Impact of installation on the performance of a civil turbofan exhaust at wind-milling: a combined experimental and numerical approach

Abstract

This work presents a combined experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of wing integration on the aerodynamic behaviour of a typical large civil aero-engine exhaust at wind-milling conditions. Engine performance simulations established estimates of Fan and Core Nozzle Pressure Ratios (FNPR and CNPR, respectively) for representative “engine-out” wind-milling scenarios. The experimental data and Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations encompassed End of Runway (EoR) take-off, diversion, and cruise wind-milling conditions for both isolated and installed configurations. The impact of FNPR, CNPR, free-stream Mach number (M∞), and high-lift surfaces on the installed suppression effect were evaluated. The measured and CFD predicted fan and core nozzle maps were implemented into the engine performance model to estimate the engine re-matching characteristics due to the impact of the installation, and the effect on engine mass flow. The effect of installation can reduce the fan and core nozzle discharge coefficients by up to 13% and 26%, respectively, relative to the isolated configuration for representative EOR wind-milling conditions. RANS CFD captures the effect of suppression on both the fan and core with an accuracy between 0.1% and 1.2%, depending on Mach number, which is sufficient for industrial design and analysis purposes. The engine performance analyses showed that the installed suppression effect can result in a 10% reduction of engine mass flow at EOR wind-milling. Within the context of nacelle design under wind-milling, this effect of exhaust suppression must be considered in determining the intake Mass Flow Capture Ratio (MFCR).