Simulation of Transient Temperature and Clearance after Shutdown of Aeroengine Based on CFD and FEA Coupled Models

Abstract

It is crucial to comprehend the heat soak phenomenon, which may result in a significant temperature increase after the shutdown followed by a gradual decrease. This could bring potential risks for the engine including oil coking. The temperature change of engine components dictates the clearance after shutdown, while startup strategies are primarily based on this. A simulation strategy, utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) coupled models, is suggested to investigate the transient temperature and clearance after shutdown. The maximum temperature deviation between the simulation result and experimental data are less than 6%. Flow parameters, including velocity and mass flow rate obtained from the CFD result, were applied as boundaries of the FEA model. Based on the FEA model, transient temperature calculations were also conducted for 20 hours after shutdown. The results indicate that the FEA model demonstrates good agreement with the CFD simulation, with a maximum deviation of less than 5% and at only 0.2% of the simulation time. After the engine shuts down, the stator’s temperature change rate is faster than that of the rotor due to better cooling conditions and relatively small heat capacity. Consequently, the seal clearance increases in the initial period after shutdown and then decreases to a minimum value. The nondimensional minimum clearance can be 0.8 times the cold state value at the location of the high-pressure turbine seal.