Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

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Journal of Sound and Vibration

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jsvi

Intense vibration mechanism analysis and vibration control

technology for the combustion chamber of a liquid rocket
engine
Dahua Du a, b, *, Erming He a, Daoqiong Huang b, Guangxu Wang b
a
College of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Rd., Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, PR China
b
National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Liquid Rocket Engine, 289 Feitian Rd., Aerospace Base, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710100, PR
China

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: High-amplitude vibration in the combustion chambers of large-thrust liquid rocket en-
Received 17 April 2018 gines (LREs) has been the main concern of aerospace structural engineers in China for
Received in revised form 9 August 2018 many years. Excessive vibration poses a serious threat to the structural safety of engine and
Accepted 31 August 2018
the reliability of system operation. In this study, the structural vibration and gas pulsation
Available online 3 September 2018
Handling Editor: L. Huang
data of an LRE during an intense-vibration test condition were analysed in detail. The
coupling characteristics between the sound pressure and the vibration signal of a com-
bustion chamber were determined. A 3D dynamic model of the combustion chamber
Keywords:
Vibroeacoustic coupling
structure was then established with the modelling method of the corrugated composite
Intense vibration sandwich plate. The accuracy of the model was verified by the results obtained from
Combustion chamber operational modal analyses of an engine hot test. Moreover, a novel vibroeacoustic
Liquid rocket engine coupling analysis method was proposed, and a vibroeacoustic coupling model for the
combustor was established. By examining the acoustic and structural dynamic charac-
teristics and acousticesolid coupling relationship of the combustor, we were able to show
the mechanism of intense vibration under the coupled resonance of acoustics and vibra-
tion. Finally, an engineering solution for suppressing the intense vibration of combustion
chamber structures was proposed. We found that the intense vibration of the combustion
chamber was caused by the ‘rough combustion’ or ‘oscillatory combustion’ in the
combustor. The first-order longitudinal acoustic mode coupled with the three-node
diameter structure mode, and thus formed a coupled resonance and generated a high
dynamic gain because of the chamber pressure pulsation. The most effective and
economical means of intense vibration suppression in combustion chamber structures is to
decouple the acousticevibration coupling mode through structural improvements. In this
way, the anti-resonance margin of the improved structure became larger than 7.5%. With
the improved design, the vibration acceleration of the combustion chamber was reduced
by two-thirds, and the effectiveness of the improvement measures was verified.
© 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

* Corresponding author. College of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Rd., Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, PR
China.
E-mail address: cascddh@sina.com (D. Du).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2018.08.023
0022-460X/© 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
54 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

