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Automated Design and Heat Transfer Optimization in Aircraft Engines: A Case Study of General Electric
Technology Category
- Sensors - Utility Meters
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Mesh Networks
- Visual Quality Detection
Services
- Testing & Certification
The Challenge
The design of an aircraft engine combustor is a complex, multidisciplinary process that involves aero CFD, combustion, heat transfer CFD, dynamics, thermal, mechanical, and life prediction. GE Global Research Center, in collaboration with GE Aircraft Engines, was tasked with developing advanced combustor design technologies to meet aggressive new product introduction (NPI) analysis requirements. A significant challenge in this process was the generation of high-quality meshes in an automatic fashion. The mesh quality plays a critical role in the automated design process, affecting the analysis accuracy. Moreover, the meshing procedures needed to be scriptable, without human intervention. An all-hex mesh was required for the full combustor sector model to ensure analysis accuracy.
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is General Electric (GE), a multinational conglomerate that operates in various sectors including aviation, power, renewable energy, digital industry, and healthcare. In this particular case, the focus is on GE's aviation sector, specifically GE Aircraft Engines. GE Aircraft Engines is a leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components, integrated digital, avionics, electrical power, and mechanical systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. The company was seeking to develop advanced combustor design technologies to meet aggressive new product introduction (NPI) analysis requirements.
The Solution
To address the challenge, the full combustor sector model was divided into three main components: innerliner, outerliner, and dome-assembly. Each component was further divided into a set of subcomponents. The engineering solution involved generating tetin files using the prt2tetin script, generating replay files in hexa, and integrating meshes into a component or full-combustor model. This process resulted in the generation of an all-hex mesh for the full combustor sector model. The technology used in this solution was ANSYS® CFD. The solution also featured a streamlined interface with Unigraphics for easy accurate geometry translation, novel and unique blocking strategies for high-quality meshes, and excellent scripting features for automated mesh generation.
Operational Impact
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