A Magnetic Bearing Suspension System for High Temperature Gas Turbine Applications: Part III — Magnetic Actuator Development

Magnetic bearings, unlike traditional mechanical bearings, consist of a series of components when mated together, form a stabilized system. A series of four papers will summaries the results carried out at Draper in the development of a high temperature magnetic bearing suspension system for a gas turbine application. Part I [1] will document our approach for rotordynamics modeling of the turbine shaft and the development of models for use in our simulation programs. Part II [2] documents the simulation efforts and the control system which resulted from this effort. Parts III and IV [3] document the design and fabrication of the magnetic bearing actuators and the auxiliary touchdown bearings. This paper, part III, deals with the design of the high temperature magnetic bearing actuators. Two radial and one axial magnetic bearing actuator were designed to meet the requirements for the turbine application. No bias coils are included in these design. The biasing flux is provided by current from the control power amplifiers. All the coils are made from ceramic coated copper wire and are terminated to high temperature connectors designed into the actuators. The new high strength Hiperco 50 HS material was chosen for the rotor lamination material for the radial bearings. A customized heat treatment process for this material in a high vacuum environment was developed to insure the maximum strength was obtained with the maximum magnetic properties. High temperature ceramic coated copper wire and bonding and potting material used for the coil assembly were tested up to 650 degrees C without failures.

Oxidation Induced Stress-Rupture of Fiber Bundles

The effect of oxidation on the stress-rupture behavior of fiber bundles was modeled. It is shown that oxidation-induced fiber strength degradation results in the delayed failure of the associated fiber bundle and that the fiber bundle strength decreases with time as t−1/4. It is also shown that the temperature dependence of the bundle loss of strength reflects the thermal dependence of the mechanism controlling the oxidation of the fibers. The effect of gauge length on the fiber bundle strength was also analyzed. Numerical examples are presented for the special case of Nicalon™ fibers.

Development of High Temperature Gas Sensor Technology

The measurement of engine emissions is important for their monitoring and control. However, the ability to measure these emissions in-situ is limited. We are developing a family of high temperature gas sensors which are intended to operate in harsh environments such as those in an engine. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: 1) The development of SiC-based semiconductor technology. 2) Improvements in micromachining and microfabricarion technology. These technologies are being used to develop point-contact sensors to measure gases which are important in emission control especially hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and oxygen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of this point-contact sensor technology. The detection of each type of gas involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. Of particular importance is sensor sensitivity, selectivity, and stability in long-term, high temperature operation. An overview is presented of each sensor type with an evaluation of its stage of development. It is concluded that this technology has significant potential for use in engine applications but further development is necessary.

A Plastic Fracture Mechanics Analysis of Small Case B Fatigue Cracks Under Multiaxial Loading Conditions

The near-tip fields of small Case B cracks in power-law hardening materials are investigated under generalized plane-strain and general yielding conditions by finite element analyses. The results for two different crack orientations are examined and compared. The results indicate that the plastic deformation patterns near the tips of the cracks of two different orientations are remarkably similar in terms of the global coordinates. The results of the J integral from the finite element analyses are used to correlate to a fatigue crack growth criterion for Case B cracks. The trends of constant ΔJ contours on the Γ-plane for two cracks of different orientations are virtually the same. Further, the trends are compared reasonably well with those of the experimental results of constant fatigue life and constant fatigue crack growth rate.

Real-Time Fault Identification for Developmental Turbine Engine Testing

Hundreds of individual sensors produce an enormous amount of data during developmental turbine engine testing. The challenge is to ensure the validity of the data and to identify data and engine anomalies in a timely manner. An automated data validation, engine condition monitoring, and fault identification process that emulates typical engineering techniques has been developed for developmental engine testing. An automated data validation and fault identification approach employing engine cycle-matching principles is described. Engine cycle-matching is automated by using an adaptive nonlinear component-level computer model capable of simulating both steady-state and transient engine operation. An automated model calibration process is also described. The model enables automation of traditional data validation, engine condition monitoring, and fault identification procedures. A distributed parallel computing approach enables the entire process to operate in realtime. The result is a capability to detect data and engine anomalies in realtime during developmental engine testing. The approach is shown to be successful in detecting and identifying sensor anomalies as they occur and distinguishing these anomalies from variations in component and overall engine aerothermodynamic performance.

