Experiments on Tuned UHBR Open-Test-Case Fan ECL5/CATANA: Stability Limit

Abstract

Research of the past decades has shown that the operating range of modern fans and compressors is often limited by aeroelastic phenomena before the onset of pure aerodynamic instability. Prediction of these mechanisms is challenging for state-of-the-art numerical methods, particularly for configurations with flexible wide-chord blades. To provide a benchmark configuration for the community, the composite-material fan stage ECL5, representative of near future ultra-high-bypass ratio architectures has been designed at Ecole Centrale de-Lyon and recently shared as an open-test-case. In research program CATANA, different configurations with variable tuning and intake geometries are investigated experimentally, and here we present a comprehensive aeroelastic study of the tuned reference configuration. The study encompasses the investigation of the whole subsonic and transonic operating range using multiphysical instrumentation. A characterization of structural properties under running conditions is analyzed in comparison to individual blade measurements and FEM-predictions. The stability limit is investigated at different speedlines. At transonic conditions, rotating stall occurred without aeroelastic precursors. Severe nonsynchronous-vibrations were observed at subsonic speeds and limited the operating range before the onset of rotating stall. Through a detailed analysis of the aeroelastic coupling mechanism, a full characterization of interacting modes is presented. The challenging prediction of this coupled phenomenon and the discrepancy to aeroelastic simulations are discussed. The results are a promising benchmark for future method development, particularly involving high-fidelity methods.