Experimental and Computational Investigation of a Turbofan Inlet Duct

Abstract

The flow field of an axisymmetric turbofan inlet was investigated experimentally and computationally. Flow visualization results were obtained using LIF, hydrogen bubbles, and PIV. Incidence angle was determined to be a primary factor in the variation of pressure coefficients near the leading edge of the inlet geometry. Formation of an inlet vortex was observed when the inlet was in the proximity of the ground. An optimization study for a non-axisymmetric turbofan inlet duct using Genetic Algorithms and Computational Fluid dynamics was also conducted. The CFD model included flow conditions of the CFM56-5B turbofan inlet duct geometry to provide baseline results for comparison with the optimized geometry. A grid refinement study was conducted to ensure accuracy of results. This grid generation and computational model was used in the optimization study.