The International Engineering Student Exchange Program at the University of Waterloo

The importance of international engineering student exchange programs in today’s increasingly global marketplace is well accepted. This report describes aspects of the experience of the University of Waterloo with such a program which involves 26 institutions in 14 countries. A major element in a successful link is close collaboration between faculty coordinators at the two institutions.

Blade Fault Recognition Based on Signal Processing and Adaptive Fluid Dynamic Modelling

An approach for identification of faults in blades of a gas turbine, based on physical modelling is presented. A measured quantity is used as an input and the deformed blading configuration is produced as an output. This is achieved without using any kind of “signature”, as is customary in diagnostic procedures for this kind of faults. A fluid dynamic model is used in a manner similar to what is known as “inverse design methods”: the solid boundaries which produce a certain flow field are calculated by prescribing this flow field. In the present case a signal, corresponding to the pressure variation on the blade-to-blade plane, is measured. The blade cascade geometry that has produced this signal is then produced by the method. In the paper the method is described and applications to test cases are presented. The test cases include theoretically produced faults as well as experimental cases, where actual measurement data are shown to produce the geometrical deformations which existed in the test engine.

A One Dimensional, Time Dependent Inlet / Engine Numerical Simulation for Aircraft Propulsion Systems

The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) have developed a closely coupled computer simulation system that provides a one dimensional, high frequency inlet / engine numerical simulation for aircraft propulsion systems. The simulation system, operating under the LeRC-developed Application Portable Parallel Library (APPL), closely coupled a supersonic inlet with a gas turbine engine. The supersonic inlet was modeled using the Large Perturbation Inlet (LAPIN) computer code, and the gas turbine engine was modeled using the Aerodynamic Turbine Engine Code (ATEC). Both LAPIN and ATEC provide a one dimensional, compressible, time dependent flow solution by solving the one dimensional Euler equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. Source terms are used to model features such as bleed flows, turbomachinery component characteristics, and inlet subsonic spillage while unstarted. High frequency events, such as compressor surge and inlet unstart, can be simulated with a high degree of fidelity. The simulation system was exercised using a supersonic inlet with sixty percent of the supersonic area contraction occurring internally, and a GE J85-13 turbojet engine.

Life Prediction Method Under Creep-Fatigue Loading for Gas Turbine Combustion Transition Piece of Ni-Based Superalloy N263

In order to develop the life prediction method under creep-fatigue loading for gas turbine combustion transition piece, creep-fatigue tests were carried out on both as-received and aged Ni-based superalloy Nimonic 263. Crack initiation and propagation behaviors for the smooth specimen were observed. An unique relationship was obtained between life fraction and the maximum surface crack length under triangular wave shape loading tests, except the results for the trapezoidal wave loading tests. The latter results were due to the over estimation of the surface crack length at the crack initiation. These were caused from an oxide film break during straining. In the case of removing the oxide film before the measurement of surface crack, the relationship between life fraction and the maximum surface crack length obtained as unique relationship regardless of triangular and trapezoidal strain wave shapes. Using the life prediction method proposed, which is based on maximum surface crack length, the damage of combustion transition piece materials in service was evaluated.

Development of a Corrosion Resistant Directionally Solidified Material for Land Based Turbine Blades

Advanced turbines with improved efficiency require materials that can operate at higher temperatures. Availability of these materials would minimize cooling flow requirements and thus, improve the efficiency of a turbine. Advanced processing such as directional solidification (DS), can improve temperature capability of the majority of Ni based superalloys. However, results of earlier work on IN-738 reveal that the DS process does not significantly improve temperature capability of this alloy. A research program was initiated to develop a corrosion resistant Ni-based DS blade material for land-based turbines. In this program, eight heats with varied Cr, Al, Ti, Ta, and W contents were selected for evaluation. Screening tests performed on these heats in the DS condition include tensile, creep, and corrosion. The results of experimental heats were compared with those of IN-738 in the equiaxed condition. From these results, two chemistries offering approximately 100°F temperature advantage at typical row 1 turbine blade operating stress, were selected for castability and further mechanical property evaluation. Several row 1 solid and cored turbine blades were successfully cast. The blades were evaluated for grain structure and mechanical properties. Tests were also conducted to evaluate the effects of withdrawal rates on properties. These results are summarized in this paper.