Hydromechanical System Modelling

Using Simscape & SimHydraulics to

Expand Capability
Martin Kirkman and Adam Brooke
Rolls Royce Controls and Data Services
Fuel & Actuation Sub-Systems
7th October 2015

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Contents
Background
• Who are Rolls Royce CDS ?
• Systems modelling in Rolls Royce CDS
• Use of Simscape/SimHydraulics
Case studies
• Case 1: Valve seal cavitation
‒ Root cause
‒ Fix
• Case 2: Servo valve damage
‒ Root cause
‒ Further understanding
‒ Potential fix through rapid modelling
The way forward
Background
Who are Rolls Royce CDS
Design & Manufacture
of Engine Control
Systems.
Electronic Engine Control (EEC)
i.e. software
Engine Variable Geometry

The Engine
“Intelligence”

Engine Burners

Pump & Fuel

metering Unit
Who are Rolls Royce CDS Engine Manifold Ring

Aircraft
supply

Fuel
filter

Fuel
Hydromechanical Unit Pipework to Control
engine
manifold
Fuel
Significant potential for pump
mechanical and/or fluidic
Intricate Connecting Pipework
resonance.
Systems Modelling in RR CDS
Matlab and Simulink
• Dynamic models of hydromechanical units used for performance analysis and control law
design
• Uses models of pressures, flows & valves to represent the system
• Models built from complex, non-linear, stiff PDEs.
• Reasonably accurate representation
• Aid investigation analysis work through application of tolerances and special cases

Application of SimHydraulics
• Using SimHydraulics to increase fidelity of models through use of the physical modelling
environment.
• Applications include:
• Pump ripple
• Assess overboard leakages in engine pipe breakage
• Emergency shutdown – water hammer & fluid compressibility
• In-service support issues
- Dynamic seal cavitation investigation
- Servo valve O-ring
Case Studies
 Principles of Resonance
𝒄= 𝑲 Single source closed ended system
𝝆 • Metering Valve bore

Response
Where

Source
c = Speed of sound (proportional
Whole standing wave – minimum oscillation
to peak frequency)
K = Bulk modulus

Response
Source
𝝆 = Density
¼ standing wave – maximum oscillation

Property SimHydraulics

Response
Source
Density (𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 ) 745
Bulk Modulus (P𝑎) 8.9× 108 ½ standing wave – minimum oscillation

Response
Temperature 100oC

Source
¾ standing wave – maximum oscillation
𝒄= 8.9×108
745 = 1093 m/s
Case Study 1 - Valve Dynamic Seal
Valve Dynamic Seal- Background
• Cavitation damage observed on in-service units after being returned for
failed engine starts
- Only occurring on relatively new units incorporating a new design of the valve .

• Assistance asked by Customer Support Services to investigate the problem.

• Beyond the normal capability of “conventional” Simulink models

- SimHydraulics used to model internal passageways leading to damaged area
- Pump ripple suspected to be causing the issues

• Significant resonance observed in the model

- Used to support testing to focus accelerated damage on the test rigs

• Cavitation caused by amplification of pump ripple within the valve bore.

 Definition of internal path

Lp
(pump ripple)

Cross sectional areas continually decrease

This amplifies the pressure wave at resonant point
Amplification of 1030Hz down the bore (1/4 wave)

Pressure
7854Hz around the seal ring 2 holes

Pressure
Valve seal - Solution Support
Modelling conducted on original entry-into-service (EIS) metering valve
to observe the differences in resonance excitation
- No damage had been observed on any of these units
- Main reasons for this;
• Larger internal volumes – prevent amplification of ripple
• 10 cross drilling removing high frequency peak.

