Last semester, Notre Dame Turbomachinery Lab (NDTL) aerospace and mechanical engineering graduate student Val Hernley presented research findings at the International Symposium on Unsteady Aerodynamics, Aeroacoustics, and Aeroelasticity of Turbomachines…
In November, the Atlanta-based startup Hermeus reached a milestone in hypersonic flight at a University of Notre Dame research facility.
Just over a year ago, Hermeus approached Notre Dame's Turbomachinery Lab (NDTL) and discussed its plans to develop a Mach 5 commercial aircraft. To support this effort, Hermeus's engineers needed to test the startup's new engine, Chimera.…
Introduction
Commercial aircraft have an environmental impact that will continue to grow as demand further increases. This is balanced by the many derived social benefits as air transport has become widely accessible to the world’s population. Work will continue developing alternative concepts such as electric and hydrogen propulsion systems, but until significant technical breakthroughs occur in these technologies, commercial air travel will continue to rely on gas turbine engines that burn fossil fuels.…
The University of Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) completed construction of two new test cells dedicated to research, development and testing of hypersonic propulsion systems.
Axial compressor systems are a key component in gas-turbine engines for aviation and power generation. The ability of the compressor to increase gas pressure is limited by a phenomenon known as stall. A developing technology for mitigating stall is “Casing Treatments”. This refers to features such as slots or grooves machined into the casing around the compressor. Casing treatments are understood to reduce the likelihood of stall in a compressor but are generally associated with increased manufacturing costs and a decrease in efficiency.…
Blade vibration in turbomachinery components may lead to unwanted acoustic noise and material fatigue. The vibration is often caused by unsteady aerodynamic pressure forces on the surface of the blades. These pressure forces can be related to a wide variety of different physical mechanisms. Hence, predicting blade vibration at the design stage of a compressor or turbine is challenging. As a result, turbomachinery components are often tested over their anticipated operating range in order to investigate potential blade vibration issues.…
Axial compressor systems are essential in gas-turbine engines for aviation and power generation. An issue related to compressor operation is non-uniformity in the fluid properties in the approach flow to the compressor. These non-uniformities may include temperature or pressure variations around the compressor’s annulus. These can be caused by crosswinds or interactions between an engine and the airframe, for example. Further, the non-uniformities are known to lead to decreased performance and efficiency of the compressor. …
The collaboration provides research and development support for Carrier by the NDTL and an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience with Carrier’s HVAC compressor development.
The Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) and Jetoptera recently partnered to conduct a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) proof-of-concept (Phase I) study of Jetoptera's Fluid Propulsive System Thruster. The Fluid Propulsive System (FPS™) is a novel architecture that uses a source of compressed air to produce thrust. The FPS™ is a patented, scalable means to power a range of aircraft for both VTOL and STOL applications.…
The Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) will host the 185th biannual SAE International Aerospace Technical Committee EG-1E (Gas Turbine Engine Test Facilities and Equipment) Meeting and the 106th biannual AIAA Turbine Engine Testing Working Group (TETWoG) Meeting at the University of Notre Dame, October 6-8, 2021.…
The Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) and Carrier Global Corporation (Carrier) have entered into a 3-year research and testing agreement. A new 2200T calorimeter test stand for centrifugal refrigerant compressor development testing will be located at NDTL’s Ignition Park facility in South Bend, Indiana, USA. Carrier’s investment will bring new test capability to NDTL and is part of the recently established Carrier Center of Excellence at the University of Notre Dame. Construction of the test cell started in June 2021; the new facility will be commissioned by the end of the year.…
The University of Notre Dame received $222.7 million in research award funding for fiscal year 2021. This is more than $42 million over the previous record and the first time the University has surpassed the $200 million mark.
The adverse pressure gradient and aerodynamic flow interactions within axial compressors lead to suction surface flow separation and recirculation at the rotor trailing edge hub corner. Corner flow separation appearance and size variation, with respect to flow incidence, affects blade loading, blockage area, and entropy generated performance loss during both on- and off-design operation. Accurate prediction of this complex non-equilibrium turbulent flow typically requires eddy resolving simulations (DES, LES, etc.). However, the computational cost associated with these models for industry relevant Reynolds number flows is unacceptable in the design process. As such, lower cost RANS models are a standard in the component design process despite known difficulties predicting the non-equilibrium flow phenomena characterizing separated flows.…
The use of hot-wire anemometry in high-speed, high-temperature flows with large temperature variations presents unique challenges for probe calibration, design, and survivability. Researchers at the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) have developed a custom hot-wire probe design and sensor attachment procedure. The design employs high-…
When one path in research fails, the pivot to another avenue can be an opportunity for learning and discovery. Such was the experience last summer for seven Notre Dame undergraduates who had been scheduled for internships with companies in the aerospace industry when COVID-19 caused cancellations of those programs.
The use of supercritical CO2 (or sCO2) as the working fluid in closed-loop Brayton Cycles and advanced electrothermal energy storage systems has shown great promise in delivering electricity with high efficiency, creating fuel flexibility, and reducing power-plant size and cost. A number of new technology advancements, however, must be realized in order to make sCO2…
The Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) recently completed a development test campaign of a full-scale, multistage, low-pressure aviation compressor in a 10 MW test cell. The tests included over…
Gas-turbine engines provide a large percentage of the electricity used around the world. The turbine blades that deliver the shaft power to generators must be able to withstand high mechanical stress, extreme heat, and unsteady aerodynamic forces. Under some circumstances, a self-excited aeroelastic instability—termed flutter…
NASA Glenn Research Center and the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) are working together to understand and control broadband noise created by turbofan engines. The Advanced Noise Control Fan (ANCF) shown above (left) is an experimental facility with a 4-foot diameter fan that rotates at speeds up to 1800 RPM. The project objectives include the study and control of the broadband noise generated by the fan stage. Actuators have been placed on the fan’s stator (above right) with the intent of using active control to reduce noise observed in the far field.…
The accurate and efficient simulation of combustion flows remains a significant challenge. Recent advancements in turbulence modeling and numerical algorithms at the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) have demonstrated promising new capabilities. The temperature contours shown above illustrate the Wavenumber Adaptive Simulation (WAS) method developed at NDTL as well as the solution from a traditional Large Eddy Simulation (LES). The WAS technique is a form of hybrid turbulence model that is both accurate and numerically efficient. Both simulations provided a similar level of resolution and accuracy, while the WAS required approximately half of the computational costs.…