scholarly journals Flow Distortion into the Core Engine for an Installed Variable Pitch Fan in Reverse Thrust Mode

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
David John Rajendran ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis

Abstract The flow distortion at core engine entry for a Variable Pitch Fan (VPF) in reverse thrust mode is described from a realistic flowfield obtained using an integrated airframe-engine-VPF research model. 3D RANS solutions are generated for the complete aircraft landing run from 140 to 20 knots at different VPF settings. The internal reverse thrust flowfield is characterized by nozzle lip separation, pylon wake and recirculation of flow turned back from the VPF. A portion of the reverse flow turns 180° with separation at the splitter edge to feed the core engine. The core feed flow exhibits circumferential and radial non-uniformities that depend on the reverse flow development at different landing speeds. The temporal dependence of the distorted flow features is also explored by an URANS analysis. Total pressure and swirl angle distortion descriptors, and total pressure loss are described for the core feed flow at different VPF settings and landing speeds. It is observed that the radial intensity of total pressure distortion is critical to core engine operation, while the circumferential intensity is within acceptable limits. Therefore, the baseline sharp splitter edge is replaced by two larger rounded splitter edges of radii, ∼0.1x and ∼0.2x times the core duct height. This was found to reduce the radial intensity of total pressure distortion to acceptable levels. The description of the installed core feed flow distortion, as in this study, is necessary to ascertain stable core engine operation, which powers the VPF in reverse thrust mode.

Author(s):  
David John Rajendran ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis

Abstract The flow distortion at core engine entry for a Variable Pitch Fan (VPF) in reverse thrust mode is described from a realistic flow field obtained using an integrated airframe-engine model. The model includes the VPF, core entry splitter, complete bypass nozzle flow path wrapped in a nacelle and installed to an airframe in landing configuration through a pylon. A moving ground plane to mimic the rolling runway is included. 3D RANS solutions are generated at two combinations of VPF stagger angle and rotational speed settings for the entire aircraft landing run from 140 to 20 knots. The internal reverse thrust flow field is characterized by bypass nozzle lip separation, pylon wake and recirculation of flow turned back from the VPF. A portion of the reverse stream flow turns 180° with separation at the splitter leading edge to feed the core engine. The core engine feed flow exhibits circumferential and radial non-uniformities that depend on the reverse flow development at different landing speeds. The temporal dependence of the distorted flow features is also explored by an URANS analysis. Total pressure and swirl angle distortion descriptors, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) S-16 committee, and, total pressure loss into the core engine are described for the core feed flow at different operating conditions and landing speeds. It is observed that the radial intensity of total pressure distortion is critical to core engine operation, while the circumferential intensity is within acceptable limits. Therefore, the baseline sharp splitter edge is replaced by two larger rounded splitter edges of radii, ∼0.1x and ∼0.2x times the core duct height. This was found to reduce the radial intensity of total pressure distortion to acceptable levels. The description of the installed core feed flow distortion, as described in this study, is necessary to ascertain stable core engine operation, which powers the VPF in reverse thrust mode.


Author(s):  
David John Rajendran ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis

Abstract The installed Variable Pitch Fan (VPF) reverse thrust flow field is obtained from the flow solution of an integrated airframe-engine-VPF research model for the complete reverser engagement regime during the aircraft landing run. The reverse thrust flow field indicates that the reverse flow out of the nacelle inlet is washed downstream by the freestream. Consequently, reverse flow enters the engine through the bypass nozzle from a 180° turn of the washed-down stream. This results in a region of separated flow at the nozzle lip that acts as a blockage to the reverse flow entry into the engine. To mitigate the blockage issue, a smooth guidance of the reverse flow into the engine can be achieved by using an inflatable rubber lip that would define a bell-mouth like geometric feature with a round radius at the nacelle exit. In nominal engine operation, the rubber lip would be stowed flush within the contours of the nacelle surface. The design space of the rubber lip is studied by considering different rounding radii and locations of the turn radius with respect to the nacelle trailing edge. It is observed that a rounding radius of 0.1x nacelle length is sufficient to reduce the blockage and increase the ingested reverse flow by 47% to 18% in the 140 to 40 knots landing speed range. The inflatable rubber lip represents a design modification that can improve VPF reverse thrust operation, in cases where an augmentation of reverse thrust capability is desired


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Rajendran ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis

