Finite Element Morphing for IBR Blade Damage Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing morphing techniques for finite element models of components result in undesirable discontinuities due to shifting node locations when damage is present, necessitating an improved process to virtually remove damage without requiring new morphing techniques.
Innovation Solution
A method involving generating a digital representation of a component, identifying damaged regions, applying a displacement field, and executing a morphing process to generate an output file with the damage removed, using interpolation to smooth the affected areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing morphing techniques are used to remove damage from finite element models, then the damage can be virtually removed for analysis, but discontinuities occur due to shifting node locations
Solution Approach 1:
The finite element model is divided into three distinct regions: a first region containing the damage, a second region without damage, and a third region serving as a transition zone between them. This segmentation allows the morphing process to be applied differently to each region, preventing discontinuities at region boundaries while effectively removing damage in the first region.
Solution Approach 2:
Different processing approaches are applied to different regions of the model. The first region undergoes aggressive morphing to remove damage, the third region undergoes morphing to maintain continuity, and the second region remains unchanged. This localized quality approach ensures that damage removal in one area does not create discontinuities in adjacent areas.
2Manufacturing precision
If node locations are shifted during morphing to remove damage, then the damage region can be smoothed, but discontinuities appear at region boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The third region acts as an intermediary transition zone between the first region (where damage is removed) and the second region (where original geometry is preserved). By applying morphing to this intermediate region, the patent creates a gradual transition that eliminates discontinuities at boundaries while maintaining the smoothed appearance in the first region.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution extends the morphing process from a single-region operation to a multi-region operation that includes spatial dimensionality. By creating and processing a third transition region, the patent adds a dimensional aspect to the morphing process that resolves boundary discontinuities while preserving the damage removal effect.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A component or region of an integrally bladed rotor (IBR) includes damage or a defect within a region on the blade of the rotor. A digital representation of the component is generated using an inspection system. The region is identified within the digital representation of the component. Data regarding the scanned IBR is aligned. The aligned data is used in a morphing process with a finite element model of the component that excludes the identified region. Additional operations are performed to morph the data within the identified region that removes the damage or defect from the finite element model.