Fan Alternatives for Next Generation engines 2

Important results from the project

The project Fan Alternatives for Next Generation engines (FANG2) has developed design methods for turbofan propulsors and optimization methods for engines and fans. The project group has analyzed a swept fan for ultra-high bypass ratio and compared with experimental results from Lyon. The design method provides an opportunity to scale existing fan geometries to adapt to new engine concepts, while maintaining gradual geometric transitions to enable high flow quality and low losses.

Expected long term effects

The results will contribute to GKN Aerospace´s competence to develop components for efficient aircraft engines for the 2030s, which is one of the necessary factors to facilitate the transition to less environmentally and climate-damaging energy such as biofuels, synthetic kerosene and hydrogen. The method for generating fan blade geometries can also be applied to guide vanes which help to compactly integrate heat exchangers in advanced engines for the 2040s.

Approach and implementation

Initally, some of the latest generation of aircraft engines that have been produced for 10-15 years were analyzed. Based on open data, it was shown that the fans are already more advanced and allows higher flows than the standard literature indicates. A collaboration was established with a research group that has developed and tested a fan for future engines. From this, a method was developed to generate geometries with alternative design parameters as well as a meta-model for optimization.