Comparison of Beam and Shell Theories for the Vibrations of Thin Turbomachinery Blades

Abstract

A great deal of published literature exists which analyzes the free vibrations of turbomachinery blades by means of one-dimensional beam theories. Recently, a more accurate, two-dimensional analysis method has been developed based upon shallow shell theory. The present paper summarizes the two types of theories and makes quantitative comparisons of frequencies obtained by them. Numerical results are presented for cambered and/or twisted blades of uniform thickness. Significant differences between the theories are found to occur, especially for low aspect ratio blades. The causes of these differences are discussed.