15

EFFECT OF MISTUNING ON THE VIBRATION OF TURBO-

MACHINE BLADES INDUCED BY WAKES
By D. S. Whitehead*
The report gives a theoretical investigationof the effect of blade mistuning on the vibration
of the blades induced by wakes in the incident gas flow which rotate relative to the blades
in question. An upper limit to the effect of mistuning is found, which shows that the
amplitude on one blade may increase by a factor of roughly +(1+ d N ) , where N is the
number of blades in the row.
This limit is only approached in special and unusual circumstances. In normal circum-
stances the amplitude will not increase by more than about 20 per cent. It is concluded
that blades expected to work under forced vibration conditions should be made as nearly
identical as possible. This is in contrast to the situation when flutter may occur, where the
effect of mistuning is always favourablP.

INTRODUCTION G Column ( N x 1) matrix. Rth element is unity,

IN AN EARLIER INVESTIGATION (I)t
the effect of small others zero.
differences between blades on the flutter or self-excited H Square ( N x N ) matrix with elements unity.
oscillation of a ring of blades was examined theoretically. I Unit matrix.
It was concluded that the effect of mechanical damping Im Indicates imaginary part of complex quantity,
and mistuning of the blades was always favourable, since jr hlbR-
these effects always tended to raise the fluid velocity at k Moment of inertia of blade per unit length.
which flutter first occurs. This is true for both bending and M Diagonal ( N x N ) matrix with elements (y,+iS,/n).
torsional flutter, and does not depend on the nature of the N Number of blades in row.
aerodynamic coefficients, provided only that they are P (w" -wo2)/wo2.
such as to give rise to a critical flutter velocity. R Value of r for the excitation.
In this note it is proposed to examine the effect of Re Indicates real part of complex quantity.
mis-tuning of the blades on the vibration excited by wakes r Integer specifying 'aerodynamic mode'.
shed from some obstruction upstream of the cascade in S Integer specifying regular mistuning.
question, and rotating relative to it. S Integer specifying blade.
?
I Time.
Notation U Fluid velocity.
u Integer.
A Sum given by equation (11).
w Perturbation velocity, giving the excitation.
ar Re(CMa)r/X"x'- X Column ( N x 1) matrix with elements as.
B Sum given by equation (12).
Y Column ( N x 1) matrix with elements yr.
b, Im(Cidr/ A'X'.
C Diagonal (N x N ) matrix with elements (CMJr. ytd Maximum amplitude when all blades are identical.
Aerodynamic moment coefficient due to torsion. y, Amplitude (complex) of rth aerodynamic mode.
C,,
C,, Aerodynamic moment coefficient due to wakes.
zr b r I / lYid I -
c Blade chord. amax Maximum possible value of as.
D Column ( N x1) matrix with elements unity. as Amplitude (complex) of sth blade.
Square ( N xN) matrix with elements exp (Z&s/N). 27rrlN, interblade phase angle.
E
ys Mistuning of sth blade.
The MS. of this paper was received at the Institution on 8th July 8s ,Logarithmicdecrement due to mechanical damping
1965. 23 of sth blade.
* Cambridge University Engineering Laboratory. Associate Member 7) (P+~R)/~R.
of the Institution.
t References are given in the Appendix. h wcl U, frequency parameter.
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16
6 (P+ar)/br*
P Fluid densitv.
cr
X’ k/rpc4,moment of inertia parameter.
Frequency of excitation.
w
WO Datum natural frequency.
2 Indicates summation for r = 0, I, 2,. . .(N-
r
* Indicates transposed matrix.
I
Indicates complex conjugate quantity.
THEORY
As in reference (I) the theory will be written in terms of
torsional vibration, but exactly the same considerations
apply to bending vibration. It will also be supposed that
the coupling between the blades is all of aerodynamic
origin, the effects of the disc or casing in which the blades
are mounted being neglected in this respect. However, if
the disc or casing is axisymmetric, then the mechanical
coupling effects will be of exactly the same form as the
aerodynamic coupling effects, and the theory will apply
to this case equally well. This is because in both cases the
effect of the sth blade on the uth blade depends only on
(s-u), and not on the values of s and u individually.
An annular cascade of N blades will be considered.
These blades differ slightly in their natural frequencies
and in the mechanical damping of each of them, and since
it does not matter whether the differences in natural
frequency arise from small differences in the elastic
stiffness, or in the inertia of the blades, the former case
will be assumed.
Then if the angular deflection of the sth blade is
aseiot
the moment of the mechanical forces about the torsional
axis for this blade per unit length is
where 8, is the logarithmic decrement of the blade due to
mechanical damping, and ys represents the small change
in stiffness from a datum stiffness.
If. p = (w2-wo2)/wo2
representing the small difference between the datum
frequency, wo, and the frequency of the excitation, w ,
then the moment of the mechanical force can be written
where the difference (assumed small) between w and w o
has been neglected in the y and 8 terms.
If X is a column matrix of all the values of as for
<
0 s Q ( N - l ) , and M is a diagonal matrix, the ele-
ments in the main diagonal being the corresponding values
of (ys+i8,/r), then the column matrix of the moments of
the mechanical forces is given by
-kwo2{M-pl>X eiWt
JOURNAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
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D. S. WHITEHEAD
Turning to the moments of the aerodynamic forces,
these can best be expressed in terms of ‘aerodynamic
modes’, in which all blades have the same amplitude, and
there is a constant phase angle between one blade and the
next. If the amplitude of the rth aerodynamic mode is
yr (0 r < < N-l), the corresponding amplitude of the
sth blade is
1).
c(s = Yr ezntrs/N
since the phase angle (/3) between one blade and the next
is 2 ~ r / N If
. there are components of all aerodynamic
modes present, the amplitude is given by
a, = zyr eZnirs/N
t
This can be written in matrix form as
X=EY
where Y is a column matrix of all the values ofy,, and E
is a square symmetric matrix with the element exp
(2zirslN) in the rth column and sth row.
The moment of the aerodynamic forces due to motion
in the rth aerodynamic mode, and due to excitation from
sinusoidal wakes with the phase relationship of the rth
aerodynamic mode can be written, as in reference (z),
r p Uc’Cy, UC,,- w,C,,) e(2nirs/N Imt) +
The non-dimensional aerodynamic coefficients CM,
and C, are functions of the interblade phase angle, the
frequency parameter, the cascade geometry and the posi-
tion of the torsional axis; w, is the amplitude of the velocity
perturbations in the wakes which give the excitation. I n
order to provide a datum for the phase relationships, it
will be supposed that wr is real. CM,and C, have been
calculated in reference (2) and some values are tabulated,
for the particular case of unstalled flat plates at zero
incidence when the torsional axis is at the leading edge.
It will be supposed that the excitation consists of just
one component corresponding to r = R. If the blades
were identical the response would be entirely in the cor-
responding mode, r = R, but since the blades differ
there will be response in all the modes corresponding to
the N values of r.
The moment of the aerodynamic forces will therefore
be written
T ~ U ~ C ~ E ( C Y - U)(C,,),G)
(W,/ eiot
where C is a diagonal matrix whose elements are the values
of C, and G is a column matrix whose elements are all
zero except for the row r = R which has an element unity.
Equating the total moments on the blades to zero gives
-kwo2{M-pZ)X etWt
+ ~ ~ U ’ C ’ E ( C Y - ( W ~ / U ) ( C M ,eiWt
) ~ G=} 0
Putting X = E Y and rearranging gives
{- h2x’(M-PZ)E+ EC} Y = ( W E / U)(CM,),EG
where h = wc/U, and X I = k/rpc4.
Or, premultiplying by E -
{ - h2x’(E-‘ME-pZ) +C} Y = (wB/ U)(CM,),G (1)
Vol8 No I 1966
 EFFECT OF MISTUNING ON THE VIBRATION OF TURBO-MACHINE BLADES INDUCED BY WAKES 17

