Problem

Investigation of a turbine used by N.A.S.A., which provides power to the landing system of the space shuttle. The lifetime of the turbine was not adequate, lasting a few landings, and costing tens of thousands of dollars. The turbine blades were damaged by resonances produced by the operating cycle of the turbine.

Analysis

By using our software, dynamic analysis of stresses and strains of the turbine blades was possible. The resonant frequencies of the turbine (up to 55,000 Hz) were determined. The stresses and strains to the critical areas of the blades were also measured.

Solution

The problem was solved by using two real time holograms in two orthogonal directions and one contouring hologram. From the tests it was determined that the design of the turbine blades needed to be changed. The change in design removed the excitations created by the turbine cycles resonant frequencies. The final design was tested and proper performance of the turbine was verified. As a result of our pioneering work, N.A.S.A. was able to increase the turbine's lifetime significantly thus reducing their costs by an order of magnitude.

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