Blade Cascade Sidewall Contouring for Turbine Vibration Detuning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing turbomachine blade cascades face challenges in reducing unwanted vibration phenomena and improving efficiency, particularly in gas turbines, where identical blade contours and arrangements can lead to periodic sidewall contouring and radial jumps, affecting performance.

Innovation Solution

A blade cascade design featuring identical blade groups with different individual blades, each having unique airfoil profiles and side wall contours that are aperiodic with the blade pitch but periodic with the blade groups, reducing radial jumps and optimizing efficiency by varying natural frequencies and aerodynamic excitations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If identical blade contours are used in the blade cascade, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but unwanted vibration phenomena and radial jumps increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblade manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidunwanted vibration phenomena
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the side wall contours of specific blades within the cascade while maintaining identical airfoil profiles. The side walls are contoured differently in the region between the airfoil and hub, creating local variations that detune natural frequencies and reduce vibrations, while the rest of the blade structure remains standardized for ease of manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces asymmetry by providing different side wall contours for at least two blades in the cascade. This asymmetric contouring breaks the periodicity of the blade arrangement, preventing synchronized vibrations and reducing harmful vibration phenomena while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity through the use of identical airfoil profiles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Device complexity

If identical blade contours are used, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but efficiency of the blade cascade deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblade contour complexityVSAvoidblade cascade efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent improves blade cascade efficiency by applying local quality variations to the side wall contours while keeping the airfoil profiles identical. This localized differentiation optimizes flow characteristics and reduces losses in specific regions without requiring complete redesign of all blade components, thus improving efficiency with minimal increase in overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If side walls are contoured to improve efficiency, then blade cascade efficiency improves, but periodic sidewall contouring with blade pitch creates radial jumps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblade cascade efficiencyVSAvoidsidewall contour periodicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates periodic sidewall contouring and associated radial jumps by introducing asymmetric side wall contours. At least two blades have different side wall profiles, which breaks the periodic repetition that causes radial jumps. This asymmetric design maintains efficiency improvements from side wall contouring while avoiding the harmful periodic effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP2789802B1Blade cascade for a turbomachine and corresponding manufacturing method
Publication Date: 2022.07.13 MTU AERO ENGINES GMBH
  • EP2789802B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a blade cascade for a turbomachine, in particular a gas turbine, with a plurality of identical blade groups arranged next to one another, each of which has a first individual blade (10) with a blade leaf (12) with a blade profile and a first side wall (11), and one of these have different second individual blades (20) with a blade leaf (22) with a blade profile and a second side wall (21), the first and second side walls (11, 21) having different contours.