In both aviation and power generation, gas turbines are used as key components. An important driver of technological advance in gas turbines is the race towards environmentally friendly machines, decreasing the fuel burn, community noise and NOx emissions. Engine modifications that lead to propulsion efficiency improvements whilst maintaining minimum weight have led to having fewer stages and lower blade counts, reduced distance between blade rows, thinner and lighter components, highly three dimensional blade designs and the introduction of integrally bladed disks (blisks). These changes result in increasing challenges concerning the structural integrity of the engine. In particular for blisks, the absence of friction at the blade to disk connections decreases dramatically the damping sources, resulting in designs that rely mainly on aerodynamic damping. On the other hand, new open rotor concepts result in low blade-to-air mass ratios, increasing the influence of the surrounding flow on the vibration response.   This work presents the development and validation of a numerical tool for aeromechanical analysis of turbomachinery (AROMA - Aeroelastic Reduced Order Modeling Analyses), here applied to an industrial transonic compressor blisk. The tool is based on the integration of results from external Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element (FE) solvers with mistuning considerations, having as final outputs the stability curve (flutter analysis) and the fatigue risk (forced response analysis). The first part of the study aims at tracking different uncertainties along the numerical aeromechanical prediction chain. The amplitude predictions at two inlet guide vane setups are compared with experimental tip timing data. The analysis considers aerodynamic damping and forcing from 3D unsteady Navier Stokes solvers. Furthermore, in-vacuo mistuning analyses using Reduced Order Modeling (ROM) are performed in order to determine the maximum amplitude magnification expected. Results show that the largest uncertainties are from the unsteady aerodynamics predictions, in which the aerodynamic damping and forcing estimations are most critical. On the other hand, the structural dynamic models seem to capture well the vibration response and mistuning effects.   The second part of the study proposes a new method for aerodynamically coupled analysis: the Multimode Least Square (MLS) method. It is based on the generation of distributed aerodynamic matrices that can represent the aeroelastic behavior of different mode-families. The matrices are produced from blade motion unsteady forces at different mode-shapes fitted in terms of least square approximations. In this sense, tuned or mistuned interacting mode families can be represented. In order to reduce the domain size, a static condensation technique is implemented. This type of model permits forced response prediction including the effects of mistuning on both the aerodynamic damping as well as on the structural mode localization. A key feature of the model is that it opens up for considerations of responding mode-shapes different to the in-vacuo ones and allows aeroelastic predictions over a wide frequency range, suitable for new design concepts and parametric studies. / QC 20111125 / Turbopower, AROMA

Labyrinth seals are widely used in rotating machinery and have been shown to experience aeroelastic instabilities. The rapid development of computational fluid dynamics now provides a high fidelity approach for predicting the aeroelastic behavior of labyrinth seals in three dimension and exhibits great potential within industrial application, especially during the detailed design stages. In the current publication a time-marching unsteady Reynolds- averaged Navier-Stokes solver was employed to study the various historically identified parameters that have essential influence on the stability of labyrinth seals. Advances in understanding of the related aeroelastic (flutter) phenomenon were achieved based on extensive yet economical numerical analysis of a simplified seal model. Further, application of the same methodology to several realistic gas turbine labyrinth seal designs confirmed the perceived knowledge and received agreements from experimental indications. Abbott’s criteria in describing the labyrinth seal aeroelastic behaviors were reaffirmed and further developed.

