Calibration of physics based surrogate models for High Pressure Turbine nozzle deterioration, using 3D optical scans and operational flight data

The project is part of the wider attempt of the Rolls-Royce Deutschland Engineering for Services department to create a Digital Twin model able to accurately assess the status of an engine aircraft fleet. The peculiarities and challenges that Business Aviation entails as a target sector are illustrated and the focus is on the NGVs of the High Pressure Turbine. In particular, the objects of study are the high temperature oxidation mechanisms, which lead to the loss of metal material. The company state of the art of the oxidation modelling is described, as well as their use to reflect the components’ deterioration. The thesis project examines an engine model with years of service experience and aims at calibrating these deterioration models. On the one hand, all available operational flight data is collected to produce bespoke predictions of the single engine. On the other hand, measurements from 3D optical scans of worn and replaced NGVs are used to calibrate the accuracy of the model. Finally, the impact of engine variants or of the different mission profiles is discussed, as well as the difficulty of providing uniform coverage, using the different flight and engine data sources.