Numerical and experimental study of the conical connection of the blade of a rotary machine

Abstract

The paper presents an experimental and numerical study of the tapered socket of the aluminum blade root of the mine main ventilation fan, which is based on the tests of a simplified full-scale model with a discarded airfoil and its subsequent finite element analysis. The calculation model takes into account elastoplastic properties of materials and non-linear contacts with friction. The proposed joint consists of an aluminum tapered blade root, two steel retainers with similar tapered surfaces, and two steel bolts that join the retainers around the root. Pre-tightening the bolts allows fixing the blade in an unloaded state in the socket and prevents its unwanted turns. Such a tightening is taken into account in the finite element analysis by means of determining, in compliance with special rules, the axial force of the pretension of the bolts. With the help of a hydraulic press acting on the lower surface of the airfoil root, the effect of the centrifugal load on the conical joint from the side of the blade airfoil is simulated. Nonlinear static analysis of the elastoplastic behavior of the structure allows determining the destructive loads that cause the bolts to break with the subsequent disconnection of the fasteners and the blade to fly out of the seat. The graphs of the equivalent von Mises stresses indicate that the maximum stresses are reached in the working part of the bolts, which fully corresponds to the nature of the destruction of the structure upon reaching the maximum equivalent load on it. The experimental study confirms the correctness of the determination of contact stresses at the tapered socket location. Correspondence of the results of the static analysis with the results of the full-scale experiment makes it possible to draw a conclusion about the correctness of the conducted finite element modelling. This allows using the developed formulation of the problem to determine the strength of rotor structures with conical connections of blades without performing preliminary experimental studies. In addition, the developed technique can be extended to a larger range of conical and cylindrical joints due to the simplicity of the approach and the versatility of the formulation of the nonlinear finite-element problem which models structures with preloaded or tensioned elements.