Search Results (5)

Future UHBR (Ultra-High Bypass-Ratio) engines might cause serious ‘turbine noise storms’ but, at present, turbine noise prediction capability is lacking. The large turning angle of the turbine blade is the first major factor deserving special attention. The RANS (Reynold Averaged Navier–Stokes equation)-informed (here called RI) method and LINSUB (the bound vorticity 2D model LINearized SUBsonic flow in cascade), developed to predict fan broadband noise, coupled with a two-flat-plates (here called TP) assumption for the turbine blade, is applied here, and one autonomous rapid RI-TP model for predicting turbine wake interaction broadband noise has been developed. Firstly, taking the single axial turbine test rig NPU-Turb as the object, both the experimental data and the DDES/AA (delayed Detached Eddy Simulation/Acoustic Analogy) hybrid model have been used to validate the RI-TP model. High consistency in the medium and high frequencies among the three designed and off-designed rotation speeds indicates that the RI-TP model has the ability to predict turbine broadband noise rapidly. And compared with the original RANS-informed method, with one thin-flat-plate assumption on the blade, the RI-TP model can enhance the PWL (sound power level) in almost the whole spectral range below 10 KHz, which, in turn, is closer to the experimental data and the DDES/AA prediction results. The PWL trend with a ‘dividing point’ position is also studied. The spectrum would move up or down if the location is away from true value. In addition, the extraction location for turbulence as an input for the RI-TP model is negligible. In the future, multi-stage characteristics and the blade thickness effect should be further considered when predicting turbine noise. Full article

Experimental monitoring of blade vibration in turbomachinery is typically based on blade-mounted strain gauges. Their signals are used to derive vibration amplitudes which are compared to modal scope limits, including a safety factor. According to industrial guidelines, this factor is chosen conservatively to ensure safe operation of the machine. Within the experimental campaign with the open-test-case composite fan ECL5/CATANA, which is representative for modern lightweight Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) architectures, measurements close to the stability limit have been conducted. Investigation of phenomena like non-synchronous vibrations (NSV) and rotating stall require a close approach to the stability limit and hence demand for accurate (real-time) quantification of vibration amplitudes to ensure secure operation without exhaustive safety margins. Historically, short-time Fourier transforms of vibration sensors are used, but the complex nature of the mentioned coupled phenomena has an influence on amplitude accuracy, depending on evaluation parameters, as presented in a previous study using fast-response wall-pressure transducers. The present study investigates the sensitivity of blade vibration data to evaluation parameters for different spectral analysis methods and provides guidelines for fast and robust surveillance of critical vibration modes. Full article

The application of composite fans enables disruptive design possibilities but increases sensitivity to multi-physical resonance between aerodynamic, structure dynamic and acoustic phenomena. As a result, aeroelastic problems increasingly set the stability limit. Test cases of representative geometries without industrial restrictions are a key element of an open scientific culture but are currently non-existent in the turbomachinery community. In order to provide a multi-physical validation benchmark representative of near-future UHBR fan concepts, the open-test-case fan stage ECL5 was developed at Ecole Centrale de Lyon. The design intention was to develop a geometry with high efficiency and a wide stability range that can be realized using carbon fibre composites. This publication aims to introduce the final test case, which is currently fabricated and will be experimentally tested. The fan blades are composed of a laminate made of unidirectional carbon fibres and epoxy composite plies. Their structural properties and the ply orientations are presented. To characterize the test case, details are given on the aerodynamic design of the whole stage, structure dynamics of the fan and aeroelastic stability of the fan. These are obtained with a state-of-art industrial design process: static and modal FEM, RANS and LRANS simulations. Aerodynamic analysis focuses on performance and shows critical flow structures such as tip leakage flow, radial flow migration and flow separations. Mechanical modes of the fan are described and discussed in the context of aeroelastic interactions. Their frequency distribution is validated in terms of resonance risk with respect to synchronous vibration. The aeroelastic stability of the fan is evaluated at representative operating points with a systematic approach. Potential instabilities are observed far from the operating line and do not compromise experimental campaigns. Full article

In modern aircraft engines, the low-pressure compressor (LPC) is subjected to a flow characterized by strong wakes and secondary flows from the upstream fan. This concerns ultra-high bypass ratio (UHBR) turbofan engines, in particular. This paper presents the aerodynamic and aeroelastic sensitivities of parametric variations on the LPC, driven by the design considerations in the upstream fan. The goal of this investigation was to determine the influence of design-based geometry parameter variations on the LPC performance under realistic inlet flow distributions and the presence of an s-duct. Aerodynamic simulations are conducted at the design and off-design operating points with the fan outflow as the inlet boundary conditions. Based on the aerodynamic results, time-linearized unsteady simulations are conducted to evaluate the vibration amplitude at the resonance operating points. First, the bypass ratio is varied by reducing the channel height of the LPC. The LPC efficiency decreases by up to $1.7\%$ due to the increase in blockage of the core flow. The forced response amplitude of the rotor decreases with increasing bypass ratio due to increased aerodynamic damping. Secondly, the fan cavity leakage flow is considered as it directly affects the near hub fan flow and thus the inflow of the LPC. This results in an increased total-pressure loss for the s-duct due to mixing losses. The additional mixing redistributes the flow at the s-duct exit leading to a total-pressure loss reduction of $4.3\%$ in the first rotor at design point. This effect is altered at off-design conditions. The vibration amplitude at low speed resonance points is increased by $19\%$ for the first torsion and $26\%$ for second bending. Thirdly, sweep and lean are applied to the inlet guide vane (IGV) upstream of the LPC. Despite the s-duct and the variable inlet guide vane (VIGV) affecting the flow, the three-dimensional blade design achieves aerodynamic and aeroelastic improvements of rotor 1 at off-design. The total-pressure loss reduces by up to $18\%$ and the resonance amplitude more than $10\%$. Only negligible improvements for rotor 1 are present at the design point. In a fourth step, the influence of axial gap size between the stator and the rotor rows in the LPC is examined in the range of small variations which shows no distinct aerodynamic and aeroelastic sensitivities. This finding not only supports previous studies, but it also suggests a correlation between mode shapes and locally increased excitaion with increasing axial gap size. As a result, potential design improvements in future fan-compressor design are suggested. Full article

In the context of an increased focus on fuel efficiency and environmental impact, turbofan engine developments continue towards larger bypass ratio engine designs, with Ultra-High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) engines becoming a likely power plant option for future commercial transport aircraft. These engines promise low specific fuel consumption at the engine level, but the resulting size of the nacelle poses challenges in terms of the installation on the airframe. Thus, their integration on an aircraft requires careful consideration of complex engine–airframe interactions impacting performance, aeroelastics and aeroacoustics on both the airframe and the engine sides. As a partner in the EU funded Clean Sky 2 project ASPIRE, the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology is contributing to an investigation of numerical analysis approaches, which draws on a generic representative UHBR engine configuration specifically designed in the frame of the project. In the present paper, project results are discussed, which aimed at demonstrating the suitability and accuracy of an unsteady RANS-based engine modeling approach in the context of external aerodynamics focused CFD simulations with the DLR TAU-Code. For this high-fidelity approach with a geometrically fully modeled fan stage, an in-depth study on spatial and temporal resolution requirements was performed, and the results were compared with simpler methods using classical engine boundary conditions. The primary aim is to identify the capabilities and shortcomings of these modeling approaches, and to develop a best-practice for the uRANS simulations as well as determine the best application scenarios. Full article