Parametric Geometry for

Propulsion-Airframe Integration
NASA NRA NNX11AI70A Topic 2.2

Russell K. Denney
Jimmy C. Tai
Dimitri N. Mavris

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA 30332
 Outline
• Objective and Background
• Approach
• Current Progress
– “Inside” Track
– “Outside” Track
– Model Problems
• Observations from Year 1
• Year 2 Work Plan

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 Background
Parametric Aircraft (VSP) Cycle Modeling (NPSS) • Our typical design
process starts
with the engine
cycle and a
vehicle
representation,
which is used for
Mission Analysis (FLOPS)
Aero Generation drag prediction.
• Thrust , fuel flow,
and drag data are
used for the
mission analysis
and analyses for
other system
Other System Metrics metrics, such as
noise and
emissions.

3
 Background
Parametric Aircraft (VSP) Cycle Modeling (NPSS)
Flowpath Design (WATE++)

Mission Analysis (FLOPS) • In recent years we

Aero Generation have begun adding
engine flowpath
design to the
process, to ensure
our engines are
“buildable” and to
Other System Metrics provide better data
for weight, noise,
and emissions
predictions

4
 Background
Parametric Aircraft (VSP) Cycle Modeling (NPSS)
Flowpath Design (WATE++)

Mission Analysis (FLOPS)

Aero Generation OpenVSP Engine
Flowpath

• New tools such as

OpenVSP and OTAC for Higher Fidelity
Other System Metrics
the engine flowpath Design/Analysis Tools
will make it possible to
bring more physics
into the conceptual
design process
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 Motivation
• Traditionally most resources have
been committed during the last
half of the development process
– Late design changes are
difficult and expensive
• However the fate of the
program is often decided by the
decisions made early on
• Development risk and cost may
be reduced by improving the
capability of the conceptual
phase

Panchenko et al, Preliminary Multi-Disciplinary Optimization in Turbomachinery Design, RTO

AVT Symposium on “Reduction of Military Vehicle Acquisition Time and Cost through
Advanced Modelling and Virtual Simulation”, Paris, France, 22-25 April 2002, RTO-MP-089

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 The Big Picture
Analysis Tools
Iterative “Design by Analysis” Process
Aero

Conceptual Structure
Design
Tools Noise

etc

 Intended to run quickly  Model more detailed physics

 Use simplifying assumptions  Usually require 3-D geometry
 Solve simplified equations
 Usually 1-D or 2-D geometry

How to “connect” the design and analysis

tools to ensure a consistent geometry is
analyzed by each discipline?
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 The Big Picture
Analysis Tools
Aero

Conceptual Structure
Design OpenVSP
Tools Noise

etc

OpenVSP provides:
 3-D Design DOF
 Visualization
 Geometry Standard
o Ensures consistent geometry is analyzed by all disciplines
o Geometry is updated with each iteration

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 Program Plan
The research is divided into two main tracks:
• Parametric Variation of Inlet and Nozzle Geometry
– Improved estimation of installation effects, throttle-dependent drags,
and engine-airframe interactions
– Address unique problems related to parameterization of advanced
inlets and nozzles, which may be square or round, straight or
serpentine, and may have special geometric features such as chevrons
• Parametric Variation of the Entire Engine Flowpath
– Produce a 3D representation of the complete engine flowpath
geometry, which will permit more detailed analyses of unconventional
engine cycles
– Identify specific requirements for engine fan and turbine
parameterization for successful interfacing with higher-order, physics-
based tools for noise and performance analyses

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 Current Progress – “Inside” Track
• 3-D Engine Flowpath Design

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 OpenVSP in the Engine Flowpath Design Process

2-D Flow Path Defines Basic Shapes

(Areas, Radii, Lengths, etc.)

Cycle and Flow-path Design Higher Order

NPSS/WATE++ Analyses

3-D Geometry Tool

Adds Design DOF Vehicle Sketch Pad

Rhino3D
Meta-Geometry

Aero Codes,
Structural Analysis Higher Order Analyses
Codes, etc
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 NPSS/WATE++
NPSS is an object-oriented
programming environment for
modeling aircraft turbine engines
• Traditional 0-D thermodynamic cycle
modeling
• “Zooming” capability to link with
higher fidelity design and analysis
codes

WATE++ is a collection of NPSS objects for

predicting the engine flowpath dimensions
and weights
• Uses thermodynamic cycle data as input
• Simplified stress analyses & empirical
relationships to size the components

