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This work describes a methodology used for counter-rotating (CR) propellers performance estimation. The method is implemented in an in-house program for gas turbine performance prediction, making possible the simulation of the counter-rotating open rotor (CROR) architecture. The methodology is used together with a variable geometry compressor control strategy to avoid surge conditions. Two cases are simulated under transient operation for both fixed and variable geometry compressor. The influence of the variable geometry control on the transient performance of CROR engines is evaluated and a comprehensive understanding on the transient behavior of this type of engine could be obtained. It is shown that the use of the variable geometry compressor control does not significantly affect the overall engine performance, while avoiding the surge conditions, thus ensuring the engine operation safety.

This paper describes a methodology used for propeller performance estimation, which was implemented in an in-house modular program for gas turbine performance prediction. A model based on subsonic generic propeller maps and corrected for compressibility effects, under high subsonic speeds, was proposed and implemented. Considering this methodology, it is possible to simulate conventional turboprop architectures and counter-rotating open rotor (CROR) engines in both steady-state and transient operating conditions. Two simulation scenarios are available: variable pitch angle propeller with constant speed; or variable speed propeller with constant pitch angle. The simulations results were compared with test bench data and two gas turbine performance commercial software packages were used to fulfill the model validation for conventional turboprop configurations. Furthermore, a direct drive CROR engine was simulated using a variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV) control strategy during transient operation. The model has shown to be able to provide several information about propeller-based engine performance using few input data, and a comprehensive understanding on steady-state and transient performance behavior was achieved in the obtained results.

The boundary layer ingestion (BLI) concept has emerged as a novel technology for reducing aircraft fuel consumption. Several studies designed BLI-fans for aircraft. BLI-propellers, although, have still received little attention, and the choice of open-rotors or ducted propellers is still an open question regarding the best performance. The blade design is also challenging because the BLI-propulsors ingest a non-uniform flow. These aspects emphasize further investigation of unducted and ducted BLI-propulsors and the use of optimization frameworks, coupled with CFD simulations, to design the propeller to adapt to the incoming flow. This paper uses a multi-objective NSGA-II optimization framework, coupled with 3D RANS simulations and Radial Basis Function (RBF) meta-modelling, used for the design and optimization of three propeller configurations at cruise conditions: (a) conventional propeller operating in the free stream, (b) unducted BLI-propeller and (c) ducted BLI-propeller, both ingesting the airframe boundary layer. The optimization results showed a significant increase in chord and a decrease in the blade angles in the BLI configurations, emphasizing that these geometric parameters optimization highly affects the BLI-blade design. The unducted BLI-propeller needs approximately 40% less shaft power than the conventional propeller to generate the same amount of propeller force. The ducted BLI-propeller needs even less power, 47%. However, the unducted and ducted BLI-configurations presented a higher backward force, 26% and 46%, respectively, compared to the conventional propeller, which can be detrimental and narrow the use of these configurations.