The DLR-internal project OmniTURB (2010-2013) is officially entitled as ‘Design, optimization and measurement of a two stage high pressure turbine with combustion chamber simulator”. It started together with the LuFo project InterTurb and the intention was to support DLR’s own interests that were not fully covered by the external project with industrial partner Rolls-Royce Deutschland and to finance further activities. Beside the leading Institute of Propulsion Technology (many departments) there are the Institutes of Materials Research and of Structures and Design as well as DLR’s own workshop SHT for mechanical design and manufacturing taking part in the project.
With OmniTURB, the DLR (generally) and the turbine department (in particular) should be enabled to offer a complete in-house process and work flow from early predesign up to the experimental validation of a manufactured turbine prototype to a customer. DLR wants to have the capability (unique in the field of aviation and energy research) to fully answer the following question by validated results:
‘What is the optimal turbine geometry to the current customer’s requirements and how can a prototype blading be designed, manufactured and experimentally investigated in a short amount of time and with an outstanding level of quality?.’
Because of the large scope of OmniTURB its specific project goals are diverse. There has been a general split into two fields of work, namely theoretical and practical/experimental. The theoretical goals mainly aim at implementing a complete turbine design and optimization process while the practical ones are focused on the planning of the new turbine test facility in Göttingen as well as the manufacturing of the prototype research turbine coming from InterTurb, including the implementation of a new manufacturing method at DLR. Worth mentioning is also the execution of an extensive material test program in order to qualify the new laser sintering process for manufacturing of prototype test turbines. Numerous investigations and tests concerning static and dynamic strength and life as well as failure mechanisms have been carried out at DLR with in-house produced specimen.
Throughout all participating departments, the following specific results have been accomplished within the scope of OmniTURB: