Numerical and Experimental Aerodynamic Investigation of an S-Shaped Intermediate Compressor Duct with Bleed

Journal article, 2021

A series of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to analyze the effects a rotor off-take bleed has on the performance of an intermediate compressor duct (ICD). To validate the CFD results, a comparison is made to measurements obtained from an experimental facility located at GKN Aerospace Engine Systems in Sweden. To achieve a deeper understanding of the flow physics, hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes/large eddy simulation (RANS/LES) simulations are performed for a single operating condition. The CFD simulations are capable of predicting the behavior when extracting large amount of air through the bleed pipe, where an improved prediction is obtained with the hybrid simulation. The performance of the ICD is severely compromised with increased amount of bleed as the flow delivered to the downstream component is highly disturbed. The disturbed flow is caused by the extraction of axial flow through the bleed pipe, increasing the incidence into the low-pressure compressor's outlet guide vanes (OGVs) resulting in unfavorable velocity profiles into the ICD. This behavior causes the flow to separate at the OGV blades, where the separation increases with increasing bleed. Furthermore, when including the full bleed system, significant circumferential distortions are observed, showing the necessity of the integrated design.