1. Introduction

Combustors in LREs are important devices that convert the chemical energy of propellant into gas heat energy. Severe
environments, such as those at high temperature and pressure, high or low temperature, thermal shock, strong vibration, and
increased noise, cause low-cycle and high-stress fatigue failures in local structures. Faults, such as weld cracking, pipeline
leakage, and clamp fracture occurred repeatedly in test runs and flight missions. The cause of such failures is closely related to
the increased vibration in the combustion chamber. Increased vibration in an engine induces various types of failures, intense
vibration, and elicits severe mechanical environmental conditions in the engine and rocket. Moreover, failure occurs when
the reliability margin of a certain component is insufficient, and results in the emergency shutdown of an engine or even the
failure of a mission, seriously affecting the reliability and safety of the rocket, thus causing increasingly severe consequences.
Therefore, the intense vibration problem of the combustor should be addressed so that the safety and reliability of the rocket
operation are ensured.
An analysis of the hot test and flight data of an LRE shows strong non-linear pressure fluctuations because of the so-called
‘rough burning’ (or instable combustion, NASA SPe194), and the severe thermoeacoustic instability in the combustor. When
thermoeacoustic oscillation and structural vibration occur simultaneously and their frequencies are nearly equal, the acoustic
mode is coupled with the structural mode of the combustion chamber that ultimately results in the dynamic instability of the
combustion chamber structure [1,2]. The acousticevibration coupling amplifies the vibration of the combustion chamber
structure. Through the load transfer path, the vibration energy is transmitted to the entire engine and the rocket, and ulti-
mately causes significant damage. Thus, the characteristics of the acoustic and vibration coupling should be deeply explored
to reduce the vibration levels of the rocket engine.
The dynamic characteristic of the acousticevibration coupling in the combustor is an important factor that affects its
normal operation, and numerous researchers have conducted studies to address this issue. High-frequency combustion
instability may occur when the combustion process is coupled with the acoustic oscillation of the combustion chamber.
Various engine types, including the Fe1, RL10, J2, SSME, Aerojet Apollo (SPS), RD110, Viking, and China's Long March series
rocket engines, have encountered high-frequency combustion instabilities during their development. This problem was
resolved by suppressing combustion instabilities [3,4]. In Ref. [5], the longitudinal equivalence frequency and stability was
predicted in an aero-engine afterburner using the theoretical model of the thermoeacoustic oscillation coupling between the
duct's acoustic propagation and the unstable heat release. Huls [6] used a monopole sound source to construct a combustion
flame model and combined the finite element method with a large eddy simulation method to predict the vibration response
of the structure. Montesano et al. [7,8] studied the vibration and acoustic characteristics of a combustor from the perspective
of the acoustic-structure coupling using a finite element method. Huls [9] applied the finite element method to predict the
sound and vibration of the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. Bai [10] established a 3D dynamic model of an
acoustic field and direct structural coupling for a thin-walled cylindrical structure, and then analysed the influence of acoustic
and vibration coupling on the dynamic characteristics of the thin-walled cylindrical structure, and its mechanism. Ai et al.
[11,12] established an analysis model of an aero-engine combustion chamber and combined numerical analyses with ex-
periments to study the thermoeacousticesolid coupling problem in combustion chambers. Altunlu and Schulz [13,14] used
the finite element method to analyse the acousticestructure coupling model and conducted a model test study, wherein
damping was greatly influenced by coupling. Kruntcheva [15] summarised the development of the sound fieldeelastic
problems during the past 50 years, and found that sound and vibration coupling significantly changed the dynamic behav-
iours of the systems. However, the mechanism of the effects of the acoustic vibration on the structural vibration charac-
teristics has not been studied in detail.
Analytic, statistical energy, numerical calculation, and experimental research methods, are used in the structural vibration
characteristics and cavity acoustic properties. For the convenience of analysis, existing studies only considered the relatively
weak coupling between the structure and the sound cavity. Hence, the coupling characteristics and mechanism of the
structureeacoustic cavity and the influences of a strong coupling between the structure and sound on the intrinsic properties
of the structure, and the acoustic cavity system have been rarely examined, and reports on the thermoeacousticestructural
multi-physics coupling in the LRE combustion chamber are few.
In this study, a 3D dynamics modelling technique for the combustor structure, an analysis theory of the acoustic cavity, and
a novel analysis method of the vibro-acoustic coupling were proposed. The acoustic characteristics, structural modal char-
acteristics, and vibro-acoustic coupling response of the combustor were systematically investigated. The mechanism of the
intense vibration of the combustion chamber was revealed, and the effective vibration control measures against this problem
are also outlined.

2. Characteristics of the vibration and pressure oscillation

The data in the present hot test show that after the engine is ignited, the vibration acceleration on the combustion
chamber, gas generator, and turbo pump occurs at 987 Hz, the amplitude of the acceleration frequency division is high, the
energy is highly concentrated, and the total vibration value increases gradually. As the engine reaches a steady state operating
condition, the amplitude of the highlight frequency stabilises and continues to shut down. In the present study, this phe-
nomenon was referred to as the ‘intense vibration of structure’, as shown in Fig. 1.
 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67 55

Fig. 1. Axial vibration of the combustion chamber.

The gas pressure pulsation in the combustion chamber is close to a sinusoidal waveform, as shown in Fig. 2. The frequency
component is uniform and consistent with the vibration frequency. The coherent coefficient of vibration and gas pressure
fluctuation reaches 0.97, thus indicating that a certain correlation exists between the intense vibration and the
acousticestructure coupled vibration.
However, no obvious highlight frequency is detected in the vicinity of 987 Hz in the normal test. The frequencies of the
pressure pulsation and vibration are manifested only at the same frequency, which is six times the speed of the turbo pump.
The frequency of the intense vibration in the combustion chamber is close to the gas oscillation frequency, and the intense
vibration poses a great threat to the engine's reliability.

3. Dynamic modelling of the combustor structure

3.1. 3D dynamics model of the structure

A combustion chamber is divided into two parts: head and body. The body consists of a combustion chamber, a nozzle, and
overall direct attachments. The nozzle is further divided into the convergentedivergent and expansion sections, as shown in
Fig. 3.
The cooling channels of the combustor and the convergentedivergent section of the nozzle are sandwiched by an inner
wall, a corrugated plate (straight groove), and an outer wall. High-temperature brazing connects these parts. Using the
modelling method for the composite materials with a corrugated sandwich structure as the core, we simulated the structure
in accordance to the laminated shell (three layers). Its properties can use the property of the composite plate. The inner and
outer walls exhibit high strength and stiffness, and they constituted the main load-bearing layer and provided bending
stiffness. The actual elastic modulus and thickness were determined based on the assumption that the material was isotropic.
The middle layer was a corrugated sandwich, which mainly provided shear stiffness. This layer was treated with an ortho-
tropic composite material, and its thickness was the actual thickness of the sandwich. In a typical corrugated sandwich
composite material, the cell unit was used as the analysis object for the establishment of a cell mechanical model. In this
study, the mechanical characteristics of a cell unit were predicted according to the theory of a composite material equivalent
to a corrugated sandwich structure, lamination theory, and knowledge of material mechanics. The simplified method is

Fig. 2. Gas pressure oscillation.