Abstract The installed Variable Pitch Fan (VPF) reverse thrust flow field is obtained from the flow solution of an integrated airframe-engine research model for the complete reverser engagement regime during the aircraft landing run from 140 knots to 40 knots. The model includes a twin-engine airframe, complete flow path representation of a future 40000 lbf high bypass ratio geared turbofan engine, and a bespoke reverse flow-capable VPF design. The reverse thrust flow field, at all speeds, indicates that the reverse flow out of the nacelle inlet is washed downstream by the freestream towards the engine exit regions. Consequently, reverse flow enters the engine through the bypass nozzle from a 180° turn of the washed-down stream. This results in a region of circumferentially varying separated flow at the nozzle lip that acts as a blockage to the reverse flow entry into the engine. To mitigate the blockage issue, a smooth guidance of the reverse flow into the engine to avoid separation can be achieved by using an inflatable rubber lip that would define a bell-mouth like geometric feature with a round radius at the nacelle exit region. In nominal engine operation, the rubber lip would be stowed flush within the contours of the optimized nacelle surface. The design space of the rubber lip is studied by considering different rounding radii and locations of the turn radius with respect to the nacelle trailing edge. The choices of the design parameters are chosen by considering the nacelle edge thickness, inflation air volume requirement, weight, and thickness of support structures. The effect of these designs on the reverse thrust flow field is studied by incorporating the designs into the integrated model, with realistic installation related restrictions. It is observed that a rounding radius of 0.1x nacelle length is sufficient to reduce the blockage and increase the ingested reverse flow by 47% to 18% in the 140 to 40 knots landing speed range. The inflatable rubber lip represents a design modification that can aid in the improvement of VPF reverse thrust operation, in cases where an augmentation of reverse thrust capability over the baseline is desired.


Author(s):  
Sun Xiao-Lin ◽  
Wang Zhan-Xue ◽  
Zhou Li ◽  
Shi Jing-Wei ◽  
Cheng Wen

Serpentine nozzles have been used in stealth fighters to increase their survivability. For real turbofan aero-engines, the existence of the double ducts (bypass and core flow), the tail cone, the struts, the lobed mixers, and the swirl flows from the engine turbine, could lead to complex flow features of serpentine nozzle. The aim of this paper is to ascertain the effect of different inlet configurations on the flow characteristics of a double serpentine convergent nozzle. The detailed flow features of the double serpentine convergent nozzle including/excluding the tail cone and the struts are investigated. The effects of inlet swirl angles and strut setting angles on the flow field and performance of the serpentine nozzle are also computed. The results show that the vortices, which inherently exist at the corners, are not affected by the existence of the bypass, the tail cone, and the struts. The existence of the tail cone and the struts leads to differences in the high-vorticity regions of the core flow. The static temperature contours are dependent on the distributions of the x-streamwise vorticity around the core flow. The high static temperature region is decreased with the increase of the inlet swirl angle and the setting angle of the struts. The performance loss of the serpentine nozzle is mostly caused by its inherent losses such as the friction loss and the shock loss. The performance of the serpentine nozzle is decreased as the inlet swirl angle and the setting angle of the struts increase.


Author(s):  
David John Rajendran ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis

Abstract The installed flow field for a Variable Pitch Fan (VPF) operating in reverse thrust for the complete aircraft landing run is described in this paper. To do this, a VPF design to generate reverse thrust by reversing airflow direction is developed for a representative 40000 lbf modern high bypass ratio engine. Thereafter, to represent the actual flow conditions that the VPF would face, an engine model that includes the nacelle, core inlet splitter, outlet guide vanes, bypass nozzle, core exhaust duct, aft-body plug and core nozzle is designed. The engine model with the VPF is attached to a representative airframe in landing configuration to include the effects of installation. A rolling ground plane that mimics the runway during the landing run is also included to complete the model definition. 3D RANS solutions are carried out for two different VPF stagger angle settings and rotational speeds to obtain the fan flow field. The dynamic installed VPF flow field is characterized by the interaction of the free stream and the reverse stream flows. The two streams meet in a shear layer in the fan passages and get deflected radially outwards before turning back onto themselves. The flow field changes with stagger setting, fan rotational speed and the aircraft landing speed because of the consequent changes in the momentum of the two streams. The description of the installed VPF flow field as generated in this study is necessary to: a) qualify VPF designs that are typically designed by considering only the uninstalled static flow field b) choose the VPF operating setting for different stages of the aircraft landing run.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Debuchy ◽  
Fadi Abdel Nour ◽  
Gérard Bois

In the most part of an enclosed rotor-stator system with separated boundary layers, the flow structure is characterized by a central core rotating as a solid body with a constant core-swirl ratio. This behavior is not always observed in an isolated rotor-stator cavity, i.e., without any centripetal or centrifugal throughflow, opened to the atmosphere at the periphery: Recent works have brought to evidence an increasing level of the core-swirl ratio from the periphery to the axis, as in the case of a rotor-stator with superposed centripetal flow. The present work is based on an asymptotical approach in order to provide a better understanding of this process. Assuming that the boundary layers behave as on a single rotating disk in a stationary fluid on the rotor side, and on a stationary disk in a rotating fluid on the stator side, new analytical relations are obtained for the core-swirl ratio, the static pressure on the stator, and also the total pressure at midheight of the cavity. An experimental study is performed: Detailed measurements provide data for several values of the significant dimensionless parameters: 1.14≤10−6×Re≤1.96, 0.05≤G≤0.10, and 0.07≤104×Ek≤2.65. The analysis of the results shows a good agreement between the theoretical solution and the experimental results. The analytical model can be used to provide a better understanding of the flow features. In addition, radial distributions of both core-swirl ratio, dimensionless static pressure on the stator, as well as dimensionless total pressure at midheight of the cavity, which are of interest to the designers, can be computed with an acceptable accuracy knowing the levels of the preswirl coefficient Kp and the solid body rotation swirl coefficient KB.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Rajendran ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis

