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Advances in Structural Design for Turbomachinery Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2025) | Viewed by 2275

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10139 Torino, Italy
Interests: bladed disk structural dynamics; nonlinear vibrations in frictionally damped systems; reduction techniques; aeroelasticity
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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence via di Santa Marta, 3, 50139 Florence, Italy
Interests: validation of radical engine architecture systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, new methodologies to guide the design of complex systems such as turbomachinery have been introduced into industrial practices.

The performance enabled by new computer architectures, together with consolidated collaboration between industry and academia, has led to a broader framework of actions that can be performed from the preliminary design stage, reducing the time needed to develop a new product.

The computer-aided engineering paradigm of a sequence of operations, from CAD to FEM, then to manufacturing and, finally, to model updates, is changing to a model-based design framework where the designer is supported in reducing the simulation time and engineering time to validate a complex design, including a database of measurements in the field to predict the behavior of the system in service.

This Special Issue deals with new approaches to optimizing the design of complex systems such as turbomachinery, including the following topics:

  • Parametric reduced-order models;
  • Exploitation of high-performance computing;
  • Digital twin development;
  • Multiphysics simulation environments including aero-elastic effects, contact mechanics, and friction joint modeling;
  • New hybrid electric solutions for propulsion systems in aviation and related structural supports;
  • Machine learning and data-driven design methods;
  • Life-cycle assessment for sustainable designs.

Dr. Christian Maria Firrone
Dr. Lorenzo Pinelli
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • parametric reduced-order models
  • exploitation of high-performance computing
  • digital twin development
  • multiphysics simulation environment including aero-elastic effects, contact mechanics, and friction joint modeling
  • new hybrid electric solutions for propulsion systems in aviation and related structural supports
  • machine learning and data-driven design methods
  • life-cycle assessment for sustainable designs

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 3968 KB  
Article
Non-Linear Forced Response of Vibrating Mechanical Systems: The Impact of Computational Parameters
by Enio Colonna, Teresa Berruti, Daniele Botto and Andrea Bessone
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(16), 9112; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15169112 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 308
Abstract
The harmonic balance method (HBM) is a widely used method for determining the forced response of non-linear systems such as bladed disks. This paper focuses on analyzing the sensitivity of this method to key computational parameters and its robustness. HBM and HBM coupled [...] Read more.
The harmonic balance method (HBM) is a widely used method for determining the forced response of non-linear systems such as bladed disks. This paper focuses on analyzing the sensitivity of this method to key computational parameters and its robustness. HBM and HBM coupled with pseudo arc length continuation are used in this paper to solve the equation of motion of a test case. The pseudo arc length continuation is necessary because when intermittent contact occurs, natural continuation cannot guarantee solver convergence. Intermittent contact, in addition to turning points, introduces further problems, which are caused by an infinite sequence of decaying, but not zero, Fourier coefficients. This results in the need to oversample the non-linear force time signal to avoid convergence problems. The computational parameters investigated in this paper are the samples per period, which determine the number of points in which the time signal is discretized, and the harmonic truncation order. In addition, the connection of contact parameters, such as friction and contact stiffness, with computational parameters is analyzed. This study shows that the number of time samples per period is the most limiting parameter when intermittent contact occurs; whereas, in the absence of intermittent contact convergence, problems can be avoided with a reasonable number of time points. Poor discretization of the signal leads to a bad computation of Fourier coefficients and thus a lack of convergence. Sensitivity analysis shows that the samples per period depend on the contact parameters, especially normal stiffness. To ensure the solver robustness, it is important to set the computation parameters appropriately to ensure the convergence of the solver while avoiding unnecessary computation effort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Structural Design for Turbomachinery Applications)
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17 pages, 7674 KB  
Article
Nonlinear Vibrations of Low Pressure Turbine Bladed Disks: Tests and Simulations
by Umidjon Usmanov, Giuseppe Battiato, Christian Maria Firrone, Marta Conte, Emanuele Rosso and Antonio Giuseppe D’Ettole
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10597; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210597 - 17 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1402
Abstract
One of the most effective methods to limit the mechanical vibrations of bladed disks is the use of friction damping at mechanical joint interfaces. Unfortunately, dedicated tests to assess the impact of mistuning and the effectiveness of friction dampers are uncommon. This paper [...] Read more.
One of the most effective methods to limit the mechanical vibrations of bladed disks is the use of friction damping at mechanical joint interfaces. Unfortunately, dedicated tests to assess the impact of mistuning and the effectiveness of friction dampers are uncommon. This paper presents an original design of an academic demonstrator to perform an experimental analysis of the dynamic response of a tip-free bladed disk with under-platform dampers (UPDs), including an identification of intrinsic and contact mistuning introduced by the UPDs. The 48-blade disk was tested in a vacuum spinning rig by using permanent magnets. Vibration measurements were performed with the Blade Tip-Timing system. Tests were simulated using the Policontact tool, which predicted the average experimental nonlinear response in the presence of UPD, confirming the tool’s ability to capture the general nonlinear dynamic behavior of the mistuned bladed disk. This study presents a novel approach combining experimental Blade Tip Timing (BTT) with numerical simulations using Policontact (ver. 3.0) software and a model update based on experimental evidence to validate nonlinear dynamic responses. It distinguishes between intrinsic and contact mistuning effects, providing new insights into their impact on bladed disk vibrations. Additionally, a comparison of aluminum and steel UPDs reveals that steel offers a 26% greater damping efficiency due to its higher density and preload, significantly improving vibration reduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Structural Design for Turbomachinery Applications)
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