56 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

Fig. 3. Combustion chamber structure.

illustrated in Fig. 4, and the equivalent equations of the parameters of the mechanical properties of the corrugated structure
were expressed by Eqs. (1)e(8).

2
1 h h3  hd cos2 q
¼ þ 3
(1)
Exx Ed Ed cos q

ðb þ Lhw Þd
Eyy ¼ E (2)
ðb þ Lhw cos qÞh

nxy ¼ n (3)

ðb þ dÞd2 n cos q
nyx ¼
 (4)
ðb þ Lhw Þ h2 þ d2 cos q  d2 cos2 q

Fig. 4. Simplification of the combustor structure.

 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67 57

pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
Exx Eyy
Gxy ¼  pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi  (5)
2 1 þ nxy nyx

dðb þ dÞ
Gxz ¼ G (6)
hðb þ Lhw Þ

Gyz z2Gxz (7)

ðb þ Lhw Þd
re ¼ r (8)
ðb þ Lhw cos qÞh

where E is the original elastic modulus, Exx and Eyy are the elastic moduli of the side pressure and side tension along the x- and
y-directions, respectively, y is the original Poisson's ratio, yxy and yyx are the equivalent longitudinal and transverse Poisson's
ratios of the core, respectively, G is the shear modulus of the original structure, Gxy is the in-plane shear modulus of the
sandwich panel, Gxz and Gyz are the transverse shear moduli of the sandwich panel, Lhw is the half-period length of the non-
welded core material of the corrugated sandwich, r is the original density, and re is the equivalent density of the core material.
The finite element modelling of the core structure can be performed to analyse the mechanical behaviour of the core without
the mechanical performance test. Accordingly, the calculated data of the mechanical properties can be modified.
The truncated cone cap of the head, the injector, and the throat, can be simplified by using the principle of stiffness and
mass equivalence. Using shell element simulations, we established the finite element model of the combustion chamber, as
shown in Fig. 5.
The pre-stress modal analysis was performed in the forceeheat environment. The node diameter shapes are shown in
Fig. 6. The combustor had a modal frequency near 987 Hz.

3.2. Operational modal test

During the engine test, an operational modal test was performed on the combustion chamber structure. The accuracy of
the dynamic model was verified on the basis of the modal test data.

Fig. 5. Finite element model of the combustor.

58 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

Fig. 6. Node diameter shapes of combustor. (a) Two-node diameter (734 Hz), (b) three-node diameter (986.9 Hz), and (c) four-node diameter (1256 Hz).

The displacement modal test is based on the natural excitation theory (NExT) [16]. The basic idea of NExT is that com-
bustion produces zero-mean Gaussian white noise during the engine's operation. The structural vibration is naturally
stimulated by the environmental noise, and the acceleration data at the corresponding position of the structure are measured.
The operational modal parameters of the structure are then generally identified on the basis of modal criteria, based on the
time domain modal analysis and the enhanced spectral kurtosis methods [17].
To ensure that the test presented high modal shape resolutions in the circumferential and axial directions, we established
the circumferential and axial test models. A total of 27 measuring point locations were uniformly designed in the middle of
the cylindrical section of the combustion chamber in the circumferential direction. Subsequently, 15 measuring point loca-
tions were arranged along the generatrix from the head of the combustion chamber to the outlet of the convergentedivergent
section. A tri-axial accelerometer (Brüel & Kjær 4525B) was attached to each measuring point, and LMS Test.Lab modal system
was used for the collection and analysis of the acceleration data. The sensor installation method is presented in Fig. 7.
The 986 Hz mode of the combustor's structure was then obtained. The shape was a three-node diameter along the
circumference of the combustor, and the maximum amplitude was in the middle of the cylinder's segment (Fig. 8). A
comparison of the modal simulation results and experimental values showed that the relative error of the modal frequency of
the three-node diameter was less than 0.2%. Therefore, the simulation and test results were significantly correlated, and the
dynamics model of the combustor was deemed to be of high-quality and dynamic compliance.