Abstract The installed flow field for a variable pitch fan (VPF) operating in reverse thrust for the complete aircraft landing run is described in this paper. To do this, a VPF design to generate reverse thrust by reversing airflow direction is developed for a representative 40,000 lbf modern high bypass ratio engine. Thereafter, to represent the actual flow conditions that the VPF would face, an engine model that includes the nacelle, core inlet splitter, outlet guide vanes, bypass nozzle, core exhaust duct, aft-body plug, and core nozzle is designed. The engine model with the VPF is attached to a representative airframe in landing configuration to include the effects of installation. A rolling ground plane that mimics the runway during the landing run is also included to complete the model definition. Three-dimensional (3D) Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solutions are carried out for two different VPF stagger angle settings and rotational speeds to obtain the fan flow field. The dynamic installed VPF flow field is characterized by the interaction of the freestream and the reverse stream flows. The two streams meet in a shear layer in the fan passages and get deflected radially outward before turning back onto themselves. The flow field changes with stagger setting, fan rotational speed, and the aircraft landing speed because of the consequent changes in the momentum of the two streams. The description of the installed VPF flow field as generated in this study is necessary to (a) qualify VPF designs that are typically designed by considering only the uninstalled static flow field and (b) choose the VPF operating setting for different stages of the aircraft landing run.


2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Shaiful Ashrul Ishak ◽  
Mohammad Nazri Mohd Jaafar

The main purpose of this paper is to study the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) prediction on CO-NO formation production inside the combustor close to burner throat while varying the swirl angle of the radial swirler. Air swirler adds sufficient swirling to the inlet flow to generate central recirculation region (CRZ) which is necessary for flame stability and fuel air mixing enhancement. Therefore, designing an appropriate air swirler is a challenge to produce stable, efficient and low emission combustion with low pressure losses. A liquid fuel burner system with different radial air swirler with 280 mm inside diameter combustor of 1000 mm length has been investigated. Analysis were carried out using four different radial air swirlers having 30°, 40°, 50° and 60° vane angles. The flow behavior was investigated numerically using CFD solver Ansys Fluent. This study has provided characteristic insight into the formation and production of CO and pollutant NO inside the combustion chamber. Results show that the swirling action is augmented with the increase in the swirl angle, which leads to increase in the center core reverse flow, therefore reducing the CO and pollutant NO formation. The outcome of this work will help in finding out the optimum swirling angle which will lead to less emission.  


1987 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Back ◽  
Y. I. Cho ◽  
D. W. Crawford ◽  
L. H. Back

A flow visualization study using selective dye injection and frame by frame analysis of a movie provided qualitative and quantitative data on the motion of marked fluid particles in a 60 degree artery branch model for simulation of physiological femoral artery flow. Physical flow features observed included jetting of the branch flow into the main lumen during the brief reverse flow period, flow separation along the main lumen wall during the near zero flow phase of diastole when the core flow was in the downstream direction, and inference of flow separation conditions along the wall opposite the branch later in systole at higher branch flow ratios. There were many similarities between dye particle motions in pulsatile flow and the comparative steady flow observations.


Author(s):  
Tim S. Williams ◽  
Cesare A. Hall

Variable pitch fans are of interest for future low pressure ratio fan systems since they provide improved operability relative to fixed pitch fans. If they can also be re-pitched such that they generate sufficient reverse thrust they could eliminate the engine drag and weight penalty associated with bypass duct thrust reversers. This paper sets out to understand the details of the 3D fan stage flow field in reverse thrust operation. The study uses the Advanced Ducted Propulsor variable pitch fan test case, which has a design fan pressure ratio of 1.29. Comparison with spanwise probe measurements show that the computational approach is valid for examining the variation of loss and work in the rotor in forward thrust. The method is then extended to a reverse thrust configuration using an extended domain and appropriate boundary conditions. Computations, run at two rotor stagger settings, show that the spanwise variation in relative flow angle onto the rotor aligns poorly to the rotor inlet metal angle. This leads to two dominant rotor loss sources: one at the tip associated with positive incidence, and the second caused by negative incidence at lower span fractions. The second loss is reduced by opening the rotor stagger setting, and the first increases with rotor suction surface Mach number. The higher mass flow at more open rotor settings provide higher gross thrust, up to 49% of the forward take-off value, but is limited by the increased loss at high speed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document