Aerodynamic Performance Characteristics of the Installe V2527 Fan at Ground Operation

Abstract

This paper describes the aerodynamic assessment of the V2500 fan stage during ground operation at maximum fan rotational speed. In order to analyze the ground effect and resulting vortex ingestion into the fan, full annulus uRANS computations of the fan including the nacelle and the ground were performed. The numerical results were used prior to the tests at DLRs research aircraft ATRA to support planning the experimental setup in terms of measurement plane location and seeding introduction. In return, the obtained PIV measurement results were used to verify the numerical data. In particular, the formation of the ground vortex, although its location being highly unstable in the experiments, was observed in both, numerical and experimental results in a very similar fashion and its characteristics could be studied in detail. The numerical results furthermore allowed for a detailed assessment of the interaction between this incoming vortical distortion and the fan blades. Apart from high-fidelity uRANS computations, the fan performance over the entire speed range or fight regime respectively was evaluated by single passage and steady state RANS simulations. Appropriate boundary conditions were derived from a thermodynamic cycle model of the entire engine which was validated with available data from engine acceptance tests. The CFD results in terms of performance characteristics were then introduced again into the cycle model to update and further improve the cycle model.