The formal solution of this is T h e imaginary part of this gives

- +
Y = ( W E / U ) ( C M w ) R { h2x’(E- ME-pZ) C }- ’G (2)
Variations in M will give rise to a large range of varia-
tions of Y . Some special cases will therefore be examined,
The two terms on the left of this equation may be
in order to see what the effects of mistuning can be.
interpreted as the rates at which energy is dissipated by
the mechanical damping and by the aerodynamic damping.
IDENTICAL BLADES, NO MECHANICAL
The term on the right is the rate at which work is done
DAMPING by the excitation. It will be greatest when the moment is
in quadrature with the angular displacement. For positive
This case will be used as a datum, with which later cases
aerodynamic damping the values of (CMJror br must all
can be compared. The matrix M is null, so that equation
be negative; if this is not the case the system will flutter
(2) gives
in the absence of mechanical damping. It therefore
Y = (WR/U)(CMw)R{X2X’pz+C}-1G follows that
Since the matrix in brackets is diagonal, and G has only
one non-zero element, this shows that there is response
only in the aerodynamic mode corresponding to r = R,
and it is given by The equality occurs when there is no mechanical damping,
and when the frequency is adjusted so that the phase of
the excitation is just right.
Using the ideal case from equation (4) as a datum gives
It will be convenient to write

