BTP2 Final Report
BTP2 Final Report
BTP2 Final Report
Project
on
April, 2024
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my thesis supervisor, Prof. Arpan Gupta, for his unwavering
guidance and support that proved indispensable throughout the research process. His
wealth of expertise, insightful comments, and constructive criticism played a pivotal role
in shaping the trajectory of this thesis.
In addition, I am grateful to Prof. Ashish K Darpe for his consistent support and
guidance, providing invaluable and profound insights into real-life situations that enriched
the depth of my research.
Furthermore, I extend heartfelt thanks to all those who stood by me during this
challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey. My family and friends have been a pillar
of unwavering support, offering encouragement that fueled my determination. Their
collective belief in my capabilities has been a source of strength, making this academic
endeavour a truly collaborative and fulfilling experience.
i
Abstract
The project aimed to examine the vibrational characteristics of blisks (bladed disks)
and an in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of split rings in mitigating these vibrations.
The vibrational behaviour of blisks was to be examined, with a specific focus on the
damping influence of split rings. The simulation results, critical for assessing dynamic
responses, were validated through a comparison with existing research data, thereby
enhancing the reliability of the findings. The integration of split rings emerged as a
pivotal factor, significantly reducing vibrations within blisks. Furthermore, the research
advanced the understanding of blisk dynamics and validated the simulated outcomes
against prior experimental data, reinforcing the study’s credibility. Using pre-existing
research data for validation purposes emphasizes the project’s commitment to ensuring
accuracy and aligning findings with established knowledge in the field. These insights lay
the groundwork for future research, providing a foundation for stress analysis and physical
experimentation, thereby further enhancing the practical applicability of understanding
blisk behaviour in real-world applications.
ii
Contents
Acknowledgements i
Abstract ii
List of Figures iv
List of Tables v
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Problem Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Literature Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3.1 Under platform dampers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3.2 Hard coating on blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3.3 Friction ring dampers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4 Research Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.5 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3 Eigenfrequency Analysis 11
3.1 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.2 Simulation Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.1 Effect of Material Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.2 Effect of Stress Stiffening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.3 Effect of Spin Softening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2.4 Effect of rotational speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2.5 Effect of Friction Damper Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.3 Changes in stress due to incorporation of friction ring damper . . . . . . 14
4 Conclusions 16
4.1 Concluding remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.2 Future scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
References 17
iii
List of Figures
iv
List of Tables
v
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background
A blisk (short for bladed disk) is a turbomachine component that includes both the rotor
disk and the blades, Figure 1.1. It is a critical component of the engine compressor that
allows enough compressed air to enter the engine for combustion to occur. Blisks have
better aerodynamics and are lighter than conventional rotors with single blades. Instead
of a disk assembled with individual removable blades, each blisk is made up of a single
part. They can be additively manufactured, integrally cast, machined from a solid piece
of material, or welded to a rotor disk. The term is mostly used in aerospace engine design.
Integrally bladed rotors (IBR) are another name for blisks [1].
Blisk manufacturing has been used since the mid-1980s. Instead of making bare
compressor disks and attaching the blades later, blisks are single elements combining
the two. This eliminates the need to attach the blades to the disk (via screws, bolts,
etc.), thus decreasing the number of components in the compressor while at the same
time decreasing drag and increasing the efficiency of air compression in the engine. The
elimination of the dovetail attachment found on traditional turbine blades eliminates a
source for crack initiation and subsequent propagation. Any damage to integrally bladed
rotor blades beyond minor dents necessitates engine removal in order for the rotor to be
replaced or, if possible, replacement blades to be welded on. This type of maintenance
cannot be performed on the flight line and must frequently be performed at a specialized
facility.
1
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 2
Figure 1.2: (a) CAD model of a turbine-bladed disk with under platform dampers
(b) Sketch representing a close-up of three blades with interposed under platform
dampers [3]
and split dampers, Figure 1.3(b), and others [4]. The most commonly used massless
damper models are kinematic damper motion models. In most such models, the relative
motion of the damper along the normal-to-the-damper contact surface is assumed to be
negligible despite the fact that there are conditions under which such motion is significant
and can even lead to damper and blade platform separation.
Figure 1.3: Types of under platform dampers: (a) cottage-roof dampers, (b) split
dampers [4]
occur when some relative motions between the rings and the blisk occur [6]. These
rings are located in dedicated grooves beneath the wheels, and contact is maintained
indefinitely by centrifugal force caused by engine rotation; friction and slipping occur
during the differential motion of the two bodies in contact [7, 8].
1.5 Objectives
This project’s primary goal is to comprehensively examine the frequency response and
vibratory stresses within the blisk (bladed disk) structure. The analysis will delve into
the frequency response of the blisk, which refers to how the structure responds to different
excitation frequencies. This investigation is vital for identifying resonant frequencies and
potential vibration modes that can lead to structural issues or reduced performance.
