Experimental Investigation of Secondary Flows and Length Reduction for a Low-Pressure Compressor Transition Duct

Abstract

The need to reduce fuel-burn and emissions is pushing turbofan engines toward geared architectures with higher bypass ratios and small ultrahigh-pressure ratio cores. However, this increases the radial offset between compressor spools leading to a more challenging design for compressor transition ducts. For the duct connecting the fan to the engine core, this is further complicated by poor-quality flow generated at the fan hub, which is characterized by low total pressure and large rotating secondary flow structures. This paper presents an experimental evaluation of a new rotor designed to produce these larger flow structures and examines their effect on the performance of an engine sector stators (ESS) and compressor transition duct. Aerodynamic data were collected via five-hole probes, for time-averaged pressures and velocities and phase-locked hot-wire anemometry to capture the rotating secondary flows. The data showed that larger structures promoted mixing through the ESS increasing momentum exchange between the core and boundary layer flows. Measurements within the duct showed a continued reduction in the hub boundary layer, suggesting the duct had moved further from separation. Consequently, an aggressive duct with 12.5% length reduction was designed and tested and measurements confirmed the duct remained fully attached. Total pressure loss was slightly increased over the ESS, but this was offset by reduced loss in the duct due to improved flow quality. Overall, this length reduction represents a significant cumulative effect in reduced fuel-burn and emissions over the life of an engine.