Writing = brl/lYldl
z r
1
jr= b r / b R
this is Cr z,2jr Q z R
Then Since by definition j R = 1, this can be written
Resonance occurs when C z?jr Q
r f R
(zR-zR2) . . * (5)
p+a, = 0
When there are components in all aerodynamic modes
The corresponding response will be written y i d , and is present; it is possible that there will be one blade in which
given by all the modes combine nearly in phase. The greatest
possible amplitude is then
amax =C
r
IY~I
The amplitude of every blade is given by
Comparing this with the ideal case, the criterion that
will be used is

W O R S T POSSIBLE CASE
Now consider what is the maximum value of amaX that
The main point of interest is whether the vibration is can occur from equation (6) subject to the condition (5)
sufficient to cause failure of any blade. The maximum written as an equality (this is obviously the worst case).
possible effect of mistuning on the greatest amplitude on Differentiating with respect to any one z,, from equation
any blade will therefore be considered. (6)
Premultiplying equation (1) by the conjugate transpose
of Y, Y*’, gives
-X2x’(Y*’E-lMEY - p Y *‘ Y ) + Y*’CY
= ( W R / ~ ) ( C M UY*‘G
I)R for a maximum.
And from condition (5)
Since X = EY, E-l = E/N, and G has only one
non-zero element, this can be written
PX’
-- X*‘MX+X2~’pY*’Y+Y*’CY Eliminating azR/az7gives
N
= (WE/ U>(CMW),Y ’R zr = (zR-$)/j,
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18 D. S. WHITEHEAD

This shows that the values of (zrjr)are all equal, except for Since the matrix (h2x’ppl+C) is diagonal this imme-
r = R. Substituting back in condition (5) gives diately gives the elements of Y . They are
Y’ (zx-+)’/jr =zR-zR2
r TR
If 0 = 2 (1/jr) = 1 + 2 (I/jr)
r r # R
this is a quadratic for zR. The required root is

z.=;(l+-$) Substituting these values of y into equation (9) gives

giving zr = 1/(2j,2/0)

and “rnax/(YidI = +(l+.t/u) . . . (7) This equation may be solved for a0 giving
will always be substantially greater than one.
cxrnax/~yid~
For instance, if all the aerodynamic modes are equally
damped by the aerodynamic forces, all the values of j ,
are unity. This gives u = N and Using the ideal case from equation (3) as a datum gives
“max/(Yidl = + ( l + d N ) * . (8) “0-
Hence in a 25 bladed row the stresses may be three times
worse due to mistuning, and in a row with 121 blades the Since it is the amplitude of the blade numbered zero
factor is 6. which is of interest, the modulus of this expression is
required
ONE BLADE MISTUNED
The question now arises of whether the upper limit found
in the previous section for the increase in amplitude due
to mjstuning can ever occur in practice. The effect where
depends on there being one particular blade for which the
deflections in all the aerodynamic modes are in phase and
add up. This suggests looking at the case when just one
and
blade is mistuned.
It will be supposed that the blade numbered zero is the B = - - 1) ’
br . . (12)
one which is mistuned, and it will also be assumed that N 7(P + + b,2
there is no mechanical damping. The matrix M therefore Equation (10)gives the amplitude of the mistuned blade
contains just one non-zero element, which is real, and M under any conditions. If the frequency of excitation is
is given by adjusted so that p = -aR, indicating that the frequency

Ol
I
y o o o . . of excitation is the same as the resonant frequency when
0 0 0 . . . there is no mistuning, then the amplitude of the mis-
M= . . . . tuned blade is increased if yo is in the range from 0 to
. . . . . 2A/(A2+B2).
0 0 0 . .oJ If, as is usually the case, each blade affects only its
near neighbours and not blades spaced at a distance round
Then matrix multiplication gives the disc, then the coefficientsa, and b, are smooth functions
E - ’ M E = Yo
-H of the interblade phase angle /3 = 2rr/N. If also N is
N large, equations (11) and (12) may be approximately
where H i s a square ( N x N ) matrix, all of whose elements replaced by
are unity.
Putting this in equation (1) gives ’

