Coupled gas dynamically simulation unmanned aerial vehicle engine

Аuthors

Krivcov A. V.^*, Shablii L. S.^**

Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev, 34, Moskovskoye shosse, Samara, 443086, Russia

*e-mail: krivcov63@mail.ru
**e-mail: shelbi-gt500@mail.ru

Abstract

Purpose
Coupled gas dynamic modeling allows taking into account the mutual influence of neighboring components in the design phase, improving the quality and reducing development costs to overcome the identified problems.
Methodology approach
Two approaches to CFD simulation of gas turbine engine were stated by the authors:
— simulation approach using a number of special programs each of which is best suited to describe the workflow of a particular engine component;
— simulation approach in one universal program that allows to modeling all the core’s components simultaneously at once.
The first approach allows calculating each component’s workflow in the most appropriate program with the optimal model and solver settings and involving the most appropriate physical models. This provides a better simulation of the processes and requires less computational resources because the GTE elements are calculated separately. The disadvantage of this approach is the necessity of data exchange between engine components that are modeling in different programs.
The second approach is free from such disadvantages. The computational model is created in a single universal CFD software package, consisting of several separate components, and data exchange is organized easily with standard tools of the program. However, the settings of the model are «universal» and certainly not optimal for each component in this case.
Practical implications
To illustrate the feasibility of end-to-end simulation of GTE workflow in universal software package, the authors calculated in CFD program the gas flow in single-shaft gas turbine engine. The computational model consisted of grid models of intake, the centrifugal compressor rotor wheel*, vaned diffuser*, reverse-flow combustion chamber**, axial turbine nozzle guide vane and rotor wheel* and also nozzle (*designed by Turbomachinery research group, headed Baturin O.V.; **designed by Combustion processes research group, headed Matveev S.G., SSAU
The same GTE workflow was also investigated at takeoff mode with a one-dimensional thermodynamic model developed in the program ASTRA. This program was developed by A. Yu. Tkachenko. Comparing the results of thermodynamic calculations with the CFD data it can be concluded that they are in good agreement with each other. The difference between the results is no more than 7%. Thus it can be concluded that the CFD calculations results do not contradict existing physical concepts of GTE workflow and can be used for its parameters calculation and simulations under various conditions.
Conclusion
The numerical modeling of engine core workflow is very promising. It allows predicting the mutual influence of engine components on each other, to investigate the impact of any working conditions and changes of passage elements on the GTE characteristics and all the components. For this reason, the research in this field will be continued in the future.

Keywords:

gas turbine engine, CFD, mesh, coupled simulation, the balance of power

References

1. Claus Russell W., Townsend Scott A review of high fidelity, gas turbine engine simulations, 27th International Congress of The Aeronautical Sciences, ICAS 2010, 8p.
2. Turner M., Reed J.A., Ryder R., Veres J.P. Multifidelity Simulation of a Turbofan Engine with Results Zoomed into Mini-Maps for a Zero-D Cycle Simulation, ASME GT2004-53956.
3. Krivtsov A.V. Vestnik Samarskogo gosudarstvennogo aerokosmicheskogo universitet imeni akad. S.P. Koroleva (natsional’nogo issledovatel’skogo universiteta), 2012, no. 3 (34), part 2, pp. 197-202.
4. Kuz’michev, V.S. Vestnik Samarskogo gosudarstvennogo aerokosmicheskogo universitet imeni akad. S.P. Koroleva (natsional’nogo issledovatel’skogo universiteta), 2012, no. (36), part 1, pp. 169-173.
5. Kulagin V.V. Teoriya, raschet i proektirovanie aviatsionnykh dvigatelei i energeticheskikh ustanovok (Theory calculation and design of aviation engines and power installations), Moscow, Mashinostroenie, 2002, 616 p.

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