Solid particulate flow in an axial transonic fan in a high bypass ratio turbofan engine

In this study, the effect of erosion ( due to particulated flow ) on theperformance of the axial transonic fan of a high bypass ratio turbofan engine (CF6)is investigated. Moreover the engine performance deterioration due to the fan performance degradation is studied and the fan life time is predicted as well.The flow field was solved in the fan and its intake using the Navier-Stokesfinite volume FLUENT solver based on the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model.Two cases are examined; namely, takeoff and cruise. The flow field is considered a compressible, turbulent, and three dimensional. The omputational domain employed here is a periodic sector through both the fan and its intake bounding an angle of (360/38) where the number of fan blades is (38). The intake is a stationary domain while the fan is a rotating one. Both stationary and rotating domains are merged together to produce the whole computational domain.The flow parameters ( pressures, temperatures, and Mach numbers) areinvestigated. Also the fan performance map, for different rotational speeds, ispredicted. Such a fan map is introduced into the off-design performance analysis for the CF6 turbofan engine to predict the fan operating line.The dynamic behavior of the ingested particles through the intake and fan areinvestigated in both takeoff and cruise conditions. The effect of the particle size on its trajectory, impact location, and predicted erosion rate is also discussed. To simulate the problem in a more realistic manner, a Rosin Rambler particle diameter distribution were assumed at takeoff and cruise conditions. At takeoff this istribution varies from 50 to 300 urn with a mean diameter of 150 urn sand particles. While at cruise, this distribution varies from 5 to 30 urn with a meandiameter of 15 urn fly ash particles. During one cycle of operation, the amount of metal removed from the fan blade is a combination of both the takeoff and cruise