Now the amplitude (complex) of the blade numbered It follows that under these conditions the amplitude of
zero is the mistuned blade is independent of N , and the effects
“0 = Xy, . . . . . (9) of mistuning are localized to the vicinity of the mistuned
T
blade. This shows that in order to obtain the large effects
Also H Y = aoD
of mistuning indicated in the previous section, the coeffi-
where D is a column ( N x 1) matrix, all of whose elements cients a, and br must not be smooth functions of /3. This
are unity. Hence might occur ip practice owing to an acoustic resonance in
(X2x’PI+C)Y = (WR/U)(C,M~L.)RG+(~~X’YO~O/N)D the gas flow, or to a mechanical resonance in the disc or
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 EFFECT OF MISTUNING ON THE VIBRATION OF TURBO-MACHINE BLADES INDUCED BY WAKES 19

casing, which could couple up with the blade vibration, Substituting equation (15) in equations (11) and (12)
but this possibility has not been investigated. gives
In order to answer the question ‘how bad can things
actually get ?’ the maximum possible amplitude will be
considered.
Firstly the amount of mistuning can be adjusted to
give the maximum amplitude. Differentiating equation
(10) with respect to yo, and putting the result equal to
zero gives
It will be convenient to write

yo=A/(A2+B2) . . . (13)
7 = (19). * . *

The corresponding amplitude is given by Eliminating A and B from equations (16), (17) and (18),
and solving for t gives
4 = u1y1+72)1’2+7 . . . (20)

This shows that in order to get large effects of mistuning The corresponding amplitude of vibration from equa-
A must be larger than B. This means in a general way tions (14) is given by
that the variations in the a, coefficients must be larger
than the b, coefficients, so that low aerodynamic damping
is required.
Secondly the frequency of excitation, which determines The coefficient aR,or equivalently 7, is still available for
p , might be adjusted to give maximum amplitude. This varying in order to obtain the maximum possible ampli-
is not a simple process, since p also occurs in the sums A tude. Equation (21) implies that the amplitude varies
and B. Instead, the effect of varying the aerodynamic monotonically with 7, and is greatest when 7 + co. The +
coefficients a, and b, will be considered. Now it is not amplitude is then given by
redistic to consider varying the damping coefficients b,,
since if any one of them is made slightly positive (they are
normally negative) and the corresponding (p+a,) is
suitably adjusted, then B can be made zero and the ampli- This agrees with equation (7), and shows that the
tude tends to infinity. This also corresponds to a system maximum possible effect of mistuning has been obtained
capable of self-excited oscillation. It will therefore be in this case.
supposed that the coefficients b, are all fixed, but that the +
In the limit q --f 00, equation (20) gives
coefficients a, can be adjusted to give maximum amplitude. t = 7)(u1/2+1)
This might be accomplished in practice by attention to Finding A and B from equations (17) and (18) and
the design of the disc. It will then be seen that the variable substituting in equation (13) gives
p becomes irrelevant, since altering the value of p is
equivalent to altering all the values of a, by the same yo = Nu-1’2 * * (23)
amount. Summarizing, it is concluded that the maximum
Consider therefore maximizing equation (14) by alter- possible effect of mistuning is found if one blade is mis-
ing any one of the a,, excluding the case r = R. The tuned by the amount given by equation (23), and if
maximum occurs when
, @+a,) % b, (all r) . . . (24)

and
iiA iiB
or B--A-=O This case is somewhat unrealistic, since equation (24)
iia, aa,
requires that all the aerodynamic modes are very lightly
Differentiating equations (1 1) and (12) and substituting damped. This might happen in practice, if all. the aero-
gives dynamic forces were very weak and the coupling was
provided by mechanical forces through the root, but
usually in such a case the vibration will already be so
severe that the additional effect of mistuning is of no
This shows that the values of (p+a,)/b, are all the same, significance. It is therefore of interest to consider the case
except for r = R. So let 7 = 0. This implies that ( p + a R ) = 0, so that the excita-
P+ar = tb, (r # R) - . . (15) tion frequency is the same as the resonant frequency when
where there is no mistuning. Equation (21) then gives
A
EZ-2(R)4-1=0 . . ,

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20 D. S. WHITEHEAD

Since u is large, being of similar magnitude to N , this mistuning is given approximately by the factor $( 1 4 2 ) +
is only very slightly less than the amplitude given by = 1.202. This 20 per cent increase in amplitude is not
equation (22). Equation (20) gives likely to be serious.

(26)
NUMERICAL EXAMPLES
The required amount of mistuning is given by I n order to illustrate further the effects of mistuning, two
NbR U- 1 numerical examples are now presented. The aerodynamic
YO=--
8112 a+ 1 coefficients have been taken from reference (2), and it
has been assumed that there is no mechanical coupling or
This is a rather more realistic case, for which the maxi-
mechanical damping. The examples refer to bending
mum possible effect of mistuning is closely approached.
vibration, so that the appropriate values of a, and b, are
But equation (26) shows that the damping forces are still
given by
substantially less than the coupling forces.

