Computational fluid dynamics prediction of intake ingestion relevant to short take-off and vertical landing aircraft

Abstract

Intake ingestion can cause several major problems (e.g. compressor surge and stall) for short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft operating in ground effect. Numerical predictions of the flowfield associated with a generic twin-jet plus intake model operating under ingestion flow conditions are reported using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. The results have been compared with laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) validation measurements taken in a specially designed test case configuration. The k-ε turbulence model and both first-order and second-order (QUICK) convection discretization schemes were employed. Fine meshes and second-order accurate discretization were found essential to produce solutions close to grid independence. A reasonable prediction of the general flow pattern has been achieved. Several features of the mean velocity field were close to the experimental results; however, the k-ε model was shown to produce significant errors in the prediction of the forward penetration distance of the ground sheet flow and in the shape of velocity profiles and turbulence levels near to the intake.