<p>This research investigates the forced response of mistuned rotor blades that can lead to excessive vibration, noise, and high cycle fatigue failure in a turbomachine. In particular, an embedded rotor in the Purdue Three-Stage Axial Compressor Research Facility is considered. The prediction of the rotor forced response contains three key elements: the prediction of forcing function, damping, and the effect of frequency mistuning. These computational results are compared with experimental aerodynamic and vibratory response measurements to understand the accuracy of each prediction.</p><p>A state-of-the-art time-marching computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code is used to predict the rotor forcing function. A highly-efficient nonlinear frequency-domain Harmonic Balance CFD code is employed for the prediction of aerodynamic damping. These allow the compressor aerodynamics to be depicted and the tuned rotor response amplitude to be predicted. Frequency mistuning is considered by using two reduced-order models of different levels of fidelity, namely the Fundamental Mistuning Model (FMM) and the Component Mode Mistuning (CMM) methods. This allows a cost-effective method to be identified for mistuning analysis, especially for probabilistic mistuning analysis.</p><p>The first topic of this work concerns the prediction of the forcing function of the embedded rotor due to the periodic passing of the neighboring stators that have the same vane counts. Superposition and decomposition methods are introduced under a linearity assumption, which states that the rotor forcing function comprises of two components that are induced by each neighboring stator, and that these components stay unchanged with only a phase shift with respect to a change in the stator-stator clocking position. It is found that this assumption captures the first-order linear relation, but neglects the secondary nonlinear effect which alters each stator-induced forcing functions with respect to a change in the clocking position.</p><p>The second part of this work presents a comprehensive mistuned forced response prediction of the embedded rotor at a high-frequency (higher-order) mode. Three steady loading conditions are considered. The predicted aerodynamics are in good agreement with experimental measurements in terms of the compressor performance, rotor tip leakage flow, and circumferential distributions of the stator wake and potential fields. Mistuning analyses using FMM and CMM models show that the extremely low-cost FMM model produces very similar predictions to those of CMM. The predicted response is in good agreement with the measured response, especially after taking the uncertainty in the experimentally-determined frequency mistuning into consideration. Experimentally, the characteristics of the mistuned response change considerably with respect to loading. This is not very well predicted, and is attributed to un-identified and un-modeled effects. A significant amplification factor over 1.5 is observed both experimentally and computationally for this higher-order mode.</p> / Dissertation

This research presents a detailed study of non-synchronous vibration (NSV) and the development of an efficient design method for NSV. NSV occurs as a result of the complex interaction of an aerodynamic instability with blade vibrations. Two NSV design methods are considered and applied to three test cases: 2-D circular cylinder, 2-D airfoil cascade tip section of a modern compressor, and 3-D high pressure compressor cascade that encountered NSV in rig testing. The current industry analysis method is to search directly for the frequency of the instability using CFD analysis and then compare it with a fundamental blade mode frequency computed from a structural analysis code. The main disadvantage of this method is that the blades' motion is not considered and therefore, the maximum response is assumed to be when the blade natural frequency and fluid frequency are coincident. An alternate approach, the enforced motion method, is also presented. In this case, enforced blade motion is used to promote lock-in of the blade frequency to the fluid natural frequency at a specified critical amplitude for a range of interblade phase angles (IBPAs). For the IBPAs that are locked-on, the unsteady modal forces are determined. This mode is acceptable if the equivalent damping is greater than zero for all IBPAs. A method for blade re-design is also proposed to determine the maximum blade response by finding the limit cycle oscillation (LCO) amplitude. It is assumed that outside of the lock-in region is an off-resonant, low amplitude condition. A significant result of this research is that for all cases studied herein, the maximum blade response is not at the natural fluid frequency as is assumed by the direct frequency search approach. This has significant implications for NSV design analysis because it demonstrates the requirement to include blade motion. Hence, an enforced motion design method is recommended for industry and the current approach is of little value. / Dissertation

