Dynamic and fatigue compressor blade characteristics during fluid-structure interaction: Part I-Blade modelling and vibration analysis

Fatigue failure in blades resulting from alternating loads is a primary cause of aircraft engine failure. In this study, the dynamic and fatigue performance of a compressor blade, which is prone to fatigue failure in practical use, is verified through numerical analysis and tests to identify specific failure causes and ultimately prevent blade failure. Two companion papers describe this work. Part I-blade modelling and vibration analysis establishes a compressor blade model based on reverse engineering and investigates the blade's dynamic characteristics during aerodynamic and structural behaviour interactions under various flight conditions. To accurately describe the dynamic performance of a real blade, three blade models with different fitting precisions are constructed to support dynamic response analysis. In addition, the flow field of each model is constructed to simulate the aerodynamic loads that cause blade vibration. A numerically based analysis of the fluid-structure interaction is subsequently performed. A reasonable calculation model is selected by comparing the dynamic characteristics among these models. The Campbell diagram is analysed to determine resonance probability, and blade failure cause is ultimately verified based on the vibration analysis. The results show that different accuracies in the blade calculation model produce varying degrees of error; the calculation model's ability to reflect the dynamic and fatigue behaviours of a real blade is recommended to be used as a critical evaluation index in the numerical study. The first-order harmonic resonance occurring at critical speeds may contribute to blade failure.