An additional aspect of the research involves investigating the effectiveness of the split
ring method in damping vibrations and its impact on stress levels. This involves assessing
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 5
whether the introduced damping mechanisms effectively reduce vibration amplitudes and
how these changes affect the overall structural integrity. The project has the following
broad objectives:
20
15
R1
91
Natural frequencies of the blisk obtained by the analytical method [5] are listed in Ta-
ble 2.2. Also, a finite element model was established in COMSOL Multiphysics software.
Figure 2.2 illustrates the comparison of natural frequencies obtained through analytical
methods and Finite Element Method (FEM). Notably, there is a discernible consistency
among these results. Furthermore, it is observed that, particularly in higher-order modes,
the analytical method yields results closer to the experimental findings. The accuracy
of FEM results is influenced by factors such as meshing size, meshing shape, element
type, and attributes. In this study, the accuracy of FEM results for higher-order modes
6
CHAPTER 2. MODE SHAPE ANALYSIS OF BLISK 7
Property Value
Elastic modulus 210 GPa
Mass density 7900 kg/m3
Poisson’s ratio 0.3
Loss factor 0.0017
Table 2.2: Natural frequencies (Hz) obtained by analytical method and FEM
The outcomes of the analytical method encompass the modal shapes of both the
disk and a representative blade. These results unveil that strong-coupled vibrations
predominantly characterize the mode types in blisk vibrations. Specifically, in the second
mode with n = 3, a nodal circle manifests on the blades spaced circumferentially, with
one nodal point on each blade. This pattern resembles the mode type observed in a
single disk, although in this case, the location of the nodal circle spans the entirety of the
blades. Additional modal shapes obtained through modal testing are detailed in Figure
2.3.
CHAPTER 2. MODE SHAPE ANALYSIS OF BLISK 8
1800
Analytical method
1600 FEM - COMSOL
1400
1200
Frequency (Hz)
1000
800
600
400
200
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Mode order
A decision was made to edit the CAD model. The crucial modification involved
introducing a certain thickness to the blades, transforming them from flat, 2D structures
into three-dimensional entities. This alteration aimed to impart vibrational tendencies to
the fins, a characteristic lacking in the initial design. Following these CAD adjustments,
we proceeded to re-run the simulations in COMSOL. This subsequent analysis showed
notable improvements compared to the initial results, as shown in Figure 2.5. It can be
seen that after introducing thickness to the blades, they also show a vibrational nature.
Adding thickness to the blades proved to be a pivotal step in enhancing the model’s
overall performance and aligning it more closely with our expectations.
Chapter 3
Eigenfrequency Analysis
3.1 Methodology
For the present analysis a simplified model of the blisk with 20 flat blades is considered,
as shown in Figure 3.1. The 3D CAD of the model was designed in SolidWorks and then
imported in COMSOL Multiphysics for further analysis. For the current study, material
of the disc was assigned as Structural Steel, which is one of the material available in the
inbuilt material library of COMSOL.
Similarly, a friction damper ring was designed for the analysis, as shown in Figure
3.2. The same Structural Steel material is also assigned to the ring for this simulation.
Figure 3.2: 3D CAD of simplified friction damper ring used for analysis
SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.
11
CHAPTER 3. EIGENFREQUENCY ANALYSIS 12
As can be seen from Table 3.1, natural frequencies increase as a result of considering
the material damping effect.
Table 3.2: Effect on natural frequencies due to stress stiffening induced due to rigid
body rotation (centrifugal forces)
As can be seen from the Table 3.2, there is considerable increase in the natural fre-
quencies due to stress stiffening.
As can be seen from the Table 3.3, there is decrease in the natural frequencies due to
spin softening.
Table 3.4: Effect on natural frequencies due to the inclusion of friction damper ring
underneath the blisk
As can be seen from Table 3.4, natural frequencies decreased due to incorporation of
friction ring damper inside the groove present underneath the rim of the blisk.
Figure 3.4: Stresses in the blisk due to application of external force on one of the blades
Figure 3.5: Stresses in the blisk reinforced with friction ring damper due to application
of external force on one of the blades
Chapter 4
Conclusions
16
References
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//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blisk&oldid=1184343874.
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blisks.html.
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2076-3417/8/2/291.
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[8] Aniruddha Dattatraya Gadre and Bharat Sampathkumar Bagepalli. “Rotor assem-
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iFormat=0.
[9] Seunghun Baek and Bogdan Epureanu. “Contact model identification for friction
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REFERENCES 18
[10] M. A. Niemotka and J. C. Ziegert. “Optimal Design of Split Ring Dampers for
Gas Turbine Engines”. In: Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power
117.3 (July 1, 1995), pp. 569–575. issn: 0742-4795. doi: 10.1115/1.2814133. url:
https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2814133.
[11] Turbine Blisk — 3D CAD Model Library — GrabCAD. In collab. with. url: https:
//grabcad.com/library/turbine-blisk-1.
[12] Damping in Structural Dynamics: Theory and Sources. COMSOL. url: https :
//www.comsol.com/blogs/damping- in- structural- dynamics- theory- and-
sources/.