L'augmentation de la vitesse de croisière des hélicoptères à architecture conventionnelle (rotor principal et rotor anticouple) atteint aujourd'hui une asymptote. Le concept X3, associant 2 hélices et une aile pour alléger la charge du rotor principal, propose une solution viable économiquement, qui s'appuie sur l'utilisation de technologies éprouvées telles que le rotor Spheriflex® du Dauphin. Les essais en vol menés sur le démonstrateur X3 ont montré un bon comportement en performances et en qualités de vol de ce type de rotor, mais un niveau de charges très importants dans les commandes de vol. Pour limiter la masse à vide, la solution de surdimensionner toutes les pièces mécaniques n'est pas envisageable. Ce travail de thèse propose d'étudier les opportunités de réduction des efforts de commandes.Afin de pouvoir réduire ces efforts, il a été nécessaire de comprendre leur origine et de proposer une modélisation qui permette de les prédire. Des mesures expérimentales réalisées sur le démonstrateur X3 ont permis d'identifier les excitations aérodynamiques et le comportement dynamique des pales en torsion. Les phénomènes responsables de l'augmentation des efforts de commande ont été identifiés, ce qui a permis de corriger le modèle de calcul des efforts de commande HOST actuellement utilisé par Airbus Helicopters.A partir du logiciel HOST corrigé et de la compréhension des phénomènes physiques, des solutions technologiques pour réduire les efforts de commandes ont été étudiées. Deux familles de solutions sont alors considérées : l'optimisation du système de commandes de vol et la réduction des efforts dans les bielles de pas. L'optimisation du système de commandes de vol permet d'obtenir une réduction significative des efforts de commandes grâce à un algorithme d'optimisation de l'architecture de placement des servocommandes. L'étude de la réduction des efforts dans les bielles de pas montre que le choix de l'équilibre appareil conduit à des opportunités de réduction des efforts de commandes, alors que la modification du design de pale n'apporte pas de réduction notable et engendre une diminution des performances en stationnaire. / Nowadays, the increase of cruise speed for conventional helicopters (main rotor and anti-torque rear rotor) reaches an asymptote. The X3 concept proposed by Airbus Helicopters is a hybrid helicopter combining 2 propellers at the tip of small wings in order to unload the main rotor. This solution is economically viable because it reuses well-proven technologies such as the Spheriflex rotor, already used on the Dolphin family for many years. X3 flight tests have shown a good behavior of the rotor concerning performances as well as handling qualities, but control loads in the rotor system were significantly higher in cruise conditions than for conventional helicopters. In order to save the payload, over-sizing of the mechanical parts in order to withstand these loads can't be an appropriate solution. The work presented in this thesis deals with the problematic of control loads reduction.In order to reduce the control loads, the first step is to highlight the roots of these loads and to get a predictive tool over the whole flight domain. Experimental measurements from X3 flight tests give the aerodynamic loads on the blade sections, leading to understand the blades torsional dynamic behavior in several flight test cases (cruise, turns and high speed flight). Phenomena responsible for the increase of control loads are then identified, and the rotor computation tool HOST used at Airbus Helicopters is corrected to predict accurately control loads over the conventional as well as the high speed helicopter flight domain.The corrected rotor computation tool HOST, associated with the physical comprehension of the blade torsional dynamics, is used to quantify the possible solutions proposed for control loads reduction. Two main ways are studied: the optimization of the control system architecture and the reduction of pitch link loads. The optimization of control system architecture shows a dramatic reduction of control loads in the servo actuators and in the non-rotating scissors, thanks to an optimization algorithm developed during this thesis. The reduction of pitch link loads study shows that the optimization of the helicopter equilibrium leads to drastic reduction, whereas the modification of blade design does not show any significant reduction even at high speed.

The Wind Turbine industry continues to drive towards high market penetrationand profitability. In order to keep Wind Turbines in field for as long as possiblecomputational analysis tools are required. The open source tool QBlade[38] softwarewas extended to now contain routines to analyse the structural properties of WindTurbine blades. This was achieved using 2D integration methods and a Tapered Euler-Bernoulli beam element in order to find the mode shapes and 2D sectional properties.This was a key step towards integrating the National Renewable Energy LaboratoriesFAST package[32] which has the ability to analyse Aeroelastic Responses. The QFEMmodule performed well for the test cases including: hollow isotropic blade, rotatingbeam and tapered beam. Some improvements can be made to the torsion estimationof the 2D sections but this has no effect on the mode shapes required for the FASTsimulations.