VERIFICATION OF THE THREE DIMENSIONAL SHOCK-STRUCTURES IN AN S-SHAPED TRANSONIC UHBR FAN-ROTOR

Abstract

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has designed and tested a 1:3 scaled model S-shaped fan rotor as an example for a medium pressure ratio propulsor with potential application to future UHBR aero engines. In the present study, the attention will focus on the tip region in which the flow field is subject to complex flow phenomena and to the impact of the Sshape feature on the radial shock structure. Steady numerical simulations with DLR in-house solver TRACE as well as measurements were carried out. The casing is instrumented with ten piezoelectric static pressure transducers over the rotor pitch. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is used to catch the flow velocities at three radial blade positions. All experimental data require a phase-locked ensemble averaging procedure. The results include the global performance of the compressor and detailed comparisons between simulations and measurements to validate the shock structures as well as the highly three dimensional-design S-shape fan.