Abstract
Since the early 1970s, major works in rotordynamics were oriented toward the calculation of critical speeds and unbalance responses. The current trend is to take into account many kinds of non-linearities in order to obtain more realistic predictions. The use of algorithms based on nonlinear methods is therefore needed. This article first describes the time finite element method. The method is then applied to nonlinear rotor/stator systems where bearings present a radial clearance.