Stress Calibration Methodology of Stator Blades Using Experimental SAFE Diagram

Abstract

This paper introduces an improvement of the stress calibration methodology of stator blades to consider a nodal diameter of interest of the structure. The proposed calibration procedure and the search for optimal excitation set-up are detailed. To this purpose, the following points are addressed. Experimental modal analyses are performed using both accelerometers and strain gages. Post-processing techniques are developed to determine the nodal diameters of the identified modes. SAFE (Singh’s Advanced Frequency Evaluation) diagrams are computed from the experimental data and compared with the diagrams obtained numerically by finite elements computations. Multiple excitations are used to appropriate the targeted modes. A comparative study of different shaker types, of the number of excitation points and of their location is performed. Calibration is achieved by comparing strain measurements taken on one gage installed on the engine and velocities measured using laser vibrometers. It allows reducing the impact of the instrumentation on the modal content. The calibration factors obtained by the novel proposed procedure are compared to the ones given by the currently used methodology.