Turbo Fans With Very High Bypass Ratio but Acceptable Dimensions

Author(s):  
Uwe L. H. Schmidt-Eisenlohr ◽  
Oliver E. Kosing

Turbofan engines for commercial aircraft will have to improve substantially in fuel burn, noise level and NOx emissions to fulfil the ACARE 2020 environmental goals. No doubt very high bypass ratios (VHBR) will be necessary to achieve the ambitious noise reduction targets. But weight and drag of the nacelle cannot increase further and under wing installation must always be feasible. Several innovative design options such as counter rotating turbo components, air breathing nacelle, and off axis core are presented and discussed in the paper which could help to overcome the increasing dimensions of the fan and the nacelle with increasing bypass ratio.

Author(s):  
Brian K. Kestner ◽  
Jeff S. Schutte ◽  
Jonathan C. Gladin ◽  
Dimitri N. Mavris

This paper presents an engine sizing and cycle selection study of ultra high bypass ratio engines applied to a subsonic commercial aircraft in the N+2 (2020) timeframe. NASA has created the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project to serve as a technology transition bridge between fundamental research (TRL 1–4) and potential users (TRL 7). Specifically, ERA is focused on subsonic transport technologies that could reach TRL 6 by 2020 and are capable of integration into an advanced vehicle concept that simultaneously meets the ERA project metrics for noise, emissions, and fuel burn. An important variable in exploring the trade space is the selection of the optimal engine cycle for use on the advanced aircraft. In this paper, two specific ultra high bypass engine cycle options will be explored: advanced direct drive and geared turbofan. The advanced direct drive turbofan is an improved version of conventional turbofans. In terms of both bypass ratio and overall pressure ratio, the advanced direct turbofan benefits from improvements in aerodynamic design of its components, as well as material stress and temperature properties. By putting a gear between the fan and the low pressure turbine, a geared turbo fan allows both components to operate at optimal speeds, thus further improving overall cycle efficiency relative to a conventional turbofan. In this study, sensitivity of cycle design with level of technology will be explored, in terms of both cycle parameters (such as specific thrust consumption (TSFC) and bypass ratio) and aircraft mission parameters (such as fuel burn and noise). To demonstrate this sensitivity, engines will be sized for optimal performance on a 300 passenger class aircraft for a 2010 level technology tube and wing airframe, a N+2 level technology tube and wing air-frame, and finally on a N+2 level technology blended wing body airframe with and without boundary layer ingestion (BLI) engines.


Author(s):  
Carlos Xisto ◽  
Olivier Petit ◽  
Tomas Grönstedt ◽  
Anders Lundbladh

In the present paper, the synergistic combination of intercooling with pulsed detonation combustion is analyzed concerning its contribution to NOx and CO2 emissions. CO2 is directly proportional to fuel burn and can, therefore, be reduced by improving specific fuel consumption (SFC) and reducing engine weight and nacelle drag. A model predicting NOx generation per unit of fuel for pulsed detonation combustors (PDCs), operating with jet-A fuel, is developed and integrated within Chalmers University's gas turbine simulation tool GESTPAN. The model is constructed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data obtained for different combustor inlet pressure, temperature, and equivalence ratio levels. The NOx model supports the quantification of the trade-off between CO2 and NOx emissions in a 2050 geared turbofan architecture incorporating intercooling and pulsed detonation combustion and operating at pressures and temperatures of interest in gas turbine technology for aero-engine civil applications.