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 OpenVSP “Sockets”
• Each WATE++ component has been
modified to include a socket or
subelement to generate the XML
code for OpenVSP NPSS run file
• Simply include the socket when the Runs NPSS cycle model

element is instantiated in the

WATE++ run file
WATE++ config file
Config File
• Defines additional OpenVSP Base Element
parameters for 3-D geometry that WATEvspSubelement.int

WATE++ doesn’t care about

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 Drawing WATE++ Compressors in OpenVSP
• Component Parameters
– Inport location and Radii
150Pax HPC
– Outport Radii
– Total compressor length
– IGV length
– Front frame length
• Stage Parameters
– Blade axial length (each stage)
– Stator axial length (each stage)
– Spacing length (or % of stage length)
– Num blades (each stage)
– Tip Radius
– Hub radius (or HtoT ratio)
• Blade Parameters
150Pax Booster
– Twist distribution
– Airfoil shape
– Taper
– Etc.
• OpenVSP Socket for HPC and LPC
– PROPELLER element for blades
– FUSELAGE2 element for hub and casing

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 Issues with the Compressor Elements
• Issue of how to properly contour the
casing
– Currently placing a FUSELAGE2 cross
section at every blade trailing edge
– Interpolating between the rotor casing
radius to get the stator blade tip radius
(stators are flush with casing)
– May want more complex case contouring
• Tip clearance
– Added a single variable to the WATE
socket which is applied at each stage
– Could specify tip clearance on a per-stage
basis

Casing-stator
overlap

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 Turbofan Engine Demo
• A “complete” separate flow
high bypass engine was
modeled using OpenVSP
sockets added to the required
WATE++ elements
• This OpenVSP model consists
of 62 components, either
PROPELLER or FUSELAGE2
components, representing the
engine components
• Still to be developed are the
combustor, shafts and disks,
and true airfoil
representations

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 Current Progress – “Outside” Track
• Propulsion Airframe Integration

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 OpenVSP in the PAI Design Process
Lower Fidelity Design Codes Define
Initial Geometry

Inlet, Nozzle, Nacelle Higher Order

Design Codes Analyses

3-D Geometry Tool

Adds Design DOF Vehicle Sketch Pad

Meta-Geometry

Higher Fidelity Aero

Codes, Structural Higher Order Analyses
Analysis Codes, etc CART-3D
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 Cowl/Nozzle/Engine Parameters
Fore cowl Tan Str1 and 2 Aft Tan Str1 and 2

Lmax Aft Length

Cowl/Nozzle Parms Eng/Nozzle Shape

Rmax/Rfan* Boattail*
Lmax/Rmax Fore Cowl Tan Str1*
Rexit Rexit Fore Cowl Tan St2*
Area Ratio Aft Tan Str1*
Aft Length Aft Tan Str2*
Top/Bot Sym Top/Bot Sym
Left/Right Sym Left/Right Sym

Rmax

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 Inlet Parameters

Lip Tan Str1 and 2 Diffuser Tan Str1 and 2

Inlet Parms Inlet Shape

Rfan Number of Interp Xsecs**
Rhl/Rfan* Diffuser Tan Str1*
Rth/Rhl* Diffuser Tan Str2*

Rhl Rfan Lip Fineness Lip Tan Str1*

L/Rfan Lip Tan Str2*
scarf*** Top/Bot Sym
Top/Bot Sym Left/Right Sym
Left/Right Sym

Rth

Lip Fineness x (Rhl-Rth)

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 Nozzle Parameters
• Axisymmetric Converging Nozzles:
– Two types: Bypass nozzle, Core nozzle
• Bypass Nozzle: 35
– Cowl connecting nozzles
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– 3 (outer) or 4 (inner) FUSELAGE2 cross
sections 25

Bypass Nozzle Parms 20

Area Ratio Inner Tan Str 3 Core
L/D Inner Tan Str 4 15 Bypass Nozzle
Inport Axial Loc Outer Tan Str 1 Nozzle
Inport Inner R Outer Tan Str 2 10
Inport Outer R Outer Tan Str 3
5
Plug
Inner Tan Str 1 Outer Tan Str 4
Inner Tan Str 2 By-pass Boattail
0
• Core Nozzle: 50 70 90 110 130 150

– Plug
– 3 (outer) or 4 (inner) FUSELAGE2 cross
sections
Core Nozzle Parms
Area Ratio Inner Tan Str 1
L/D Inner Tan Str 2
Inport Axial Loc IOuter Tan Str 1
Inport Inner R Outer Tan Str 2
Inport Outer R Core Boattail
Plug Length