GENERALIZATION F O R EVERY S t h BLADE
MISTUNED
The results of the previous section may be generalized
to the case when every Sth blade is mistuned by the same
amount, the remaining blades being identical. This is
only possible for values of S which make N / S integral.
It will be supposed that the blades numbered 0, S,
2S,. . . ( N - S ) are the ones that are mistuned.
There will certainly be some vibration in the aero-
dynamic mode r = R, corresponding to the excitation. If
this were not so, there would be no energy fed into the
vibration. This gives a vibration of yR on the blade num-
bered zero, and yR exp (27riRSIN) on the blade numbered
S.
By the symmetry of the problem the blades numbered
0 and S must have the same amplitude, although the
phases may differ. Since the aerodynamic mode yR is
present, the phase difference is given by the factor
exp (27riRSIN).
If another aerodynamic mode y,. is present, it must give
this same phase difference between blades S apart. Hence
e2nirSiN = e2niRSIN
It follows that
27rrSIN = 27rRS/N+2rrm
<
where m is an integer 0 m < S . Hence
r = R+(mN/S) . . (27)
f
where C,, is the coefficient tabulated in reference (2),
and x is a mass ratio parameter whose value is irrelevant
in the present context.
The examples are as given in Table 1.
The penultimate line gives the maximum possible factor
by which the amplitude can increase due to mistuning,
with the tabulated values of the coefficients br. The last
line of Table 1 gives the increase in amplitude actually
obtainable, by running at the resonant frequency when
there is no mistuning, and mistuning one blade by the
optimum amount.
Case 1 was selected at random, and it is seen that the
increase in stress actually obtainable is very small. Case 2
was selected from the tables to give a large increase of
amplitude, but it is seen that the increase actually obtained
is less than 20 per cent.
CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that whereas in a A utter situation the effect
of differences between blades is always favourable, in a
forced vibration 'situation mistuning can lead to an in-
crease in amplitude on at least one blade. An upper limit
to the effect has been found, and is given approximately
+
by the factor $( 1 d N ) , where N is the number of blades
in the row.
This upper limit is only approached in special and
unusual circumstances. It requires that the damping forces

Only the S values of r given by equation (27) are per-

are substantially less than the coupling forces. The limit
missible. All the other values ofy, must be zero. The system can then be approached if these forces are related in a
has S effective degrees of freedom, and behaves exactly
like a system of S blades, with one blade mistuned. The
maximum possible effect of mistuning is given by equation Table 1
(7), where u is now given by
D = 2-b R
Case . 1 2
r br Spacelchord ratio . 1.o 1.0
the summation being taken over the values of r given by Stagger angle . 45" 75"
Frequency parameter (A) 1 .o 2.0
equation (27). N . 10 10
Since there are less terms in the summation, the effect R . 2 1
of mistuning will not be as bad as if only one blade is 0 0
2.51 2.27
mistuned. I n particular, if S = 2, so that every alternate 1.005 1.178
+
blade is mistuned, then u 2 and the maximum effect of
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 EFFECT OF MISTUNING ON THE VIBRATION OF TURBO-MACHINE BLADES INDUCED BY WAKES 21

particular way, and one blade is mistuned by a par-
ticular amount. It is necessary in particular that each blade
can directly influence all the others in the row, and not
just its immediate neighbours. This might happen if the
blade vibration coupled up with an acoustic resonance in
the gas flow, or a mechanical resonance in the disc or
casing.
The numerical examples indicate that for practical
aerodynamic coefficients the increase in stress, if there is
one, is unlikely to be serious. Nevertheless, it is suggested
that blades which are not likely to be run close to a flutter
situation should be made as identical as possible. This
should be divided into two groups, one of high frequency
and one of low frequency, which are then arranged alter-
nately round the disc. The increase in amplitude cannot
then exceed about 20 per cent. The situation when just
one blade is mistuned is potentially dangerous.
APPENDIX
REFERENCES
(I) WHITEHEAD, D. S. ‘Torsional flutter of unstalled cascade
blades at zero deflection’, R & M 3429, 1965 (S & T
Memo 12/63, ARC 26085).
(2) WHITEHEAD,D. S. ‘Force and moment coefficients for

conclusion agrees with that of Armstrong (3) drawn from vibrating aerofoils in cascade’, R & M 3254, 1962.
(3) ARMSTRONG, E. K. ‘An investigation into the coupling be-
experimental tests on a bladed disc excited mechanically tween turbine disc and blade vibrations’, Ph.D. thesis,
at one point. If there are differences, then the blades Cambridge University, July 1955.

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