4 Jun 2018
LU collaborate with GKN Aerospace & Chalmers on Future Aero Engine Technologies
Dr Duncan Walker, from the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, will be coordinating a new collaborative research venture between Loughborough University, GKN Aerospace and Chalmers University of Technology.
The 2-year, €500k, IDA project will focus on the aerodynamic design of compressor transition ducts for future low emission aircraft engines and is funded as part Clean Sky 2.
To reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions there is a drive towards very-high bypass ratio geared turbo fans with small ultra-high-pressure ratio core engine technologies. Although this increases propulsive and thermal efficiency it makes the design of the ducts connecting the various compressor spools much more challenging as the change in radius becomes much greater. IDA will develop more integrated duct technologies that will contribute to the development of a very-high bypass ratio turbo fan demonstrator (UltraFan™).
Loughborough University will provide experimental validation of an initial GKN Aerospace duct design using a fully annular, low-speed test facility incorporating a representative compressor stage. The work at Chalmers, led by Dr Niklas Andersson, will use this data to establish and validate best practice for advanced, yet efficient, CFD methods (e.g. hybrid RANS/LES). Together, the three-way collaboration will then develop an improved design solution offering higher efficiency, lower impact on system performance and improved stall margin. This will also be experimentally validated on the low-speed test facility thereby delivering future potential duct technologies for the UltraFan™ engine and other very high bypass ratio applications.
