The original Spalart–Allmaras (SA) model is known to predict premature stall when applied to fan or compressor, which is in line with the observation of other researchers who use the SA model. Therefore, to improve the prediction of the stall boundary, the original SA model was modified by scaling the source term based on the local pressure gradient and the velocity helicity of the flow. Furthermore, a generalized wall function valid for nonzero wall pressure gradient was implemented to improve the accuracy of boundary conditions at the solid wall. This work aims to produce a turbulence model which can be used to model flows near the stall boundary for the transonic fan rotors on relatively coarse grids of around 600k points per passage. Initially, two fan rotors with different design and operating speeds were used to optimize the new parameters in the modified turbulence model. The optimization was based on improving the correlation between measured and numerical radial profiles of the pressure ratio. Thereafter, steady computations were performed for two other fans (by using the same parameters), and the predictions were compared with the experimental data for all the four fan rotors. Numerical results showed a significant improvement over those obtained with the original SA model, when compared against the measured data. Finally, for completeness, it was decided to test the performance of the modified model by comparing the result with measured data for a simple canonical case.

Over recent years engine designs have moved increasingly toward low specific thrust cycles to deliver significant specific fuel consumption (SFC) improvements. Such fan blades are more loaded than conventional fan blades and therefore can be more prone to aerodynamic and aeroelastic instabilities. The aim of this paper is to analyse the flutter stability of a low speed/low pressure ratio fan blade. By using a validated CFD model (AU3D), three dimensional unsteady simulations are performed for a modern low speed fan rig for which extensive measured data are available. The computational domain contains a complete fan assembly with an intake duct and the downstream OGVs (whole LP domain). Flutter simulations are conducted over a range of speeds to understand flutter characteristics of this blade. Only the 1F (first flap) mode is considered in this work. Measured rig data obtained by using the same fan set but with two different intakes showed a significant difference in the flutter boundary for the two intakes. AU3D computations were performed for both intakes and were used to explain this difference between the two intakes, and showed that intake reflections play an important role in flutter of this blade. In the next phase of this work, two possible modifications for increasing the flutter margin of the fan blade were explored: 1. Changing the mode shape of the blade 2. Using acoustic liners in the casing The results show that it is possible to increase the flutter margin of the blade by either decreasing the ratio of the twisting to plunging motion in 1F mode or by introducing deep acoustic liners in the intake. The liners have to be deep enough to attenuate the flutter pressure waves and hence influence the stability. The results indicate the importance of reflection in flutter stability of the fan blade, and clearly show that intake duct needs to be included in flutter study of any fan blade.

Over recent years, engine designs have moved increasingly toward low specific thrust cycles to deliver significant specific fuel consumption (SFC) improvements. Such fan blades may be more prone to aerodynamic and aeroelastic instabilities than conventional fan blades. The aim of this paper is to analyze the flutter stability of a low-speed/low pressure ratio fan blade. By using a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model (AU3D), three-dimensional unsteady simulations are performed for a modern low-speed fan rig for which extensive measured data are available. The computational domain contains a complete fan assembly with an intake duct and the downstream outlet guide vanes (OGVs), which is a whole low-pressure (LP) domain. Flutter simulations are conducted over a range of speeds to understand flutter characteristics of this blade. Only the first flap (1F) mode is considered in this work. Measured rig data obtained by using the same fan set but with two different lengths of the intake showed a significant difference in the flutter boundary for the two intakes. AU3D computations were performed for both intakes and were used to explain this difference between the two intakes, and showed that intake reflections play an important role in flutter of this blade. This observation indicates that the experiment with the long intake used for the performance test may be misleading for flutter. In the next phase of this work, two possible modifications for increasing the flutter margin of the fan blade were explored: changing the mode shape of the blade and using acoustic liners in the casing. The results show that it is possible to increase the flutter margin of the blade by either decreasing the ratio of the twisting to plunging motion in 1F mode or by introducing deep acoustic liners in the intake. The liners have to be deep enough to attenuate the flutter pressure waves and hence influence the stability. The results indicate the importance of reflection in flutter stability of the fan blade and clearly show that intake duct needs to be included in flutter study of any fan blade.

This paper investigates the flow near the stall boundary for a low-speed/low-pressure ratio fan. Three-dimensional, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computations are performed for a modern low speed fan rig for which extensive measured data are available. Simulations are conducted at 80% corrected speed, for which the measured constant speed characteristic contains a part with positive slope. It is shown in this paper that by using an unsteady whole assembly approach, it is possible to predict the flow for all the points on the measured constant speed characteristic (including those on the positive slope part), which is not achievable by using a single passage strategy as it would result in premature “numerical stall.” The results of the computations reveal that for the operating points on the positive slope part of the characteristic, the flow structure becomes asymmetric and hence requires a whole assembly numerical model. The type of asymmetry which appears at lower flow coefficients is similar to the multicell, part span rotating stall, which can occur on the front stages of core compressors at stable operating conditions. The numerical results showed a good correlation with the measured data in terms of stall characteristics.

This paper investigates the effects of inlet disturbance caused by crosswind on a fan blade operation and addresses the possible aerodynamic instabilities, which can arise for such a fan-intake system. The work is carried out by using a three-dimensional unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model (AU3D), and for a modern low-speed fan rig for which extensive measured data is available. The computational domain includes the fan with outlet guide vanes for the bypass flow, engine-section stators for the core, and a symmetric intake upstream of the fan (a whole low-pressure domain). The unsteady full annulus simulations under crosswind are performed to analyze the effects of inlet disturbances on the operation of this blade. It was observed that, for sufficiently high amplitudes of crosswind, the intake lip separates, and results in a significant loss of stall margin. Moreover, even in the absence of lip separation, the blade can still stall prematurely due to nonhomogeneous flow caused by the two contra-rotating trailing vortices. In the second phase of this study, the effects of fan loading on the suppression of flow separation in the intake, and the consequent stall margin of the fan blade, were explored. The results indicated that, as the fan speed increases, it becomes more capable of reducing the inlet distortion levels, and consequently, the loss in stall margin decreases.