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At least 703 records · Page 39

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) under-the-wing engine composite fan blade: Preliminary design test report

Results of tests conducted on preliminary design polymeric-composite fan blade for the under the wing (UTW) OCSEE engine are presented. During this phase of the program a total of 17preliminary OCSEE UTW composite fan blades were manufactured for various component tests including frequency characteristics, strain distribution, bench fatigue, dovetail pull, whirligig overspeed and whirligig impact. All tests were successfully completed with the exception of whirligig impact tests. Improvements in local impact capability are being evaluated for the OCSEE blade under other NASA and related programs.

Source record↗

Cost analysis of composite fan blade manufacturing processes

The relative manufacturing costs were estimated for large high technology fan blades prepared by advanced composite fabrication methods using seven candidate materials/process systems. These systems were identified as laminated resin matrix composite, filament wound resin matrix composite, superhybrid solid laminate, superhybrid spar/shell, metal matrix composite, metal matrix composite with a spar and shell, and hollow titanium. The costs were calculated utilizing analytical process models and all cost data are presented as normalized relative values where 100 was the cost of a conventionally forged solid titanium fan blade whose geometry corresponded to a size typical of 42 blades per disc. Four costs were calculated for each of the seven candidate systems to relate the variation of cost on blade size. Geometries typical of blade designs at 24, 30, 36 and 42 blades per disc were used. The impact of individual process yield factors on costs was also assessed as well as effects of process parameters, raw materials, labor rates and consumable items.

Stelson, T. S.↗

QCSEE fan exhaust bulk absorber treatment evaluation

The purpose of the experimental program reported herein was to evaluate the acoustic suppression capability of bulk absorber material designed for use in the fan exhaust duct walls of the QCSEE UTW (under-the-wing) engine and to compare it with other means of acoustic suppression. The paper includes comparison of the acoustic suppression to the original design for the QCSEE UTW engine fan duct which consisted of phased SDOF (single-degree-of-freedom) wall treatment and a splitter and also with the splitter removed. The method of approach consisted of mounting the UTW engine on the test stand of the Lewis Engine Noise Facility with an appropriate array of far-field microphones in order to measure the acoustic levels of the various configurations. Peak suppression was about as predicted with the bulk absorber configuration; however, the broadband characteristics were not attained. Post-test inspection revealed surface oil contamination on the bulk material which could have caused the loss in bandwidth suppression.

Bloomer, H. E.↗

Simpler Variable-Speed Drive for Fan or Pump

Static pressure developed by a fan or pump is used directly to control its speed in a new drive unit. System is simpler and more economical than many other speed controllers, although it is less accurate and has a narrower speed range. However, since very accurate control is not usually required for fans and pumps, unit would work well in many applications.

Obler, H. D.↗

Simulating study of the interaction between the propulsion and flight control systems of a subsonic lift fan VTOL

The possibility of interactions between the propulsion and flight control systems of a three-fan subsonic VTOL aircraft was studied using nonreal time simulation. Time histories of critical internal engine parameters were obtained and possible deleterious effects of engine dynamics on flight control were identified and analyzed. No deleterious effects, with the exception of the effects of the fan actuator deadband, were found. A method of alleviating these effects through feedback of the actuator output to the flight controller was developed.

Tinling, B. E.↗

Rotor redesign for a highly loaded 1800 ft/sec tip speed fan, 2

Tests were conducted on a 0.5 hub/tip ratio single-stage fan designed to produce a pressure ratio of 2.280 at an efficiency of 83.8 percent with a rotor tip speed of 548.6 m/sec (1800 ft/sec). The rotor was designed utilizing a quasi three dimensional design system and four-part, multiple-circular-arc airfoil sections. The rotor is the third in a series of single-stage fans that have included a precompression airfoil design and a multiple-circular-arc airfoil design. The stage achieved a peak efficiency of 82.8 percent after performance had deteriorated by 0.6 of a point. The design mass flow was achieved at the peak efficiency point, and the stage total pressure ratio was 2.20, which is lower than the design goal of 2.28. The surge margin of 13% from the peak efficiency point exceeded the design goal of 7%.

