ECL5/CATANA: Comparative Analysis of Advanced Blade Vibration Measurement Techniques

A comprehensive understanding of aerodynamic instabilities, such as flutter, non-synchronous vibration (NSV), rotating stall, and forced response, is crucial for the safe and efficient operation of turbomachinery, particularly fans and compressors. These instabilities impose significant limitations on the operating envelope, necessitating precise monitoring and accurate quantification of vibration amplitudes during experimental investigations. This study addresses the challenge of measuring these amplitudes by comparing multiple measurement systems applied to the open-test case of the ultra-high bypass ratio (UHBR) fan ECL5. During part-speed operation, the fan exhibited a complex aeromechanical phenomenon, where an initial NSV of the second blade eigenmode near peak pressure transitioned to a dominant first-mode vibration. This mode shift was accompanied by substantial variations in blade vibration patterns, as evidenced by strain gauge data and unsteady wall pressure measurements. These operating conditions provided an optimal test environment for evaluating measurement systems. A comprehensive and redundant experimental setup was employed, comprising telemetry-based strain gauges, capacitive tip timing sensors, and a high-speed camera, to capture detailed aeroelastic behaviour. This paper presents a comparative analysis of these measurement systems, emphasizing their ability to capture high-resolution, accurate data in aeroelastic experiments. The results highlight the critical role of rigorous calibration procedures and the complementary use of multiple measurement technologies in advancing the understanding of turbomachinery instabilities. The insights derived from this investigation shed light on a complex evolution of instability mechanisms and offer valuable recommendations for future experimental studies. The open-test case has been made accessible to the research community, and the presented data can be used directly to validate coupled aeroelastic simulations under challenging operating conditions, including non-linear blade deflections.