Application of Time-Accurate CFD in Order to Account for Blade-Row Interactions and Distortion Transfer in the Design of High Performance Military Fans and Compressors

The application of Computational Science and Engineering to the design and analysis of high performance military fans and compressors makes it possible to explicitly account for unsteady flow effects. During this first year of Challenge Project C1I, simulations have been accomplished for three different components: an AFRL research rig, a GE VAATE core compressor, and a GE military fan. These simulations are being used to investigate how blade row interactions and distortion transfer impact fan and compressor performance. Challenges to performing such large simulations have been identified and an efficient methodology for setting-up, running, and post-processing the simulations has been developed. Simulations accomplished through this Challenge Project have produced improved geometric, physical, and numerical fidelity results than previously possible, allowing the design of next generation engines to achieve unprecedented performance.