Author(s):  
Maximilian Kormann ◽  
Reinhold Schaber

Flying requires a high power density in the propulsion system. Currently only turbofan engines can provide the required power at a low system mass. To counter a potential negative impact of aircraft emissions on global climate, the agreement Flightpath 50, created by European research establishments and industries, has set the target to reduce overall CO2 emissions from the year 2000 to 2050 by 75 %. In contrast, the air traffic volume has been growing constantly since the 1980s and will be growing further. Hence the fuel burn of aero engines has to be reduced to reach the Flightpath 50 target. High-end component technology has nearly exhausted full potential in the improvement of conventional turbofan engines. Further significant progress can only be achieved by new engine concepts. The geared turbofan has proven the feasibility of this approach. The introduction of a gear allows the IPC and LPT to run at more suitable speeds with the consequence of a lower stage count compared to conventional turbofans. According to Pratt&Whitney this will reduce the fuel burn by ”15–16% versus today’s best engines” [1]. As a next step towards Flightpath 50 MTU Aero Engines AG envisioned the Intercooled Recuperative Aero Engine (IRA) for long-haul application. This concept increases the thermodynamic efficiency of the core engine by utilizing two heat exchangers: an intercooler reduces the work which is necessary for the compression. A recuperator transfers heat of the exhaust gas to the compressed gas entering the burner. In long-haul aircraft the increased engine mass due to the heat exchangers has a lower influence on the fuel burn. To broaden the research, this paper investigates the application of the IRA for regional jets. An extensive predesign parameter study was performed to find the optimal IRA configuration for regional jets. Not only has fuel consumption been taken into consideration, additionally the influence of the increased weight of the IRA has been included. In optimum, the fuel burn on a regional mission according to this study could be reduced in the order of 1–2%. However, the overall pressure ratio is much lower compared to modern turbofan engines, which leads to relatively low NOx emissions. It allows the introduction of Lean Premixed Prevaporized (LPP) burner technology, promising an additional significant reduction in NOx emissions compared to modern turbofan engines. Compared to a longhaul application the heat exchangers are not a scaled version but the result of a cycle optimization considering the available space. The paper also gives an outlook for an innovative three dimensional heat exchanger. The novel heat exchanger arrangement promises a better integration into the annulus at turbine exit and less aerodynamical pressure losses due to 3D-effects.


Author(s):  
Carlos Xisto ◽  
Olivier Petit ◽  
Tomas Grönstedt ◽  
Anders Lundbladh

In the present paper, the synergistic combination of inter-cooling with pulsed detonation combustion is analyzed concerning its contribution to NOx and CO2 emissions. CO2 is directly proportional to fuel burn and can, therefore, be reduced by improving specific fuel consumption and reducing engine weight and nacelle drag. A model predicting NOx generation per unit of fuel for pulsed detonation combustors, operating with jet-A fuel, is developed and integrated within Chalmers University’s gas turbine simulation tool GESTPAN. The model is constructed using CFD data obtained for different combustor inlet pressure, temperature and equivalence ratio levels. The NOx model supports the quantification of the trade-off between CO2 and NOx emissions in a 2050 geared turbofan architecture incorporating intercooling and pulsed detonation combustion and operating at pressures and temperatures of interest in gas turbine technology for aero-engine civil applications.


Author(s):  
Cecil E. Hall

The visualization of organic macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and virus components has reached its high degree of effectiveness owing to refinements and reliability of instruments and to the invention of methods for enhancing the structure of these materials within the electron image. The latter techniques have been most important because what can be seen depends upon the molecular and atomic character of the object as modified which is rarely evident in the pristine material. Structure may thus be displayed by the arts of positive and negative staining, shadow casting, replication and other techniques. Enhancement of contrast, which delineates bounds of isolated macromolecules has been effected progressively over the years as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 by these methods. We now look to the future wondering what other visions are waiting to be seen. The instrument designers will need to exact from the arts of fabrication the performance that theory has prescribed as well as methods for phase and interference contrast with explorations of the potentialities of very high and very low voltages. Chemistry must play an increasingly important part in future progress by providing specific stain molecules of high visibility, substrates of vanishing “noise” level and means for preservation of molecular structures that usually exist in a solvated condition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (9) ◽  
pp. 1205-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naren Shankar R. ◽  
Kevin Bennett S.

