Optimization design and experimental study of a two-disk rotor system based on multi-island genetic algorithm

Based on rotor dynamics theory, a two-disk flexible rotor system representing an aero-engine with freely supported structure was established with commercial software ANSYS. The physical model of the two-disk rotor system was then integrated to the multidisciplinary design optimization software ISIGHT and the maximum vibration amplitudes experienced by the two disks when crossing the first critical speed were optimized using a multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA). The optimization objective was to minimize the vibration amplitudes of the two disks when crossing the first critical speed. The position of disk 1 was selected as the optimization variable. The optimum position of disk 1 was obtained at the specified constraint that the variation of the first critical speed could not exceed the range of ±10%. In order to validate the performance of the optimization design, the proof-of-transient experiments were conducted based on a high-speed flexible two-disk rotor system. Experimental results indicated that the maximum vibration amplitude of disk 1 when crossing the first critical speed declined by 60.9% and the maximum vibration amplitude of disk 2 fell by 63.48% after optimization. The optimization method found the optimum rotor positions of the flexible rotor system which resulted in minimum vibration amplitudes.