Validation of a Methodology to Assess the Flutter Limit Cycle Oscillation Amplitude of Low-Pressure Turbine Bladed Disks—Part II: Rotational Speed Effects

Abstract The effect of the operating conditions on the vibration amplitude trends of an isolated low-pressure turbine rotor is described. The study utilizes an analytical model correlating the aerodynamic and dry-friction work introduced in Part I of the paper. In this Part II, the analysis has been extended to incorporate the influence of rotational speed. The force distribution and the penetration length of the fir-tree contact surfaces are key parameters within the heuristic microslip model used to characterize the friction forces. These parameters change with rotational speed, consequently influencing the dry-friction work involved in the process. The model is closed with numerical simulations to compute the aerodynamic damping, and it is compared against experimental data gathered from the experimental campaign detailed in Part I. The results demonstrate a significant impact of the shaft speed on flutter vibration amplitude. The vibration amplitude has been observed to reach a maximum near the on-design conditions. The analytical model can correctly capture this trend, indicating that the essential physics is retained in it. Nonlinear friction, mistuning, and three-dimensional unsteady aerodynamics have shown to play a predominant role to explain the change of vibration amplitude with the shaft speed.