending coupling.
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J. Zeng, Chenguang Zhao, Hui Ma, Kun Yu, B. Wen. Rubbing dynamic characteristics of the blisk-casing system with elastic supports. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2019.105481
Centrifugal stiffening is explicitly included as a key rotating effect that alters the structural dynamics of blades.
Chaofeng Li, Hao Cheng. Free vibration analysis of a rotating varying-thickness-twisted blade with arbitrary boundary conditions. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2020.115791
The formulation incorporates centrifugal force effects which directly influence the natural frequencies and modal characteristics of rotating blades.
Amna Algolfat, Weizhuo Wang, A. Albarbar. Study of Centrifugal Stiffening on the Free Vibrations and Dynamic Response of Offshore Wind Turbine Blades. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176120
The study demonstrates that centrifugal force exerts an inertia force during deflection that increases natural frequencies and structural stiffness.
S. Holzinger, Andreas Zwölfer, Francesco Trainotti, J. Gerstmayr. The floating frame of reference formulation for rotordynamics applications: limitations and practical solutions. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11044-025-10126-5
Centrifugal stiffening is described as the phenomenon where rotating components experience tensile forces that increase natural frequencies and enhance structural stiffness.
Bo Li, Yuan An. The Flattening and Stiffening Effect of Centrifugal Stress on Circular Saw Blades in Different States. 2022. https://doi.org/10.13073/fpj-d-21-00075
The research confirms that rotating centrifugal stress exerts a stiffening effect, increasing the axial stiffness of the outer edges of rotating blades.
Ulrich Ehehalt, Balazs Becs, Xiaoping Zhou, Stefan Güllenstern. Speed Dependency of Coupled Rotor-Blade Torsional Natural Frequencies. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1115/gt2013-95804
Natural frequencies of blades depend on rotational speed because structural stiffness changes in response to centrifugal loading.
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