High frequency modal testing of the multiblade packets using a noncontact measurement and excitation system

High cycle failure of blades and vanes caused by the vibration is one of the major causes reducing the lifetime of turbomachines. For multiblade packets, the failure may occur at vibrations with high frequencies that can reach up to tens of kHz. The experimental modal testing of blades is crucial for the validation of numerical models and for the optimization of turbomachine design. In this paper, the test rig and procedure for measurements of dynamic characteristics of lightweight multiblade packets in wide and high frequency ranges are developed. The measurements are based on a noncontact excitation and noncontact measurement method, which allows the determination of the modal characteristics of the packets with high accuracy in wide frequency ranges. The responses of the multiblade packets are measured using a Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry (SLDV), while vibrations are excited by the acoustic excitation technique. Modal tests of the blade packet comprising 18 vane blades connected by shrouds are performed. The measurements are performed within the high frequency range of 0-30 kHz, and the natural frequencies and mode shapes are obtained for first 97 modes. To capture the complex high frequency blade mode shapes, each blade in the packet is scanned over 25 reference points uniformly distributed over the blade concave surface. In order to obtain the high frequency resolution, the frequency range used for the measurements is split into several frequency intervals accordingly to the number of spectral lines available in the used data acquisition system, and for each such interval, the test is performed separately. The finite model of the packet is created, and the numerical modal analysis is performed to compare the calculated natural frequencies and mode shapes with the experimental measurements. The comparison shows the satisfactory with those from finite element analysis. It illustrates the measurement method described in this work is effective and reliable.