Topology Optimization of the Interior Structure of Blades with an Outer Surface Determined Through Aerodynamic Design

This work performs a topology optimization of the interior structure of engine blades in compressors with any given geometry of the desired outer-surface shape that may be determined by CFD and aerodynamic design software for the desired performance for thermal and fluid flows. A lofted compressor airfoil surface from the aerodynamic design was used to create a three-dimensional (3D) solid in SolidWorks. This was converted to an .IGS file that would be imported into HyperMesh® for the meshing and submitted to OptiStruct® for optimization. An optimization process is designed to produce an optimal interior structure, considering both pressure on the outer surface and centrifugal forces produced by rotational movements. The optimized blade becomes hollow in an optimal pattern with minimum materials needed for the pressure loading on outer skin and the distributed centrifugal forces. The final design was compared to the initial design using finite element method (FEM) to confirm that the mass, stress, strain, and displacement were reduced. The mass was reduced by 59.8% and the stresses reduced by a factor of 3.66! These results were validated by conducting a mesh independence study. 3D printers were used to produce the optimized blades in both plastic and metal.