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 Example: WATE++ Nacelle
15 16
9-14
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3-8 2 1
Variable Description
Point x-Geometry Relation y-Geometry Relation
diameter fan diameter
1 0 Rfan
Throat Area (Corrected
2 Fan Out Location - Fan stage length Rfan
Ath Mass flow)
3 -(L/D ratio * Fan Radius) Rth
Wall Points

Ahit Highlight area of the top

4 x3 - 2*(Rhi-Rth)/5
Highlight area of the
5 x3 - 2*(Rhi-Rth)*2/5 Quadratic fit using distance from throat to
Inlet lip leading edge Ahib bottom
6 x3 - 2*(Rhi-Rth)*3/5
7 x3 - 2*(Rhi-Rth)*4/5 Ldratio Length of diffuser/Dfan
8 x3 - 2*(Rhi-Rth) Rhi (=1.2*Rth) Distance from HL to
9 x3 - 2*(Rhi-Rth) Rhi (=1.2*Rth) At Throat top
10 Distance from HL to
11 Percentage of Point 15 based on lip Airfoil Fixed Percentage of Point 15 based on lip Ab Throat bottom
Nacelle Points

12 Shape Airfoil Shape Thickness of the wall at

13 { 0.01, 0.02,0.03,0.06, 0.10,1.0} { .1302,.1839,.225,.317,.4071,1.0} twall max area
14 Distance from Highlight to
x max area
15 (-1.92*(1.0/(Rmax/Rhi)+2.088)*2.0*Rmax Max Nacelle Radius AbypNozz Bypass nozzle area
16 FanfaceToMaxNacelleArea Max Nacelle Radius Distance from fan face to
17 Byp Nozz Outport Location Byp Nozz Outer Radius Lnozzle bypass nozzle area

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 Nacelle Meshing Issue
• OpenVSP has the
capability to combine
two open components
into a single mesh using
CompGeom or CFD Mesh
– Components must have
coincident beginning and
ending cross-sections
– Multiple open
components (>2) cannot
currently be combined
into a single mesh
• Either change the way
WATE++ draws a
fueslage or modify the
OpenVSP meshing logic
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 Model Problem Investigation
• Illustrate utility and flexibility of parameterized
components
• Demonstrate capability to geometrically model novel
and unique advanced concepts
• Test the limits of OpenVSP and its components
– Are the provided components sufficient?
– If not should they be reworked/modified or should new
components be added?
• Test the component parameterizations and the
integration relationships
• Use Cart3D to validate applicability of
parameterizations in an analysis environment

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 Model Problem Progress
• Constructing baseline
and advanced concept
models in OpenVSP
using parameterized
components
• Setting up flow-through
analysis on meshed
nacelle in Cart3D
• Using “pucks” to define
boundary conditions at
inlet and exit of
through-flow nacelle
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 Observations from Year 1
• OpenVSP Graphics Display Update Speed
– Currently, the display update speed of OpenVSP with the
62-component engine model is unacceptable
– This may be partially due to the number and/or complexity
of the components that must be modeled, but consensus
is that it has more to do with the internal OpenVSP
graphics procedures

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 Observations from Year 1 (cont’d)
• Need for Improved Component Parameterizations
– The most significant finding from last year’s work is the
need for improved component parameterizations within
OpenVSP
– It was decided early on to use the same parameterizations
as in WATE++
– However, once in OpenVSP, the parts have the
parameterization of the OpenVSP components (i.e., of the
PROPELLER and FUSELAGE2 elements), and the WATE++
parameterization is lost
– Solution: create new OpenVSP elements to support the
WATE++ parameterization

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 “Tube” Element – Notional Views
• Currently requires two FUSELAGE2 elements
• Will be useful for embedded inlets, scarfed inlets,
non-axisymmetric ducts, etc.

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 “Ginsu” Element – OpenVSP Depiction
Ring

Blade

Disc

• The basic element has three components:

– Casing (outer diameter) ring
– Rim (inner diameter) disc
– Strut or blade sections

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 “Ginsu” Element (cont’d)
• One basic element can model most
engine flowpath components
Omit rim
piece to
represent a
vane row

Omit casing piece

and format rim
piece to represent
Basic element a bladed disk
used as a frame
component

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 Year 2 Work Plan
• “Inside” Track
— Create new “tube” and “Ginsu” OpenVSP elements
— Update OpenVSP sockets to use the new elements
— Develop combustor, shafts and disks, and true airfoil representations
• “Outside” Track
— Continue work on model problems
— Investigate meshing issues
— Introduce additional design and analysis codes
 SUPIN
 Calculix

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