Dynamic modeling and vibration characteristics analysis of the aero-engine dual-rotor system with Fan blade out

Abstract Fan Blade Out (FBO) from a running rotor of the turbofan engine will not only introduce the sudden unbalance and inertia asymmetry into the rotor, but also apply large impact load and induce rotor-to-stator rubbing on the rotor, which makes the mass, gyroscopic and stiffness matrixes of the dynamic equation become time-varying and highly nonlinear, consequently leads to the system’s complicated vibration. The dynamic analysis of the aero-engine rotor system is one essential requirement of the authorities and is vital to the aero-engine’s safety. The paper aims at studying the dynamic responses of the complicated dual-rotor systems at instantaneous and windmilling statuses when FBO event occurs. The physical process and mechanical characteristics of the FBO event are described qualitatively, based on which the dynamic modeling for an aero-engine dual-rotor system is carried out considering several excitations caused by FBO. Meanwhile the transient response during the instantaneous status and steady-state response at the windmilling status are obtained. The results reveal that the sudden unbalance can induce impact load to the rotor, and lead to the sharp increase of the vibration amplitude and reaction force. The rub-impact will apply constraint effects on the rotor and restrict the transient vibration amplitude, while the inertia asymmetry has little influence on the transient response. When the rotor with huge unbalance operates at windmilling status, the rub-impact turns to be the main factor determining the rotor’s dynamic behavior, and several potential motion states, such as instable dry whip, intermittent rubbing and synchronous full annular rubbing would happen on certain conditions.