Engine Realistic Integrated duCt Aerodynamics

Purpose and goal:

The project is led by GKN Aerospace and is done in collaboration with the German partners MTU and DLR. The project will evaluate and utilize experimental data from a two-spool compressor rig with a bleed system and very short intermediate compressor duct. Lessons learnt will be used to improve existing design tools and an assessment will be made of how a shorter duct can reduce fuel consumption for future aero engines.

Expected results and effects:

The ERICA-project builds on top of a previously established collaboration between GKN Aerospace, DLR and MTU on a two-spool compressor rig in the European CleanSky2 programme. The project is expected to improve GKNs capability to design and verify performance of short compressor ducts in an engine realistic environment. The project will improve the prospect of GKN taking an increased share of design responsibility for these components in next generation engines.

Approach and implementation:

Project work in ERICA will be planned and followed up regularly as part of a more extensive effort at GKN Aerospace focused on design and integration aspects of compressor ducts. Frequent meetings between GKN, DLR and MTU are expected to occur at the start of the project while the test campaign at DLRs facilities is still on-going. Meetings at a later stage of the project will mainly focus on comparisons of experimental results with computational results obtained by GKN Aerospace and MTU.