Session: 01-04 Inlets, Ducts & BLI

Paper Number: 82699

82699 - Upgrades to the Single Stage Axial Compressor and Fan Facility for Low Pressure Ratio and Boundary Layer Ingesting Fan Research 

Next generation aircraft engine efficiency goals will be met through high bypass ratio engines.  To achieve these goals, a combination of small core and low pressure ratio fan technologies will be necessary.  Additionally, advanced propulsion airframe integration concepts, such as boundary layer propulsion, and distributed electrically driven fans with short inlets or wing integration strategies, are beginning to be investigated for their potential fuel burn savings.

 

To realize the potential fuel savings from these technologies, it is necessary to have testing capabilities for the components.  The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Single Stage Axial Fan and Compressor Facility (also called the GRC W-8 Facility) has recently undergone several significant upgrades in order to effectively test low pressure ratio fans and various inlet distortions.  This paper will outline various challenges to testing low pressure ratio fans and the methods implemented to ensure that the W-8 facility is capable of performing these tests and acquiring high quality data.  The improvements include significant piping upgrades to reduce pressure loss and turbulence, capability for inlet total pressure and swirl distortion, increased test section length including a longer shaft, a two-component balance, an upgraded rotating data system, and a new temperature characterization to reduce uncertainties in thermocouple measurements.

Presenting Author: Julia Stephens NASA Glenn Research Center

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Julia Stephens is a researcher at NASA Glenn Research Center. She holds a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and a Ph. D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. Her research focuses on experimental investigations of fans and compressors.

Authors:

Julia Stephens NASA Glenn Research Center
Christopher Hughes NASA Glenn Research Center