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Structures for Aero Engines

Low compressor fan blade in hybrid design method (CF-PEEK with Titanium)

Engine structures and building methods for structures in an aero engine belong to the traditional activities of the Institute.  Since 1976 to 1979 compressor blades from fiber reinforced aluminum were already developed for the J79 engine in a special, fiber-fair building method as double blade with a loop. The trend to ever more lightweight construction materials in aero engines, open the step into the front part of an engine with moderate temperatures up to approx. 250 °C environment temperature. In particular the rotating highly loaded structures, like fan blades, represent a challenge, which may be solved with fiber reinforced composites or in combination with metals in hybrid design methods.

Analog to high lift structures the development of engine structures has its basis on closed process chains, which are present at the Institute. They are also based on developed and established processes and could be supported by external resources. From the view of technologically for example the development of hybrid compressor blades itself is based on CFK composites and on the vacuum consolidation technology in combination with materials like thermoplastic and titanium for prototype production. For quantity production the shift to a pressing technique is possible if the test of quantity production is necessary.
The theoretical side is completed by the mathematical description of the joining shape to allow the conversion and the realizations from experimentally won results directly to the product, regarding hybrid design methods . in the case of developing completely new compressor blades, algorithms are available which allow for example a blade optimization based on an aerodynamic results in a short time. The focus of the activities is thereby the establishment of the ability to design and construct those structures. An example for a completely established process chain within the Institute is the actual development of a structural OGV. An OGV (Outer Guide Vane) is a structure where core engine is mounted by the load introduction over the guide vanes of the first boosters and/or fan stage at the airplane. Here the use of the thermoplastic welding technology and the combination of short and long fiber reinforced materials as well as the use of a press technology is basis for the realization of quantity production of complex compressor structures. Additionally a tooling is provided at the Institute.

In this area collaborations with the Institute for Propulsion Technology in Cologne and the companies MTU Aero Engines as well as Rolls-Royce Germany are established.