RoTrisk

RoTrisk is a term used in risk assessment to denote the risk associated with rotational components and processes. It is not a universally standardized metric, but a conceptual category used across engineering and safety analyses to capture hazards arising from rotation, torque, and angular motion.

The scope of rotrisk includes mechanical parts such as gears, bearings, rotors, shafts, turbines, rotodynamic pumps, and propellers, as well as processes that rely on rotation, such as centrifugation or high-speed mixing. The concept also encompasses related failure modes like imbalance, misalignment, bearing wear, lubrication degradation, thermal growth, and rotor fatigue, which can propagate to safety or operational disruptions.

Measurement and calculation of rotrisk typically combine the likelihood of a rotation-related fault with the potential consequences of that fault. A common approach models rotrisk as a product or weighted combination of probability of fault events and severity of outcomes, using indicators such as vibration levels, temperature, unbalance, and torque fluctuations as inputs. Data-driven models, expert assessments, and fault tree analyses may be employed, often within a broader risk management framework.

Applications of rotrisk assessment appear in fields including mechanical engineering, aerospace and aviation rotor systems, wind and hydroelectric turbines, robotics, and industrial automation. It supports maintenance prioritization, design optimization, and operation planning by highlighting rotation-related failure channels and their impact.

Limitations include a lack of universal standards, varying boundary definitions, and dependence on data quality. RoTrisk is most effective when integrated with overall system risk assessment, reliability engineering, and ongoing monitoring.

See also risk assessment, reliability engineering, fault tree analysis, and preventive maintenance.