Experimental and Numerical Simulations of the Effects of Ingested Particles in Gas Turbine Engines

Particles ingested in gas turbine engines follow trajectories that generally deviate from the flow streamlines and impact the component surfaces causing erosion damage. This paper deals with the experimental and numerical simulations of particle dynamics including surface interactions and the associated blade erosion in gas turbine engines. The experimental studies of particle surface impacts include the nonintrusive measurements of particle bounce conditions and the erosion testing of blade materials and blade coatings. Data obtained in the University of Cincinnati's high temperature erosion test facility at temperatures up to 1500 F for different alloys and coatings are presented. The numerical studies to simulate the particle dynamics in the turbomachines are described. Results of combined experimental and computational modeling are presented for the particle dynamics, the associated turbomachinery blade erosion, and performance loss. The probabilistic modeling of the experimentally measured variance in the particle bounce conditions and the loss of performance associated with particle ingestion are discussed.