Analytical Study of Steady-State Flow within the Compression Stage of a Westinghouse Single Loop Jet Engine
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program through the U.S. Department of Education under Award No. P217A170273.
Abstract
This research investigates the development of a Matlab™ program that predicts air velocity inside any jet engine at any stage along the axial compressor section as a function of rotor speed. Because the tolerances inside a compressor are small, it is difficult to take measurements of the conditions on the inside. Measurements from the tip, the midpoint, and the base of each blade of the 11 stage Westinghouse J34 were taken using a SolidWorks™ program containing the exact measurements. Using the velocity triangle method of analysis, the absolute, relative, axial and horizontal air velocities were calculated as a function of blade speed. This was then programed into Matlab™ and code was written to produce tables and graphs representing the respective air velocities. It was discovered that after the fourth stage the velocity dropped significantly. Future studies will include, adding a user-friendly interface for ease of access, adding an algorithm for optimization, adding calculations for measuring pressure, and testing the accuracy of the program using the compressor to collect data. Should the program be accurate, the program will be a useful tool to for aerospace engineers in various applications.
Analytical Study of Steady-State Flow within the Compression Stage of a Westinghouse Single Loop Jet Engine
This research investigates the development of a Matlab™ program that predicts air velocity inside any jet engine at any stage along the axial compressor section as a function of rotor speed. Because the tolerances inside a compressor are small, it is difficult to take measurements of the conditions on the inside. Measurements from the tip, the midpoint, and the base of each blade of the 11 stage Westinghouse J34 were taken using a SolidWorks™ program containing the exact measurements. Using the velocity triangle method of analysis, the absolute, relative, axial and horizontal air velocities were calculated as a function of blade speed. This was then programed into Matlab™ and code was written to produce tables and graphs representing the respective air velocities. It was discovered that after the fourth stage the velocity dropped significantly. Future studies will include, adding a user-friendly interface for ease of access, adding an algorithm for optimization, adding calculations for measuring pressure, and testing the accuracy of the program using the compressor to collect data. Should the program be accurate, the program will be a useful tool to for aerospace engineers in various applications.