4. Acoustics and vibroeacoustic coupling theory

4.1. Acoustic theory

When an unstable combustion occurs, the oscillation frequency tends to be nearly equal to the natural frequency of the
acoustic oscillation in the combustion chamber. Therefore, studying the acoustic characteristics in the combustion chamber is
a necessary step for solving the entire problem. The combustion chamber was assumed to be a cylindrical acoustic cavity that
was closed at both ends, wherein the length was La and the radius was Ra . The cavity was filled with an ideal gas. The
disturbance in the gas medium is often considered a small disturbance with finite amplitude, which propagates in the form of

Fig. 7. Design of measuring point locations.

 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67 59

Fig. 8. Operational modal shape.

sound waves, whereby the propagation is assumed to be an isentropic process. The three-dimensional wave equation of the
acoustic cavity is
!
v2 p 2
2 v p v2 p 1 vp 1 v2 p
¼c þ þ þ (9)
vt 2 vx2 vr2 r vr r 2 vq2

where p is sound pressure, c is the speed of sound, and x, r, and q, are the axis, diameter, and tangential coordinates,
respectively. Using the separation variable method to solve the above formula and introduce the boundary conditions, the
special solution of the wave equation is
 
plx pamn r
p ¼ cos mq$cos $Jn $cos ut (10)
La Ra

where l, m, and n, are the orders of the longitudinal, radial, and tangential modal shapes, respectively, Jn is a n-order Bessel
function, u is the oscillating frequency, and amn is the mth root of Jn ¼ 0. The natural frequency of the acoustic mode is
sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
 2  
c l amn 2
fmnl ¼ þ (11)
2 La Ra

For a longitudinal oscillation, m, n, and amn are zero, J0(0) ¼ 1, and ls0, which implies that

cl
f ¼ (12)
2La

Moreover, the fluctuating pressure is

plx
p ¼ cos $cos ut (13)
La

4.2. Finite element acoustic vibration coupling

The sound chamber of a combustion chamber is a closed inner sound field. The boundaries of the sound pressure Up,
velocity Uc, and acoustic impedance Uimp, meet the acoustic boundary conditions. Given the structural stiffness and the gas
density of a combustion chamber, the interaction between the structural vibration and fluid pulsation, that is, the
acousticevibration coupling problem, should be analysed [18,19].
The acoustic and vibration coupling characteristics were analysed by the acoustic finite element method. The acoustic
Helmholtz wave equation is

V2 pðx; y; zÞ  k2 ðx; y; zÞ ¼ jra uqðx; y; zÞ (14)

where V2 is the Laplace operator, k ¼ u/c is the wave number, ra is the density of gas, q is the velocity of per unit volume. For
an acoustic finite element system, the weighted integral of the wave equation in the sound field calculation domain V is
60 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

Z h i
W V2 pðx; y; zÞ  k2 ðx; y; zÞ þ jra uqðx; y; zÞ dV ¼ 0 (15)
V

where W is the weighting function. According to Gauss' theory, the finite element meshes are discrete, and the numerical
equations are organised as


K a þ juDa  u2 M a ,pa ¼ Q i þ V ni þ P i ¼ F a (16)

where Ma, Ka, and Da are the acoustic mass, stiffness, and damping matrix, respectively, pa is the nodal acoustic pressure of
the solution, Q i , V ni , and P i , are the input sound source vector, particle velocity, and sound pressure conditions, respectively,
and F a is the acoustic excitation.
Aiming at the solution of the coupling problem of the structural vibration and sound field distribution, we used the
coupled acoustic finite element method to analyse the acousticevibration problem. Near the coupling boundary of the
acousticevibration coupling system, the vibration velocity in the direction of the structural normal was the same as the
vibration velocity of the fluid. The vibroeacoustic coupling equation is





Ks Kc D 0 Ms 0 u Fs
þ ju s  u2 $ s ¼ (17)
0 Ka 0 Da ra K c T Ma pa Fa

where Ms, Ks, and Ds, are the mass, stiffness, and damping matrix of the unconstrained part of the structural grids, respec-
tively, Kc is the coupling stiffness matrix (the coupling mass matrix is generally defined as M c ¼  ra K c T ), us and pa are the
displacement and sound pressure, respectively, and Fs and Fa are the vibration and acoustic excitations, respectively.
Notably, Fs is the modal coordinate of the structural system, Fa is the modal coordinate of the sound field system, us ¼
Fs xs , pa ¼ Fa xa , ms ¼ Fs T M s Fs , ma ¼ Fa T M a Fa , mc ¼ Fa T M c Fs , ks ¼ Fs T K s Fs , ka ¼ Fa T K a Fa , kc ¼ Fa T K c Fs , ds ¼
Fs T Ds Fs , da ¼ Fa T Da Fa , f s ¼ Fs T F s , and f a ¼ Fa T F a . The coupling equation of sound and vibration in the modal coordinate
system can then be expressed as

