Gas Turbine Rotor Assembly Balancing Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine rotors with complex designs face challenges in balancing, leading to increased risks of not meeting vibration acceptance tests, resulting in time and resource wastage due to magnified errors in existing balancing methods.
Innovation Solution
A method for assembling gas turbine engine rotor assemblies involves determining the mass and center of mass of each component, calculating reaction forces and bending moments, optimizing component arrangements to minimize bending moments, and applying mass corrections to achieve optimal stacking positions and minimize static unbalance forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If prior art balancing methods are used on complex gas turbine rotors, then the balancing process can be completed, but errors are magnified by the complicated rotor designs leading to failure in meeting vibration acceptance tests
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor assembly is divided into multiple individual rotor components, each with its own mass and center of mass characteristics. The method segments the complex rotor into manageable parts (rotor components mounted between bearings) to analyze and optimize each component's contribution to overall unbalance and bending moments, thereby preventing error magnification in the complete assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The method performs preliminary calculations of mass, center of mass location, reaction forces, and bending moments for each rotor component before final assembly. By determining optimal stacking positions and mass corrections in advance through computational analysis, the rotor can be assembled in a pre-optimized configuration that minimizes bending moments and ensures vibration acceptance test compliance.
2Productivity
If traditional rotor assembly methods are used, then assembly can be completed quickly, but the rotor may require disassembly and re-balancing if it does not pass vibration tests
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs comprehensive computational optimization of component stacking positions and mass corrections before physical assembly. By calculating the optimal configuration in advance using mass and geometric data of each component, the rotor assembly is configured correctly on the first attempt, eliminating the need for time-consuming disassembly and re-balancing operations if vibration test failures occur.
3Ease of manufacture
If rotor components are assembled without optimization, then assembly is simpler, but bending moments are maximized leading to increased vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The method systematically varies and optimizes key parameters including the stacking positions of rotor components and mass correction values. By changing these parameters through computational analysis to minimize bending moments and unbalance forces, the rotor achieves optimal dynamic characteristics while maintaining practical assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The method creates a computational model or digital representation of the rotor assembly that replicates the physical system's mass and geometric properties. This virtual model is used to calculate and optimize stacking positions and mass corrections before physical assembly, allowing multiple optimization iterations without additional physical manipulation.
Data Source
AI summary
Method of assembling a rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine having a plurality of components. The method comprises in one aspect calculating the bending forces due to the mass distribution along the rotor. In another aspect, an optimization routine iterates different rotor arrangements, comparing the calculated bending moments to determine a set of component positions that minimizes the bending forces. In another aspect, mass corrections are optimized to balance the rotor assembly.