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Turbomachinery and Propulsion

How do fluid mechanics, aeromechanics and heat transfer contribute to next-generation designs of compressors, expanders, and high-performance components? What ramifications will these developments have for power generation, aviation, and space?

Keywords: Fluid machinery, turbomachinery, aerodynamics, aeromechanics, fluid dynamics, structural dynamics, energy for transportation, aeroengines, rocket propulsion, microturbines.

Projects

ADA – Aggressive Duct Aerodynamics

Nov 20, 2023

The ADA (Aggressive Duct Aerodynamics) project is a project coordinated by GKN Aerospace Sweden AB, carried out in collaboration with KTH. The project is implemented through two technical work packages led by GKN (WP1) and KTH (WP2) respectively. WP1 aims to understand the detailed flow in aerodynamically aggressive intermediate compressor ducts and to establish the most effective methods to predict these flows, while WP2 aims to investigate the most effective methods to extend the aerodynamic duty of such ducts by using passive and active flow control devices. ADA is intended to run in parallel to, and collaborate with, the German LuFo project RDUCT where experimental research will be done on active and passive flow control in intermediate compressor ducts by TU-Berlin and DLR in Germany. Experimental data from RDUCT will be shared with ADA.

ADiSS - Aeroelastic Damping in Separated Flows

Nov 23, 2023

The project aims at obtaining experimental data to verify and improve accuracy in aerodynamic damping and flutter predictions for the conditions where available calculation methods are not fully validated or reliable. In particular, the focus will be on aeroelastic response of the compressor blades vibrating in a near stall flow condition.

ARIAS - Advanced Research Into Aeromechanical Solutions

Nov 23, 2023

The overall aim of the ARIAS project is to improve the design methods employed by aircraft engine manufacturers to predict aeromechanical vibrations, which occur due to the interaction of the component vibration with the air flow through the machine.

CARE – Cavity Acoustics and Rossiter modEs

Mar 28, 2024

The main overall objective is systematically experimentally quantify the coupled resonance occurring due to interaction between vortex oscillations from the boundary layer / shear layer flow passing over a cavity and the acoustic cavity. This targeted to provide validation data for in-house acoustic codes at industry in order to strengthen design prediction capabilities.

Cavity Purge Flows inside axial turbines

Jun 26, 2023

Turbomachinery in its various applications form the principal prime mover in the energy and aviation industries. Any improvement to this vast fleet of machines has the potential of significant impact on global emissions. Areas identified to benefit from continued research are the topics of flow mixing and cooling.
These are topics inherent in stationary gas turbines and jet engines due to the hot gas flows utilized. Cooling is achieved through injection of cold air in critical areas and thereby ensuring safe operation. The cooling however comes at a cost. On the cycle level this flow requires power to be compressed to the appropriate pressure, but does not contribute to the cycle output. In addition, the injection itself reduces the output power due to the losses associated with the mixing process. The study is centered to a turbine testing facility allowing detailed flow measurements in a rotating turbine stage under the influence of the cavity purge flow and also develop CFD models which can simulate the flow physics accurately.

EleFanT – Electric Fan Thruster

Jun 26, 2023

Under the project, which spans over 1.5 years, GKN Aerospace and KTH will together develop fan technology for smaller regional aircraft. The project will study aerodynamic design, performance, noise and manufacturing technology for a ducted fan powered by electricity, either from batteries, hydrogen fuel cells or even more conventional hybrid propulsion solutions.
The proposed propulsion solution with a ducted fan instead of a conventional propeller offers significant advantages in three main areas: safety, noise level and engine installation. By rapidly demonstrating fan technology for electric aviation, the EleFanT project will accelerate the pace of electric aviation development and position the participants for international aero-engine and aircraft development projects.

MERiT – Methane in Rocket nozzle cooling channels - conjugate heat Transfer measurements

Mar 28, 2024

For future rocket propulsion systems it is of strategic importance to develop knowledge of the heat transfer characteristics and material influence at relevant operating conditions. This project will investigate, for different relevant nickel-alloys and typical channel geometries, hydrocarbon fuels and operating conditions to determine: heat transfer coefficient (HTC), degree of coking and corrosion in the cooling channel, pressure loss as a function of supplied heat load, wall temperature, Reynolds number, fuel composition and pressure level.

VIFT - Virtual Integrated Fan and Turbine

Dec 04, 2023

The focus of the VIFT project is on the reduction of noise from modern efficient aero engines and the continued development of a virtual demonstrator environment aimed at turbomachinery studies. The virtual platform that will be developed further in the project has previously been shown to promote technical collaboration, research and information exchange between academia and industry in Sweden. The VIFT project will facilitate the development of methods for aircraft engine noise evaluation and innovative component designs targeting improved engine performance and increased overall efficiency.