Integrally Bladed Rotor Vibration Damping via Impulse Body Impact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Integrally bladed turbomachine rotors experience vibrations during operation, affecting performance, and existing solutions for vibration reduction are not entirely effective.

Innovation Solution

Separately formed impulse body housings are attached to the rotor using fastening elements, which engage in openings aligned axially or circumferentially, allowing for impact contacts between impulse bodies and cavities to reduce vibrations effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If integrally bladed rotors are used to improve strength and weight, then rotor strength increases, but vibrations are stimulated during operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverotor strengthVSAvoidvibrations
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Impulse bodies are introduced as intermediary elements that mediate between the rotor blades and the housing. These impulse bodies move within cavities and create impact contacts that generate counter-vibrations to cancel the harmful vibrations of the integrally bladed rotor, thereby reducing the harmful vibrational effects while preserving the rotor's strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes mechanical vibration principles by employing impulse bodies that move and impact against the housing or other impulse bodies. These controlled vibrations are designed to counteract the harmful vibrations of the rotor blades through destructive interference, effectively reducing the net vibration amplitude.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Object-affected harmful factors

If separately formed impulse body housings are attached to reduce vibrations, then vibration reduction effectiveness improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration reduction effectivenessVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The impulse body housing is designed as a separate, modular component that can be attached to the rotor assembly. This segmentation allows the vibration reduction system to be independently optimized and maintained without affecting the core rotor structure, managing complexity through modularity while achieving effective vibration reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The impulse body housing serves multiple functions: it contains and guides the impulse bodies, provides structural support, and acts as part of the vibration reduction mechanism itself through its rigid connection to the rotor. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby managing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

This configuration significantly reduces vibrations in turbomachine rotors, particularly in gas turbines, by utilizing impulse bodies with movement play in cavities within the housings, enhancing performance and assembly efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

vibrations of the integral blades of such rotors can be particularly advantageously reduced by impact contact between the impulse bodies and the cavities accommodating them

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpact contact: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentEP3999718B1Integrally bladed turbomachine rotor
Publication Date: 2024.06.12 MTU AERO ENGINES GMBH
  • EP3999718B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3999718B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

The present invention relates to an integrally bladed rotor for a turbomachine, in particular a compressor or turbine stage of a gas turbine, to which at least one separately formed impulse body housing (40; 40') is fastened by means of at least one fastening element (30; 30'), which engages for this purpose into an opening (41) in the impulse body housing and into an opening (11) in the rotor, wherein the impulse body housing has at least one cavity (44), in which at least one impulse body (5) having movement play is received.