Research database

Aeroengines do their work in extremely harsh environments, and functional integrity of components is paramount to airplane safety. Blisks, or bladed disks, are single-piece turbomachinery components that have long been part of aircraft engine compressors. The one-piece design saves space and weight and enables better blade dynamics. However, when a blisk becomes damaged, individual blades cannot be easily replaced, and repair while ensuring integrity can be challenging. Blending, a low-cost machining method to repair damage, changes blade geometry and thus changes vibration frequency and aerodynamic characteristics. The EU-funded BRAVO project is developing a comprehensive vibration evaluation tool to assess blended (repaired) disks in order to enhance the safety and lifetime of these expensive and critical aeroengine components.