Purpose Subsonic commercial aircraft operate with turbo-fan engines that operate with moderate bypass ratio (BR) co-flowing jets (CFJ). This study aims to analyse CFJ with constant BR 6.3 and varying primary nozzle lip thickness (LT) to find a critical LT in CFJ below which mixing enhances and beyond which mixing inhibits. Design/methodology/approach CFJ were characterized with a constant BR of 6.3 and varying lip thicknesses. A single free jet with a diameter equal to that of a primary nozzle of the co-flowing jet was also studied for comparison. Findings The results show that within a critical limit, the mixing enhanced with an increase in LT. This was signified by a reduction in potential core length (PCL). Beyond this limit, mixing inhibited leading to the elongation of PCL. This limit was controlled by parameters such as LT and magnitude of BR. Practical implications The BR value of CFJ in the present study was 6.3. This lies under the moderate BR value at which subsonic commercial turbofan operates. Hence, it becomes impervious to study its mixing behavior. Originality/value This is the first effort to find the critical value of LT for a constant BR for compressible co-flow jets. The CFJ with moderate BR and varying LT has not been studied in the past. The present study focuses on finding a critical LT below which mixing enhances and above which mixing inhibits.


Author(s):  
Xin Zhao ◽  
Oskar Thulin ◽  
Tomas Grönstedt

Although the benefits of intercooling for aero-engine applications have been realized and discussed in many publications, quantitative details are still relatively limited. In order to strengthen the understanding of aero-engine intercooling, detailed performance data on optimized intercooled (IC) turbofan engines are provided. Analysis is conducted using an exergy breakdown, i.e., quantifying the losses into a common currency by applying a combined use of the first and second law of thermodynamics. Optimal IC geared turbofan engines for a long range mission are established with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based two-pass cross flow tubular intercooler correlations. By means of a separate variable nozzle, the amount of intercooler coolant air can be optimized to different flight conditions. Exergy analysis is used to assess how irreversibility is varying over the flight mission, allowing for a more clear explanation and interpretation of the benefits. The optimal IC geared turbofan engine provides a 4.5% fuel burn benefit over a non-IC geared reference engine. The optimum is constrained by the last stage compressor blade height. To further explore the potential of intercooling the constraint limiting the axial compressor last stage blade height is relaxed by introducing an axial radial high pressure compressor (HPC). The axial–radial high pressure ratio (PR) configuration allows for an ultrahigh overall PR (OPR). With an optimal top-of-climb (TOC) OPR of 140, the configuration provides a 5.3% fuel burn benefit over the geared reference engine. The irreversibilities of the intercooler are broken down into its components to analyze the difference between the ultrahigh OPR axial–radial configuration and the purely axial configuration. An intercooler conceptual design method is used to predict pressure loss heat transfer and weight for the different OPRs. Exergy analysis combined with results from the intercooler and engine conceptual design are used to support the conclusion that the optimal PR split exponent stays relatively independent of the overall engine PR.


2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed J. Khalid

Cruise specific fuel consumption (SFC) of turbofan engines is a key metric for increasing airline profitability and for reducing CO2 emissions. Although increasing design bypass ratio (BPR) of separate exhaust turbofan configurations improves cruise SFC, further improvements can be obtained with online control actuated variable geometry modulations of bypass nozzle throat area, core nozzle throat area, and compressor variable vanes (CVV/CVG). The scope of this paper is to show only the benefits possible, and the process used in determining those benefits, and not to suggest any particular control algorithm for searching the best combination of the control effectors. A parametric cycle study indicated that the effector modulations could increase the cruise BPR, core efficiency, transmission efficiency, propulsive efficiency, and ideal velocity ratio resulting in a cruise SFC improvement of as much as 2.6% depending upon the engine configuration. The changes in these metrics with control effector variations will be presented. Scheduling of CVV is already possible in legacy digital controls; perturbation to this schedule and modulation of nozzle areas should be explored in light of the low bandwidth requirements at steady-state cruise conditions.


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