Impact of Manufacturing Variability and Nonaxisymmetry on High-Pressure Compressor Stage Performance

Abstract

This paper introduces an approach for considering manufacturing variability leading to a nonaxisymmetric blading in the computational fluid dynamics simulation of a high-pressure compressor stage. A set of 150 rotor blades from a high-pressure compressor stage was 3D scanned in order to obtain the manufacturing variability. The obtained point clouds were parameterized using a parametric blade model, which uses typical profile parameters to translate the geometric variability into a numerical model. Probabilistic simulation methods allow for the generation of a sampled set of blades that statistically corresponds to the measured one. This technique was applied to generate 4000 sampled blades in order to investigate the influence of a nonaxisymmetric blading. It was found that the aerodynamic performance is considerably influenced by a variation of the passage cross section. Nevertheless, this influence decreases with an increasing number of independently sampled blades and, thus, independently shaped passage cross sections. Due to its more accurate consideration of the geometric variability, the presented methodology allows for a more realistic performance analysis of a high-pressure compressor stage.

Uncertainties of an Automated Optical 3D Geometry Measurement, Modeling, and Analysis Process for Mistuned Integrally Bladed Rotor Reverse Engineering

“…The optical stereometric measurement system showed measurement repeatability within 0.0002 in (5/im) and approximately 30-min scan times per blade. Lange et al measured large populations of airfoils with this system, created steady computational fiuid dynamic (CFD) performance models, and showed a significant efficiency impact, particularly from leading edge variations [13]. Their work reinforced the prior discoveries of Garzón and Darmofal whose work developed similar findings, but with more conventional CMM data [14].…”

Deterioration effects of coupled blisk blades

“…The manufacturing tolerances are investigated by Lange et al (2009Lange et al ( , 2010Lange et al ( , 2012. The result of these were a high influence of the thickness related parameter as well as the stagger angle on the loss coefficient.…”

Sensitivity Analysis of BLISK Airfoil Wear

“…In order to improve the understanding of the complex system behavior of deterioration-afflicted turbomachinery, probabilistic methods are a possibility to significantly increase the knowledge gain. Lange et al [2][3][4] investigated the influence of manufacturing tolerances on HPC performance by means of a probabilistic approach. They developed a parametric model for compressor blades to reproduce the manufacturing tolerances by a transformation of blade profile parameters [2].…”

“…thickness-are ranked as the highest parameters with regard to the loss coefficient, followed by the stagger angle [3]. Additionally, Lange et al [4] carried out a non-axis-symmetric blade arrangement by investigating 1, 2, 4, and 8 passages with individual blades. They presented a high drop of stage efficiency for simulating two passages, whereas by increasing the number of passages the efficiency tended towards a mean value.…”