TB19: Mechanical Validation of Axial Impellers with Plastic Blades in Genset Applications
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Date
2021
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Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
Abstract
Hybrid axial impellers with a hub made of aluminum and blades of engineering plastics are commonly used as part of cooling packagesfor industrial applications The use of plastics opens for a larger design flexibility in terms of blade shapes, allowing optimized profilesfor higher efficiency, lower noise and/or higher pressure depending on the application requirements Additionally, the component weightand cost are lower than their fully metallic counterparts In environments where spark ignition is not permitted (ATEX), the use ofantistatic, reinforced plastics is mandated in some casesHowever, due to lower stiffness of the blades, their natural frequencies are lower than a metal impeller of the same size, but with higherdamping Therefore, special attention must be put into validating the impeller for the application, in order to avoid resonance withvibration inputs coming from the engine and/or from aerodynamic interaction with the shroud and eventual obstacles in the airflowThis article describes the mechanical loads and vibration issues typically encountered in genset applications, as well as the tools usedfor validation, using numerical simulation as well as physical tests in the machine
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Technical Briefs