ks þ juds  u2 ms kc x fs
$ s ¼ (18)
u2 mc ka þ juda  u2 ma xa fa

5. Analysis of the structure and acoustics

5.1. Sound field characteristics

The acoustic mode of the combustor sound cavity was analysed with the LMS Virtual.Lab acoustics software (V13.0). The
gas status parameters are listed in Table 1. The following assumptions were postulated and applied: a) the medium was
uniform, and b) there was no average flow. The head and sidewall were defined as the wall boundary conditions, wherein the
sound velocity was zero. The boundary conditions at the throat of the nozzle are complicated. For the natural acoustic modal
frequency in the axial direction, the admittance at the critical section was small, and the initial calculation can be considered
as a solid wall. Moreover, the effects of the mixing ratio of the combustion chamber, chamber pressure, fuel temperature rise,
‘cold zone’ length, and average flow, that is, f ¼ f0 ð1  Ma2 Þ were also considered. Meanwhile, f0 is the theoretical frequency,
and Ma is the Mach number. The first three-order acoustic modes of the acoustic cavity were calculated. Fig. 9 shows the
acoustic shapes.
The first-order longitudinal acoustic modal frequency is 987 Hz. When the pressure wave propagates along the axial
direction of the combustion chamber, the wave reflects back and forth between the two hard sections of the injector face and
nozzle converging section and forms a standing wave. The pressure shape of this order is an anti-node around the injector's
face and the convergent section, and the two positions are 180 out of phase with each other. The above conclusions can be
explained by Eqs. (12) and (13) when l ¼ 1. The first-order longitudinal mode is close to the main vibration frequency of the
intense vibration, whereas the first-order tangential and second-order longitudinal acoustic frequencies are much higher
than 987 Hz. In general, the destructiveness of the longitudinal combustion instability is small when coupling is not
considered. However, when coupled with the structural natural frequency and the unstable combustion frequency, this

Table 1
Gas parameters.

Total temperature (K) Chamber pressure (MPa) Adiabatic index Gas constant (J kg1 K1) Density (kg m3) Sound speed (m s1)
3371 7.7 1.226 368.6 6.64 1195
 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67 61

Fig. 9. First-order longitudinal (1A), first-order tangential (1T), and second-order longitudinal (2A) acoustic shapes. (a) With an acoustic baffle (990, 1407, and
1855 Hz), and (b) without an acoustic baffle (987, 1665, and 1852 Hz).

destructiveness exerts a serious effect on the engine's performance. The first-order longitudinal pressure pulsation in the
combustion chamber, which is the main vibration source of the engine, exerts a major effect on the vibration of the entire
engine. When the acoustic oscillation is coupled with the structural mode, a strong mechanical vibration often accompanies it
that will form a powerful destructive force.
The acoustic baffle provides a damping effect that slightly affects the first- and second-order longitudinal modes, but
greatly increases the frequency of the first-order tangential mode. The acoustic baffle destroys the energy condition of the
high-frequency unstable combustion and reduces the possibility of an unstable combustion [20]. Therefore, when analysing
the influence of the first-order longitudinal acoustic mode, the influence of the baffle can be ignored.

5.2. Structural modal analysis

The modal characteristics of the combustor structure must be clarified, so that the relationship between the main fre-
quency vibration of the combustor structure and the thermal sound field can be clarified. First, the CFX software was used for
the simulation of the combustion process using the shear stress transport turbulence and the vortex dissipative combustion
models. The structural characteristics of the gas flow field were then analysed. After the data transfer between the flow field
and structure, the thermal and mechanical loading conditions on the structure were obtained. Subsequently, by using the
high-accuracy dynamics model of the combustion chamber structure established in Section 3.1, we performed intrinsic (dry
state) modal analyses. Based on the intrinsic modal data, pre-stress modal and acousticevibration coupling modal analyses
were performed. Finally, the effects of the steady state pressure, temperature, fluid mass, and the acoustic field on the
structural modal frequency were then compared. The results are shown in Fig. 10 and Table 2.
62 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

Fig. 10. Influencing factors of the three-node diameter mode.

Table 2
Analysis of the structural modal influencing factors (Hz).

