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Computational Analysis in Support of the Common Research Model Tail Cone Thruster Configuration Wind Tunnel Test

AMS Seminar Series

Speaker: Luis S. Fernandes, Science and Technology Corporation / NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division

Presentation

Seminar Slide Deck (PDF-21MB)

Abstract

NASA's Advanced Air Transport Technology (AATT) project is breaching the boundaries of aircraft design in pursuit of eco-friendly solutions that are compatible with urban noise comfort levels. Boundary layer ingesting (BLI) propulsion systems promise to reduce fuel burn with additional potential benefits in noise reduction. Type-II BLI systems of the STARC-ABL type are the subject of a test campaign planned for fiscal year 2022 in the National Transonic Facility (NTF), for which a CRM-based model with a retrofitted tail cone thruster (TCT) has been designed. The present work is a precursor to the NTF test, where the \SI{240}{} cases planned for the experiment were simulated using the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) computational framework. Solution sensitivity to angle of attack, engine operating conditions, and the presence of the supporting structure (sting) in the wind tunnel test are analyzed in the extensive dataset. The main flow features contributing to the inlet distortion are identified as the vertical tail wake, wing downwash and fuselage upsweep vortices, with the latter two experiencing the greatest sensitivity to angle of attack. Finally, results from an inlet-guide-vane (IGV) design/integration study are presented. The LAVA team and the turbomachinery design team at NASA's Ames and Glenn Research Centers are collaborating in an effort to reduce flow distortion upstream of the fan by means of integrating an IGV system into the CRM-TCT model. A significant improvement in flow distortion metrics has been achieved since the initial design iteration. Results employing an actuator zone model with realistic radially-varying thrust profiles to simulate first-order fan effects within LAVA are presented.

Biography

Photo of Luis Fernandes
Luis S. Fernandes is a research scientist/engineer for the Science and Technology Corporation working in the Computational Aerosciences Branch of the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division at NASA Ames Research Center. Fernandes joined the Launch Ascent and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) group in June 2020, after having spent the previous year conducting research at two different branches at Ames. Since joining the LAVA group, Fernandes has been involved in work related to NASA’s Advanced Air Transport Technology (AATT) project, providing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) support for wind tunnel test campaigns planned for the upcoming years, aimed at analyzing next generation aircraft solutions to reduce fuel burn by employing innovative boundary layer ingesting (BLI) propulsion systems. Another area of focus for Fernandes is the accurate prediction of fan noise from turbofan engine simulations, which is another domain where the AATT project envisions reducing current aircraft noise emissions, especially during take-off and landing. Fernandes obtained his master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Instituto Superior Técnico in 2019.