Bolt, C. R.↗

Composite containment systems for jet engine fan blades

The use of composites in fan blade containment systems is investigated and the associated structural benefits of the composite system design are identified. Two basic types of containment structures were investigated. The short finned concept was evaluated using Kevlar/epoxy laminates for fins which were mounted in a 6061 T-6 aluminum ring. The long fin concept was evaluated with Kevlar/epoxy, 6Al4V titanium, and 2024 T-3 aluminum fins. The unfinned configurations consisted of the base-line steel sheet, a circumferentially oriented aluminum honeycomb, and a Kevlar cloth filled ring. Results obtained show that a substantial reduction in the fan blade containment system weight is possible. Minimization of damage within the engine arising from impact interaction between blade debris and the engine structure is also achieved.

Smith, G. T.↗

Investigation of the effects of inlet shapes on fan noise radiation

The effect of inlet shape on forward radiated fan tone noise directivities was investigated under experimentally simplified zero flow conditions. Simulated fan tone noise was radiated to the far field through various shaped zero flow inlets. Baseline data were collected for the simplest baffled and unbaffled straight pipe inlets. These data compared well with prediction. The more general inlet shapes tested were the conical, circular, and exponential surfaces of revolution and an asymmetric inlet achieved by cutting a straight pipe inlet at an acute angle. Approximate theories were developed for these general shapes and some comparisons with data are presented. The conical and exponential shapes produced directivities that differed considerably from the baseline data while the circular shape produced directivities similar to the baseline data. The asymmetric inlet produced asymmetric directivities with significant reductions over the straight pipe data for some angles.

Clark, T. L.↗

Estimation of fan pressure ratio requirements and operating performance for the National Transonic Facility

The National Transonic Facility (NTF), a fan-driven, transonic, pressurized, cryogenic wind tunnel, will operate over the Mach number range of 0.10 to 1.20 with stagnation pressures varying from 1.00 to about 8.8 atm and stagnation temperatures varying from 77 to 340 K. The NTF is cooled to cryogenic temperatures by the injection of liquid nitrogen into the tunnel stream with gaseous nitrogen as the test gas. The NTF can also operate at ambient temperatures using a conventional chilled water heat exchanger with air on nitrogen as the test gas. The methods used in estimating the fan pressure ratio requirements are described. The estimated NTF operating envelopes at Mach numbers from 0.10 to 1.20 are presented.

Gloss, B. B.↗

The experimental verification of a streamline curvature numerical analysis method applied to the flow through an axial flow fan

The experimental verification of an inviscid, incompressible through-flow analysis method is presented. The primary component of this method is an axisymmetric streamline curvature technique which is used to compute the hub-to-tip flow field of a given turbomachine. To analyze the flow field in the blade-to-blade plane of the machine, the potential flow solution of an infinite cascade of airfoils is also computed using a source model technique. To verify the accuracy of such an analysis method an extensive experimental verification investigation was conducted using an axial flow research fan. Detailed surveys of the blade-free regions of the machine along with intra-blade surveys using rotating pressure sensing probes and blade surface static pressure taps provide a one-to-one relationship between measured and predicted data. The results of this investigation indicate the ability of this inviscid analysis method to predict the design flow field of the axial flow fan test rotor to within a few percent of the measured values.

Pierzga, M. J.↗

Design, durability and low cost processing technology for composite fan exit guide vanes

A program was conducted to design, fabricate and test a durable, low cost, lightweight composite fan exit guide vane for high bypass ratio gas turbine engine application. Eight candidate material/design combinations were evaluated by NASTRAN finite element analysis. Four of these candidate systems were selected for composite vane fabrication by two vendors. A core and shell vane design was chosen in which the unidirectional graphite core fiber was the same for all candidates. The shell material, fiber orientation and ply configuration were varied. Material tests were performed on raw material and composite specimens to establish specification requirements. Composite vanes were nondestructively inspected and subsequently fatigue tested in both dry and 'wet' conditions. The program provided relevant data with respect to design analysis, materials properties, inspection standards, improved durability, weight benefits and part price of the composite fan exit guide vane.

