Dynamic modeling and experimental modal analysis for the central rod-fastened rotor with Hirth couplings based on fractal contact theory

Abstract The central rod-fastened rotor of gas turbine exhibits pronounced noncontinuous characteristics due to the large number of contact interfaces between the compressor and turbine disks. It is necessary to establish an accurate dynamic modeling method for the central rod-fastened rotor that fully considers the contact surface effect. In this work, the contact behavior of the rough surface is characterized by the fractal theory. The normal and tangential contact stiffness models are developed, and the influence of fractal parameters is discussed. Besides, the finite element model for the central rod-fastened rotor is established by developing an improved contact element considering the equivalent stiffness segment of Hirth couplings. Finally, the proposed model is verified by conducting the modal testing and measuring the first four modes of natural frequencies and modal shapes of the central rod-fastened rotor. The results show that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental ones, and the fractal contact model can effectively predict the connection stiffness of Hirth couplings, which in turn improves the simulation accuracy for the modal characteristics of the central rod-fastened rotor and provides a dynamic modeling approach with high efficiency and less computational complexity.