Integrated Computations of an Entire Jet Engine

Abstract

In this paper, we present a framework that we have developed for integrated computations of an entire jet engine. It is based on a software environment, CHIMPS, that allows a simulation of multi-component effects by executing multiple solvers simultaneously. Each of these solvers computes a portion of a given flow domain and exchanges flow data at the interfaces with its peer solvers. We demonstrated this approach in a simulation of a 20 degree sector of the entire gas turbine jet engine, encompassing the fan, low and high pressure compressor, combustor, high and low pressure turbine and the exit nozzle. We will show that such a simulation can deliver important insight into the physics of interaction between different engine components, within a reasonable turnover time, which is necessary for it to be useful in the design process of an engine.