Particle Impact Simulation in Aircraft Engine Gas Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for analyzing particle impacts in aircraft engine gas paths are expensive and inefficient, making it difficult to examine systematic relationships and identify damage-prone regions within engines, especially during overhaul.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method simulates particle impacts by combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and structural-mechanical modeling, where particles are moved through a modeled gas path with pre-determined velocity vectors to detect impacts and assess damage, allowing for statistical analysis and optimization of engine components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If inspections of engines are performed during overhaul to examine particle impact damage, then damage assessment is possible, but the process is expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs particle impact simulations during the design and development phase to predict damage before the engine is put into service. By conducting these simulations in advance, the need for extensive physical inspections during overhaul is reduced, as the simulation results can guide maintenance scheduling and identify critical components that need monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a computational model that replicates the engine's gas path and particle impact conditions. This virtual copy allows repeated simulations of particle impacts without physically damaging the actual engine. The model includes geometric representations of components and fluid flow characteristics, enabling virtual experimentation that replaces costly and time-consuming physical inspections.
2Measurement precision
If physical inspections are conducted during engine overhaul, then actual damage can be observed, but systematic statistical analysis is hardly possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the engine's gas path into multiple sections and components, each modeled separately in the computational framework. This segmentation allows particle impacts to be simulated on individual components (compressor, combustor, turbine stages) and aggregated into statistical distributions. The modular approach enables systematic analysis of impact patterns across different locations and operating conditions, facilitating statistical evaluation of damage probability and severity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies multiple parameters in the simulations, including particle size, velocity, concentration, and operating conditions, to generate a comprehensive dataset. By systematically changing these parameters across multiple simulation runs, the patent creates statistical distributions that describe particle impact behavior under different conditions. This enables probabilistic assessment of damage risk and informs maintenance strategies.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple particle impact simulations are performed to analyze systematic relationships, then statistical insights are gained, but computational effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary CFD simulations to obtain fluid flow characteristics and particle trajectory information before conducting the main particle impact analysis. By pre-computing flow fields, pressure distributions, and velocity profiles, the patent reduces the computational cost of subsequent particle impact simulations. These preliminary results are reused across multiple particle impact scenarios, significantly reducing the total computational energy required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the computational tasks into distinct modules: CFD flow field calculation, particle trajectory prediction, and impact damage assessment. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently and enables reuse of computational results. The fluid flow field can be computed once and reused for multiple particle impact scenarios, while particle trajectories can be calculated efficiently using the pre-computed flow fields, reducing overall computational energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables manageable computational effort for multiple simulations, identifying critical impact regions and informing design improvements, such as reinforcement or overhaul scheduling, thereby reducing damage and extending engine life.
Implementation Method 1
moving the particle with a velocity vector that was previously determined in a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation in a CFD model of the at least one section of the gas path for a fluid flowing through the gas path
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for simulating particle impacts in a gas path of an aircraft engine, the method including i) providing a structural-mechanical model of at least one section of the gas path, the model including structurally or mechanically modeled airfoils, ii) placing a particle at a position in the gas path of the model, iii) moving the particle with a velocity vector that was previously determined in a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation in a CFD model of the at least one section of the gas path for a fluid flowing through the gas path, and iv) detecting an impact when the moving particle hits a component of the structural-mechanical model.