An integrated approach to creating a geometric model of a turbojet engine combustion chamber via reverse engineering

The article presents a comprehensive reverse engineering method applied to create a high-precision digital geometric model of the combustion chamber (CC) of the VK-1 turbojet engine. The work is motivated by practical and scientific research tasks, including preserving engineering heritage, creating accurate digital models of historically significant aircraft for educational purposes, as well as the need to obtain a correct geometric basis for performing modern engineering calculations (gas-dynamic, structural strength) and analyzing design solutions with the prospect of possible modernization. To solve the task, a preparatory process was carried out: disassembly and cleaning of the CC, analysis of historical design documentation, 3D scanning of the external surfaces of the combustion liner and casings using a Shining 3D EinScan H portable scanner, and subsequent point cloud processing followed by solid model reconstruction in specialized Geomagic Design X software. Special attention is paid to the key problem—recreating the hidden and hard-to-access internal cavities. To accurately determine the geometry of the swirler vanes, a critically important element for the combustion process, a unique technique was developed and successfully tested. This technique involves creating casts of the inter-vane channels using a two-component molding silicone with low shrinkage. Its accuracy is confirmed by verification, which showed a deviation of only 0.8% for diametral and 0.05% for linear dimensions. This method, which involves making casts of the inter-vane channels using a two-component molding silicone with low shrinkage, is one of the key advantages of the proposed comprehensive approach, allowing the limitations of standard 3D scanning to be overcome without the use of expensive equipment such as computed tomography scanners. Validation of the final 3D model by comparing it with the original scan data and manual measurements confirmed the high accuracy of the results: deviations on the casing were less than 1 mm. The obtained digital model is intended for further research, including gas-dynamic and structural strength calculations, with subsequent validation in full-scale experiments. The demonstrated comprehensive approach, combining documentation analysis, relatively inexpensive 3D scanning, and the original silicone casting method, can be successfully replicated for the reverse engineering of other complex components of aviation and industrial gas turbine engines, especially in conditions of limited access to equipment or lack of complete design documentation.
EDN: JGYIHW, https://elibrary/jgyihw

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