Order Dry Propellant mass Temperature Gas static pressure Non-acoustic coupling Acoustic coupling Comprehensive influence
Two-node diameter 746 731 734 760 766.9 766.6 734
Three-node diameter 984 965 964 1026 987.6 987.2 986.9
Four-node diameter 1238 1214 1218 1307 1247.42 1247.4 1256

The influences of the propellant addition mass, temperature, chamber pressure, and acoustic field on the three-node
diameter mode of the combustor structure were analysed. The aforementioned factors affected only the modal fre-
quencies and had almost no effect on the mode shapes. The most influential is the gas pressure, which increased the structural
stiffness ks , as indicated by Eq. (18). Hence, the modal frequency of the structure increased by 4% as the stiffness of the
structure increased. Temperature reduced the elastic modulus of the structure, thereby reduced the structural stiffness ks ,
and ms was increased because of the additional propellant mass generated by the coupling. Therefore, the effects of tem-
perature and mass were the same, and reduced the modal frequency to approximately 2.3%. The relative error between the
dry state and experimental value was only 0.3%. Thus, the dry state value can represent the operational mode.
Considering the action of the sound field, we established the acousticevibration coupling model, and the non-zero natural
frequencies of the structure were obtained according to Eq. (18). Comparing the two sets of calculated results, namely, the sets
with and without consideration of the sound field, we found that the structural natural frequencies decreased when the
sound field was considered, and the acoustic frequencies were slightly improved [10]. Given that damping was ignored, we
transformed Eq. (18) to obtain the characteristic equation


ks  u2 ms xs þ kc xa ¼ 0 (19)

Given that kc is small, the equation listed above is transformed to ðks  u2 ms Þxs ¼ 0. Considering the influence of the
sound field, a certain additional mass is added to the structure and the gas mass is limited. That is, ms is increased, and ks is
almost unchanged, and u is thus lowered.

5.3. Vibroeacoustic coupling analysis

In this study, the LMS Virtual.Lab acoustics software and modal superposition method were used for the analysis of the
coupling response of the acoustics and vibration. We used the Krylov iterative solver to considerably increase the calculation
speed. In the calculation, a monopole sound source with a mass flow rate of 12 kg/s2 was used for the simulation of the
harmonic excitation within the frequency range of 100e2000 Hz at the centre of the sound cavity. The acousticevibration
coupling response under the pulsating pressure excitation of the gas was analysed.
Fig. 11 shows the sound pressure response at the coupling surfaces and field points of the acoustic cavity, while Fig. 12
presents the displacement response at the structure monitoring point. Equivalently, Fig. 13 illustrates the sound pressure
and displacement at 987.2 Hz. During the frequency sweep within the frequency range of 100e2000 Hz, the excited 1A, 1T,
and 2A modes of the sound cavity are the same as those in Section 5.1. At the same time, the excited two-, three-, and four-
node diameter modes of the structure are consistent with the analysed results in Section 5.2. The pulse pressure amplitude is
0.38 MPa at 987.2 Hz, and the calculated vibration acceleration is nearly 60 g based on the vibration displacement jaj ¼ 8pAf 2 ,
where A is the amplitude. The pulsating pressure and vibration acceleration are consistent with the measured values in the
 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67 63

Fig. 11. Frequency response curves at the sound pressure monitoring points.

Fig. 12. Frequency response curves at the vibration monitoring sites.

Fig. 13. Coupling surface acoustic pressure and vibration displacement response (987.2 Hz). (a) Sound pressure, and (b) vibration displacement.

hot test of the engine (Section 2). The three points proved that the proposed sound and vibration coupling analysis method is
reasonable. In the case of the first-order longitudinal acoustic mode, the three-node diameter mode was excited and pro-
duced a maximum radial displacement amplitude that was approximately equal to 0.024 mm. The structure and sound field
presented a coupling resonance at this frequency.
64 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

Fig. 14 presents the degree of coupling between the structure and the sound field. The modal partition factor was 0.084 at
987.2 Hz. The acoustic and structural modes were coupled weakly and exhibited lower coupling with other acoustic and
structural modes. In the analysis of the coupling problem, whether the coupling effect must be considered, which was
determined by the coupling coefficient lc, that is, lc ¼ ra ca =ðrs de uÞ, where ra and rs are the gas density and structural density,
respectively, ca is the sound speed of gas, de is the structural equivalent thickness, and u is the angular frequency. Coupling
occurs when lc > 1, and no coupling occurs when lc < < 1. The calculation yielded that lc ¼ 0:116, which indicates that the
acoustic and structural modes were weakly coupled in space but formed a strong coupling in time [21]. This finding is similar
to the findings of Fig. 14.
The analyses of the sound, structural response, and modal contribution, show that the first-order longitudinal resonance of
987.2 Hz appears in the sound cavity at the high-energy excitation of the sound field of the combustor. The sound field served
as the excitation source for the structural vibration of the combustor. The sound energy directly acted on the combustor's
structure through the coupling surface, excited the three-node diameter modal vibration of the structure, and enhanced the
vibration of the structure at a specific frequency. The structural vibration provided feedback on the sound field response and
excited the sound field. Given the increased energy of the sound field, the acoustic and vibration coupling formed even in the
case of a weak sound coupling state. Correspondingly, the intense structural vibration occurred as a result of the high-energy
excitation of the combustion sound field and acousticevibration coupling.