Comparison conducted on resonant response of EIS, the revised design

and a suggested mod for the revised design which included;
- New screw cap to increase volume
- Reworked piston to increase internal volume and give additional cross
drillings
 Valve Dynamic Seal Cavitation Solution
Piston bore diameter increased to Screwed Plug with additional machining to
increase internal volume increase internal volume

The number of radial holes in the Piston

Piston with additional machining to increased from 2 to 10
increase internal volume

• Similarities to EIS – design pedigree

• Larger fluid volumes
• Re-introduction of 10 holes
EIS, Revision and new standard response to ripple
Response to excitation frequencies at the bal seal midpoint between two cross drillings
Geometry of EIS, revision and 25

new modified standard FMU EIS

FMU Revision

Order of magnification of Lp source ripple

FMU Modified on Test
compared for amplitude FMU New Production Standard
20
increase relative to frequency
of oscillation.
15

Modifications can be seen to

bring the peak amplitude back 10
to around 700Hz and the
amplification at flight
5
conditions below that of the
EIS standard.
0
500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500
These peaks can be expected Frequency of excitation (Hz)

to shift ±70Hz with fuel type Idle range Rest of flight regime
and temperature.
7854Hz around the seal ring 10 holes
Pressure
Case study 2 – Servo Valve ‘O’ Ring
Servo Valve (SV) - Background

• In-service SV ‘O’ ring seals cracking

resulting in fuel leaks

• Approached by Customer Support after

the successes of valve dynamic seal
analysis to see if resonances are
present.

• Details of the internal drillings of the unit

provided in the Low pressure (LP) return
pathways for all servo valves.
Internal Body Drillings (fluid pathways)
VSVSV VSVSV
LP port LP port

MV - Metering Valve
VSV - Variable Stator Vane
SimHydraulics Representation

HP estimate HP estimate

Out Conn1
Conn1 A B In

Oscilatory source LP inlet PATH ABCD SOVSV

HP estimate
Conn1
Out
In
FRTT1
FRTT
PATH 1234
Resonant peak of all three servo valves at 20oC
20
MVSV

Taxi

Cruise
Climb
Take off
18 SOVSV
VSVSV
16
Ripple magnification (factor)

14

12

10

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
Frequency (Hz)
Temperature sensitivity at Servo Valve
30
-45 DegC SimHydraulics determines

Taxi
0 DegC
25 100 DegC
density, compressibility and
165 DegC
20 DegC
viscosity through lookup tables
Ripple magnification (factor)

20 based on temperature.
15
𝒄= 𝑲
𝝆
10

Temperature Peak frequency Peak amplitude

5 -45 1289 16.42
0 1156 18.55
20 1109 19.44
100 964 22.86
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 165 880 25.54
Frequency (Hz)
Pump ripple definition

Pump ripple is made up

of multiple sinusoidal
waves being driven at
different harmonics of
the pump ripple
frequency.

For this reason we

cannot just consider
the simple frequency of
the pump.
 FFT of three pump signals
FFT of source pump ripple Cruise (7500RPM)
90

80

70

60

FFT Amplitude
50

Taxi: 1st, 2nd, 3rd 40

MTO:, 4th, 2nd ,1st ,5th ,3rd
FFT of source pump ripple Taxi (5000RPM) 30
FFT of source pump ripple MTO (7950RPM)
90 90
20
80 80
10
70 70
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
60 Frequency (Hz) 60
FFT Amplitude

FFT Amplitude
50

Cruise: 1st, 4th, 3rd, 2nd

50

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)
Extended frequency response
Due to the amplitudes
of pressure ripple at the
higher harmonics must
consider the frequency
response plot beyond
the fundamental pump
frequency.

Horizontal blue lines

represent cruise
harmonics for
reference.
Is there a solution?

Drilling directed towards FRTT Sol V in addition to RSOV

 Feeding in test data from rig
8
In-service pump amplification of ripple at the
7 SOVSV Current Use select samples of
HMU
pump ripple from test
6
New HMU data.
(easy mod)
5
Pressure ripple is complex
Amplification

4 (not simple sinusoidal as

used for the frequency
3 sweeps)
2
Can see clear maximum in
1
the Taxi regime the region
of 7 times magnification.
0

Take off
3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000
Dry run

Cruise
Pump speed (RPM)
Climb
Taxi
The way forward
How to tackle the future
Current successes Future desire

Design of dead ended pathways should

Return of
units not reduce in cross section down the path.
Lessons learnt Path length resonances should be
considered for pump ripple coincidence.
Test rig data
Build in greater analysis depth through
SimHydraulics use of tool. Replace current practice with
analysis
higher fidelity models.
SimHydraulics
analysis
Investigate potential issues before they
occur on young units and ensure good
More robust
Solution and design design going forward on new projects.
lessons learnt
Any Questions?