Blecherman, S. S.↗

Supersonic stall flutter of high-speed fans

An analytical model is proposed for predicting the onset of supersonic stall bending flutter in high-speed rotors. The analysis is based on a modified two-dimensional, compressible, unsteady actuator disk theory. The stability boundary predicted by the analysis is shown to be in good agreement with the measured boundary of a high speed fan. The prediction that the flutter mode would be a forward traveling wave sensitive to wheel speed and aerodynamic loading is confirmed by experimental measurements. In addition, the analysis shows that reduced frequency and dynamic head also play a significant role in establishing the supersonic stall bending flutter boundary of an unshrouded fan.

Adamczyk, J. J.↗

Effects of blade-vane ratio and rotor-stator spacing on fan noise with forward velocity

A research fan stage is acoustically tested in an anechoic wind tunnel with a 41 m/sec tunnel flow. Two stator vane numbers giving cut-on and cut-off conditions are tested at three rotor stator spacings ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 rotor chords. Hot-film anemometer turbulence measurements are made at the leading edge of the stator for each spacing, and a crossed film anemometer is radially transversed to define streamwise and upwash characteristics of the rotor blade wakes. Trends in the acoustic results are observed in the front and aft quadrants at 80% design fan speed. Aft quadrant results demonstrate a fundamental tone 9 dB lower for the 25 vane stator than for the 11 vane stator, while overtone levels are 3 dB higher. The cut-off criterion strongly controls fundamental tone level at all spacings, and spacing trends of the wake-defect upwash component show good agreement with corresponding cut-on acoustic tone levels.

Woodward, R. P.↗

Computer modeling of fan-exit-splitter spacing effects on F100 response to distortion

The distortion response of the F100(3) engine was effected by the fan exit splitter configuration. The sensitivity for a proximate splitter fan is calculated to be slightly greater than a remote splitter configuration with identical airfoils. Predicted response was based upon a multiple segment parallel compressor Model modified to include a bypass ratio representation that effects the performance characteristics of the last rotor and intermediate case struts. The predicted distortion response required an accurate definition of row pre- and post-stall undistorted operation.

Shaw, M.↗

Rotor tip clearance effects on overall and blade-element performance of axial-flow transonic fan stage

The effects of tip clearance on the overall and blade-element performance of an axial-flow transonic fan stage are presented. The 50-centimeter-diameter fan was tested at four tip clearances (nonrotating) from 0.061 to 0.178 centimeter. The calculated radial growth of the blades was 0.040 centimeter at design conditions. The decrease in overall stage performance with increasing clearance is attributed to the loss in rotor performance. For the rotor the effects of clearance on performance parameters extended to about 70 percent of blade span from the tip. The stage still margin based on an assumed operating line decreased from 15.3 to 0 percent as the clearance increased from 0.061 to 0.178 centimeter.

Moore, R. D.↗

Flight effects of fan noise

Simulation of inflight fan noise and flight effects was discussed. The status of the overall program on the flight effects of fan noise was reviewed, and flight to static noise comparisons with the JT15D engine were displayed.

Chestnutt, D.↗

A compact inflow control device for simulating flight fan noise

Inflow control device (ICD's) of various shapes and sizes have been used to simulate inflight fan tone noise during ground static tests. A small, simple inexpensive ICD design was optimized from previous design and fabrication techniques. This compact two-fan-diameter ICD exhibits satisfactory acoustic performance characteristics without causing noise attenuation or redirection. In addition, it generates no important new noise sources. Design and construction details of the compact ICD are discussed and acoustic performance test results are presented.

Homyak, L.↗

Interaction of fan rotor flow with downstream struts

The detailed unsteady pressure field produced on the rotor blades of an axial-flow fan by interaction with downstream struts was investigated. The experimental arrangement was similar to that found in the fan casings of turbofan aircraft engines. Acoustically significant pressure fluctuations were measured on both thy suction and pressure sides of the rotor blades for several positions of the downstream struts. The level of the observed interaction decreased with increased spacing of the struts behind the rotor. An inviscid flow analysis for the disturbance level is compared with trends of the measured results.

Obrien, W. F., Jr.↗