An integrated design system for turbomachinery

Abstract This paper outlines an integrated design system for turbomachinery, particularly machines such as gas turbines, hydraulic turbines, pumps, and propellers commonly found in marine operations. The system incorporates flow modeling, structural analysis, and manufacturing simulation under one integrated design environment, which allows effective sharing and transfer of information among different stages and disciplines of the design, thus optimizing the design process. The design starts with 1D meanline modeling, which allows designers to explore a vast design space and produces a basic flow path and preliminary performance prediction. From the meanline results, an initial 3D geometry model can be constructed. This geometry model serves as the core of the design system on which further aerodynamic and mechanical optimization, such as full 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and finite element analysis (FEA), can be subsequently performed. Furthermore, a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) component is also part of the design system. The early inclusion of 5-axis manufacturing considerations in the design process can help reduce overall costs while avoiding the expensive overhaul of the aerodynamic and structural design late in the process. This integrated approach ensures that the final design not only meets the performance target, but also satisfies the requirements of structural integrity and manufacturability.