Compressor Drum Protection Element for Blade Root Wear Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wear at the contact surfaces between the bearing areas of the compressor drum and the moving blades in low-pressure compressors leads to reduced radial clearances, uncontrolled blade penetration, axial offsets, and potential mechanical failure, affecting the compressor's balance and mechanical strength.
Innovation Solution
A protection element is installed between the blade roots and the compressor drum, comprising side walls and a connecting wall to cover bearing areas, made from a deformable nickel-based material, with recesses and grooves for mounting, restoring the contact interface and facilitating blade installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If moving blades are installed in the compressor drum using conventional bearing areas, then the compressor can operate, but the bearing areas wear down due to micro-displacements of the blades
Solution Approach 1:
A protection element is introduced as an intermediary component between the moving blade roots and the stationary compressor drum bearing areas. This protection element absorbs the micro-displacements and wear, preventing direct contact and friction between the blade roots and the drum bearing areas, thereby extending the service life of the drum while maintaining reliable blade positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing surface is transformed from a direct metal-to-metal contact interface to a protected interface with modified tribological parameters. The protection element changes the friction characteristics and wear resistance of the bearing area, allowing the system to maintain stable blade positioning over extended periods without degrading the drum bearing areas.
2Ease of manufacture
If the compressor drum is worn, then blade installation becomes difficult and balancing is affected, but replacing the entire drum is costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The compressor drum is segmented functionally by introducing protection elements that can be independently installed and replaced. This segmentation allows the worn drum to be repaired by replacing only the protection elements rather than the entire drum, while maintaining precise blade positioning through the protected bearing areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection elements are pre-installed on the compressor drum before blade installation. This preliminary action prepares the bearing areas in advance, ensuring that when blades are installed, they encounter fresh, unworn protection elements that provide optimal positioning and alignment, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision.
3Reliability
If protection elements are added to the compressor drum, then blade positioning is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protection elements are designed as thin-walled, flexible structures that can be easily installed and conform to the drum surface. These thin-film-like protection elements provide robust mechanical protection and blade positioning without adding significant structural complexity or weight to the compressor drum assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains the proper positioning and alignment of blades, preventing uncontrolled penetration and axial offsets, enhancing the mechanical strength and operational stability of the compressor drum.
Implementation Method 1
The connecting wall is elastically deformable so as to allow mounting of the protection element onto the compressor drum
Data Source
AI summary
A protection element (45.1, 45.2) for a compressor drum (20) can be arranged at least in part between a blade root (25) and the compressor drum (20). The protection element can include:a first lateral wall (51.1, 51.2) including an inner portion (54.1, 54.2) intended to cover an inner rounded portion of a pocket (24), a bearing surface portion (55.1, 55.2) intended to cover a blade root bearing surface of the pocket (24), and an outer portion (56.1, 56.2) intended to cover an outer rounded portion of the compressor drum (20),a connecting wall (53.1, 53.2) intended to cover an outer face of the compressor drum (20), anda second lateral wall (52.1, 52.2) including a projecting portion (57.1, 57.2) intended to engage with a mounting groove (46.1, 46.2) formed in a vertical face of the compressor drum (20).