Effect of particle impact on spatial and temporal erosion characteristics of turboshaft engine compressor

Abstract

When turboshaft engines operate in dusty environments, particulate matter erodes the compressor blades, which may leads to structural damage and presents a severe threat to the operational reliability and safety of helicopters. The aim of this study is to determine the erosion characteristics of compressor blades and how it changes with time. Particle velocimetry and erosive experiments were conducted to obtain the SiO₂ particle velocity and the erosion rate of the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. Based on the measured data, the parameters of the Tabakoff erosion model have been refined, which is critical for establishing a transient erosion model for the 1.5-stage compressor of a turboshaft engine that accounts for the effect of particle erosion time. Simulation results show that the motion behavior of particles exhibits changing patterns at different time intervals, which leads to variations in the erosion area and erosion rate of the compressor. The erosion area and rate on blades increase nonlinearly with time. In some locations, when erosion time increases, the erosion area and erosion rate also increase. While, in other locations, the erosion area and erosion rate hardly change with time. The maximum erosion rates increased by 27.3 %, 28.6 %, and 87.2 % for the guide blades, 42.9 %, 69.6 %, and 84.0 % for the rotor blades, and 69.0 %, 103.6 %, and 142.8 % for the stator blades at 0.50s, 0.75s, and 1.00s, respectively, in comparison to 0.25s.