6. Generation mechanism of the intense vibration

The combustor of an LRE is a device with high-energy density and intense combustion. Owing to such factors, insufficient
stability margin (or weak damping), delicate differences among the actual products, changes in the chamber conditions and
the propellant temperature, triggered by the onset of the ignition shock or the adjustment of the working conditions, the
energy provided by the combustion process to the first-order longitudinal acoustic mode increased and released at a fre-
quency. Thus, an energy-concentrated, high amplitude, continuous pressure oscillation, namely a first-order longitudinal
‘oscillatory combustion, occurred in the combustor.
When the pressure oscillation occurred in the combustor, the standing wave acoustic energy of the gas was projected from
the gas phase to the structure at a certain rate. At the same time, the acoustic wave exhibited the transmission and reflection
of the acoustic energy at the solid/air interface because of the non-rigid structure of the combustor [22]. The vibration and
chamber pressure pulsation exhibited high coherence, indicating a close relationship between the vibration and gas pulsa-
tion. The first-order longitudinal acoustic frequency of the acoustic cavity was close to the third-order modal frequency of the
structure, and the first-order longitudinal acoustic and the three-node diameter structural breathing shapes mutually fav-
oured excitation. Accordingly, vibroeacoustic coupling was generated.
The main vibration source in the combustor was pressure pulsation caused by the combustion process. The combustion
chamber structure absorbed, dissipated, and transferred the gas pressure oscillation energy and produced a large amplifi-
cation to the small pressure oscillation. The amplitude of the vibration frequency division increased considerably, thus

Fig. 14. Modal partition factors.

 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67 65

resulting in an obvious and large dynamic response of the combustion chamber structure at the dominant frequency.
Accordingly, an intense vibration phenomenon was produced.
The vibration energy propagated along the transmission path of the engine under the influences of the force and heat
environment for a certain period of time. This condition resulted in the relative weak structure of the dynamic strength,
which caused the low-cycle and large-scale stress fatigue failure with a considerable destructive power.

7. Vibration control technique of the engine

To improve the reliability of structures in the presence of the intense vibration of the engine, measures must be taken from
the perspectives of the vibration reduction and resistance.
The root cause of the intense vibration problem is the high-amplitude ‘oscillation combustion’ in the combustor. This
problem is difficult to solve during the combustion process because of the strong destructive nature of the ‘oscillation
combustion’, increased randomness, significant non-linearity, numerous influencing factors, delicate mechanisms, et al.
Active or passive control is considered from the perspective of the acoustic suppression [23]. In the early stage of the engine
development, the new ‘K’ injector scheme was adopted, and the acoustic baffle was generally added for the suppression of the
transverse acoustic modes during high-frequency instability period. However, longitudinal acoustic modes may appear. In a
first-order longitudinal acoustic mode with low-acoustic frequency, a damping device [24,25] or a longitudinal acoustic cavity
[26,27] (the axial size requirements of the acoustic groove are equal to a quarter of a wavelength) is difficult to achieve owing
to the large size of the structure. Therefore, the uniqueness of this problem makes it difficult to solve based on the ‘oscillating
combustion’ process. The problem-solving direction should be turned to the vibration transmission path, vibration response,
and improvement in the dynamic strength margin of the structure.
To reduce the vibration of the vibration transmission path, the corresponding vibration reduction measures cannot be
enforced at the transmission path because the gas energy directly acts on the combustion chamber structure. From the
perspectives of the vibration response, the first way is to increase the damping on the outer wall, while the damping effect is
not obvious in the case of intense vibration system. The other way is to eliminate or reduce the response of the combustor's
structure by reducing the dynamic gain of the structure and by avoiding resonance or excessive vibration. By decoupling the
structural mode from the acoustic mode for the prevention of coupling resonance, the improvement of the combustor's
structure is a simple, economic, and effective measure. The present analytical work includes the use of the structural dy-
namics model of the combustor, as established in Section 3, such that the effects of the different inner wall thickness, outer
wall thickness, and slotted structure, on the modal frequencies were simulated and analysed. A structural improvement
scheme was then proposed, based on the modal sensitivity analysis and its ability to be realised subject to the premise that
the total carrying capacity does not decrease.
The three-node diameter modal frequency of the combustion chamber structure can be increased only by increasing the
stiffness of the combustor structure and implementing the following measures: (1) completion of integrated processing by
brazing and forming the inner wall, the corrugated sandwich plate and the outer wall, followed by changing the inner wall
and the corrugated plate that is equivalent to the direct milling of the slot structure with the inner wall, and brazing by the
inner and outer walls; (2) thickening of the outer wall from 3.0 mm to 4.2 mm. At the same time, a strict process control was
performed to ensure the consistency of the rigidity of all engine combustion chambers, and to reduce the modal divergence of
the structure for modal management and control. The specific methods include the control of the inner wall milling slot size
and the outer wall thickness, the strict control of the high-temperature brazing process of the inner and outer walls, and the
control of the welding process of the injector, head, and combustor.
Through structural improvements, the three-node diameter modal frequency of the combustion chamber structure was
improved from 987 Hz to 1061 Hz, and the avoidance rate of the three-node diameter structural and first-order longitudinal
 
