Finite Element Modeling of Leading Edge Curl Phenomenon
Open Access
- Author:
- Slota, George Michael
- Area of Honors:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Douglas Edward Wolfe, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Douglas Edward Wolfe, Thesis Supervisor
Lee David Coraor, Thesis Honors Advisor
Dr. Robert Allen Kimel, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- FEM
finite element modeling
leading edge curl
curling
foreign object damage
FOD
leading edge - Abstract:
- Leading edge curl is a deformation phenomenon that has been observed to occur on the first 0.01-0.03 inches of the leading edge of compressor blades in jet turbine aircraft operating in sandy or dusty environments. This deformation affects the aerodynamic properties of the blade, causing decreases in engine performance and time between required maintenance. This thesis focused on re-creating the leading edge curl phenomenon using finite element modeling (FEM) to design dynamic two and three dimensional models of particles impacting a compressor blade leading edge. Once a modeling methodology was determined in which curl could be re-created with consistency, a range of conditions was finally identified in which curling could be expected to occur, including particle velocities, particle sizes, and angles of impingement. In total, approximately five thousand different blade, particle, impact, and modeling configurations were simulated. Additional modeling efforts were performed in an attempt to explore possible methods of reducing or mitigating the deformation and curling caused under these identified conditions. Thicker leading edge blade geometry was modeled and compared against the original blade geometry. It was found that thickening the leading edge of the blade prohibited significant deformation and could prevent all curling in the absence of erosion. New materials were explored for the blade model, including a more elastic titanium alloy and a less elastic nickel chromium superalloy. These materials were found to perform slightly less than the original material in terms of deformation protection, likely due to both materials' lower yield stresses in comparison to the original material. Finally, thin titanium nitride (TiN) coatings were modeled on a blade model to determine how effective ceramic coatings were against impacting particles. Coatings were modeled with a range of Young’s moduli in order to determine its effect on erosion resistance. Thin TiN-based coatings were found to decrease deformation under all conditions, but were susceptible to damage under high velocity and large particle impacts. The difference in erosion protection offered with differing Young’s moduli was minimal based on the obtained simulation results.