Conceptual Fan Design for Boundary Layer Ingestion

Abstract

Abstract Aircraft concepts using boundary layer ingestion (BLI) are promising future flight systems aiming at reduced mission fuel burn. In this scenario the fan operates at inhomogeneous inflow conditions around the circumference. The accurate calculation of the resulting flow phenomena using uRANS approaches is highly time-consuming and therefore not suitable for fan design at early stages of the design process. In this paper, we introduce a throughflow based design methodology for BLI. The methodology includes the detailed design of the annulus geometry, the design of rotor and stator blades as well as the performance assessment in the BLI scenario. The throughflow approach is extended and calibrated to cover major BLI flow physics. The calibration data set consists of 12 fans with different fan pressure ratios (FPR) and meridional Mach numbers. The new design methodology is applied to design three specific fans and the effect of radial FPR is investigated. All designs are verified using 3D CFD uRANS approaches and the results indicate that either ascending or constant radial FPR should be favored. In addition an exploration study is conducted using the design methodology. This study covers 72 fan stages in the parameter space tip speed and meridional Mach number. The results suggest that there is a favorable tuple of design parameters to design a distortion tolerant fan by trading tip speed and meridional Mach number. In the end the newly gained knowledge is transferred to the DLR UHBR fan in order to improve the tolerance to BLI.