Abstract

Blade off events in an aero engine are one of the most critical failures, since they can lead to significant damage to the engine, and if not managed correctly, lead to uncontained failure. During development programs detailed simulations are conducted to understand the dynamic response of bladed discs and blisks in operation, to prevent blade off events. However, blade off events do still occur on rare occasions and it is critical to be able to detect and manage them. Modelling and validation of such events is very time consuming and expensive since a blade off test is a destructive test.

To provide a more effective way of investigating a sudden addition of out of balance excitation to a complex rotor system, the Holistic Engine Rotor MEasurement System (HERMES) at Imperial College London was fitted with a purpose built Out of Balance excitation system, that was embedded in the shaft of a helicopter engine. The Out of Balance excitation system design, functionality, and commissioning test results are discussed in detail in this paper to demonstrate the feasibility of the design and highlight the level of excitation that can be achieved with such a system.

This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.