Date of Award

Spring 2015

Access Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Department

Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Magdy Attia

First Committee Member

Mark Ricklick

Second Committee Member

William Engblom

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to determine a flow model that provides a better blade design over current design techniques utilizing a hybrid vortex model. This hybrid vortex model combines the well-established simple radial equilibrium vortex models into a higher order equation that will establish the basis for a more flow-accurate model. In this paper, we will discuss the basis and derivation of these vortex models, the shortcomings of current techniques, and verification of the new vortex model with empirical data via Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD). The simple radial equilibrium equation set has been known to the scientific community since the first gas turbine engines designs. Active research into the vortex models associated with radial equilibrium, has declined with the advent of robust CFD solvers capable of representing fluid through turbomachinery. Since there are no closed form of the Navier-Stokes Equations in existence, CFD is bound by errors in modelling turbulence, mixing planes, boundary layer transitions, as well as other loss models that are incorporated into these programs. The Simplified High-Order Vortex Equation was utilized to increase the surge margin of up to 3.32% compared to a rotor designed using the free vortex method.

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