Vibration excitation of axial compressor rotor blades

Date
2011-12
Authors
Raubenheimer, Gert
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Turbomachines are exposed to several environmental factors which may cause failure of components. One of these factors, high cycle fatigue, is often caused by blade utter. This thesis forms part of a project of the European Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), called project Future. Project Future is doing theoretical and experimental investigation into the occurrence of utter in turbomachinery. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effectiveness of a gas injection system as a means of exciting vibrations on the rst stage rotor blades of a compressor. Unsteady simulations of the excitation velocity perturbations were performed in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, Numeca FINE/Turbo. Experimental testing on the in-house Rofanco compressor test bench, using one prototype of the 15 injector system, provided data that was used to implement boundary conditions and to verify certain aspects of the unsteady simulation results. The simulation results revealed the following: the injector bypass frequency was so dominant that the excitation frequency was hardly detectable in the majority of cases. Furthermore, several secondary frequencies were consistently present. The injector bypass frequency, as well as the secondary frequencies, occurred as a result of the convolution of Fast Fourier Transforms. While the injector bypass frequencies can theoretically be eliminated, it will not be possible to eliminate the secondary frequencies from the blade response. In conclusion, according to the CFD results, it will not be possible to excite a single excitation frequency by making use of a nite number of gas injector vibration exciters.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Turbomasjiene word onderwerp aan verskeie omgewingsfaktore wat falings van komponente kan veroorsaak. Een van hierdie faktore, naamlik hoëfrekwensie vermoeidheid, word onder andere veroorsaak deur lem adder. Hierdie tesis is deel van 'n projek in die Sewende Europese Raamwerk Program (European Seventh Framework Programme - FP7), projek Future. Projek Future doen teoretiese en eksperimentele ondersoek na die voorkoms van lemfl adder in turbomasjienerie. Die doelwit van hierdie tesis was om die effektiwiteit van 'n gasinspuiter vibrasie-opwekkingstelsel te evalueer, deur gebruik te maak van onbestendige simulasie in die berekenings vloei-meganika sagtewarepakket, Numeca FINE/Turbo. Eksperimentele toetswerk op die plaaslike Rofanco kompressortoetsbank, met 'n prototipe van die 15 inspuiter stelsel, het inligting verskaf wat gebruik is om die inlaattoestande te spesi seer en simulasieresultate te korreleer. Die simulasieresultate het getoon dat die frekwensie waarteen 'n lem by die inspuiters verbybeweeg, so prominent is, dat dit in die meerderheid van gevalle baie meer prominent is as die opwekkingsfrekwensie. Verder was daar ook deurgaans 'n aantal sekondêre frekwensies teenwoordig. Die teenwoordigheid van die inspuiter verbybeweeg frekwensie en die sekondêre frekwensies is die resultaat van die konvolusie van Vinnige Fourier Transforme. Alhoewel dit in teorie moontlik sal wees om die inspuiter verbybeweeg frekwensie te elimineer, is dit onmoontlik om die sekondêre frekwensies uit die lem vibrasie te elimineer. Ter opsomming, volgens die berekenings vloei-meganika resultate, is dit nie moontlik om met 'n stelsel van 'n eindige aantal inspuiters, 'n enkele vibrasie frekwensie op te wek nie.
Description
Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.
Keywords
Machinery -- Vibration, Aerodynamics, Dissertations -- Mechanical engineering, Theses -- Mechanical engineering, Rotor blades, Compressors -- Blades
Citation