VITIV - Virtual Interdisciplinary Engine Design with Integrative Methods

  • Funding: approx. 2.7 million €
  • Duration: 7/2015 - 12/2018

Within the framework of the funding programme for strengthening the innovation, research and development intensity of companies and research institutions in Brandenburg (ProFIT), the state investment bank is supporting the research project "VITIV - Virtual Interdisciplinary Engine Design with Integrative Methods" with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funds are granted to 11 scientists who are researching various issues at the chairs listed below in cooperation with the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce:

  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dieter Bestle (Project Manager), Chair of Engineering Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arnold Kühhorn, Chair of Structural Mechanics and Vehicle Vibrational Technology
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Christian Hentschel, Chair of Media Technology
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Höschler, Chair of Aeroengine Design
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Irene Krebs, at the Chair of Industrial Information Technology

One of the requirements for engine manufacturers is to check the feasibility of aircraft manufacturers' specifications within a very brief timeframe. Properties such as weight, efficiency, service life or costs must be combined such that they are optimally matched to the requirements of the manufacturer. The chair of Engineering Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics deals with the integration of the automated evaluation of different concepts into the workflow of the engineer. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dieter Bestle, the scientists at BTU are developing automated processes that relieve the design engineer of the time-consuming search for the best solution to reduce weight and increase efficiency and service life of a turbine.

Under the direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arnold Kühhorn, experts in the field of Structural Mechanics and Vehicle Vibrations are working on the optimisation of impellers in turbomachinery. In contrast to the technologies previously used, the so-called "Blade Integrated Disks" (blisks for short) consist of only one component. The advantage: A significant reduction of weight, increase of performance and reduction of assembly effort. Disadvantage: If such an impeller breaks due to material fatigue, for example, the entire turbine may be damaged and expensive repairs may be required. Therefore, the load limits of the components must be precisely calculable. Vibrations resulting from manufacturing inaccuracies lead to a higher load (mistuning) of the components in practice. During development, they must therefore be accurately mapped for better predictability of the limits of the technology.

By using an innovative virtual reality system from the Chair of Media Technology (headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Christian Hentschel), engines and processes can be visualised and documented in detail, independent of location and time. In an innovative high-intensity 3D projection, it will be possible to interactively remove, process and reinsert individual parts of the engine using gesture control without tools such as joysticks or special gloves. A tracking technology tracks the eye movements of the users and used it to align the 3D representation. The detailed representation of the engine enables development engineers to view extensive technical data at a glance and quickly evaluate process results. The aim is for employees to be able to work on the same project at the same time and in different places in real time and to exchange their information. This saves time and travel expenses.

In order to optimise the design of an engine, the individual components must not be contemplated in isolation. In order to achieve a good coordination of the entire engine, the interactions of these components must be investigated. Under the direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Höschler, scientists from the chair of Aeroengine Design are developing, among other things, the automated creation of construction plans for the entire engine.

Reliable data is the basis for optimised processes in a company. Duplicate and incorrect data records inhibit processes and endanger decisions that have already been made. The Chair of Industrial Information Technology, headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Irene Krebs, is working on a solid data management tool. With a uniform, high-quality database, users can quickly analyse their data and respond to market trends in a timely manner.