 
acoustic modes was improved by more than 7.5% (K ¼ fnature fexcite 
fnature   100%), thereby the anti-resonance margin was increased.
We performed a hot test simulation prediction and a hot test to evaluate the effectiveness of the improvement measures.
Based on the adoption of vibration control measures, the axial vibration level was controlled within an acceptable range,
wherein the vibration displacement response amplitude did not exceed 0.01 mm, and the vibration acceleration did not
exceed 24 g, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, respectively.
The ‘anti-vibration’ measures were proposed for the improvement of the structural dynamic strength reliability and fa-
tigue resistance. An all-welded general structure was adopted. This measure is a simple, easy, intuitive, and effective solution
for improving the structural reliability. The potential weaknesses were searched, optimised, and experimentally verified.

8. Conclusions

A new acousticevibration coupling analysis method for the LRE under a structural intense vibration was proposed, and the
mechanism and control measurements were analysed. The conclusions drawn are as follows.

(1) A 3D dynamic model of the combustor structure was established using the modelling method for a corrugated com-
posite sandwich plate. The relative error of the three-node diameter modal frequency between the conducted
66 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67

Fig. 15. Vibration displacement of the improved structure (simulation).

Fig. 16. Vibration acceleration of the improved structure (test).

simulation and test was less than 0.2%. This finding was verified based on the operational modal analysis results of the
engine hot test. The model exhibited high fidelity
(2) An acoustic analysis method was proposed for the combustor, and the acoustic characteristics of the acoustic cavity
were analysed. The first-order longitudinal acoustic mode at the frequency of 987 Hz was close to the main vibration
frequency of the intense vibration, and played a leading role in the deterioration of the engine's vibration. The acoustic
baffle slightly influenced the longitudinal modes, but greatly increased the transverse mode frequencies
(3) The research method of the acousticestructure coupling in a combustor was proposed, and the influences of additive
mass, temperature, chamber pressure, and acoustic field on the three-node diameter mode of a combustor structure
were analysed. The acoustic field slightly affected the structural vibration modes. The acoustic effect slightly reduced
the structural modal frequencies, whereas the acoustic modal frequencies slightly increased
(4) The three-nodal diameter structural mode was excited at the first-order longitudinal acoustic mode. The acoustic and
structural modes were weakly coupled in space, but were strongly coupled in time. They generated a maximum radial
displacement amplitude that was approximately equal to 0.024 mm. The structure and the sound field exhibited
coupling resonance at this frequency
(5) The mechanism of the dynamic coupling resonance between the structure and the combustion was revealed. The
structure was coupled with the sound cavity by the acoustic vibration because of the first-order longitudinal ‘oscillating
combustion’ in the combustor under the effect of the structure amplification on pressure oscillation. The structure
exhibited a large dynamic response at the dominant frequency, thereby resulting in an increased structural vibration
(6) The most effective and economical method to solve the increased vibration problem is to decouple the
acousticevibration coupling mode of the combustor. By improving the structure and making the anti-resonance
margin greater than 7.5%, this study reduced the vibration acceleration in the hot test by two-thirds, and the effec-
tiveness of the improvement measures was verified
 D. Du et al. / Journal of Sound and Vibration 437 (2018) 53e67 67

Acknowledgments

The Natural Science Youth Foundation of China (Grant No. 11702204) supported this work. The authors would like to thank
Mr. Mu Penggang, Mr. Xue Jie, and Mr. Liu Yongxing for their support, as well as Mr. Li Longfei and Mr. Zhou Lixin from the
Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Institute for their technical advice.

Appendix A. Supplementary data

Supplementary data related to this article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2018.08.023.

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