A numerical insight into contra-rotating open rotor in-plane loads

¹ Airbus Operations S.A.S., Aerodynamic Design and Data Department, 316 route de Bayonne, 31060 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
² CERFACS, CFD Team, 42 avenue Gaspard Coriolis, 31057 Toulouse, France
³ Onera – The French Aerospace Lab, Applied Aerodynamics Department, 8 rue des Vertugadins, 92190 Meudon, France

^a Corresponding author: i.gonzalez.martino@gmail.com

Received: 3 July 2013
Accepted: 21 January 2014

Abstract

This paper presents the comparison of results obtained from two codes with different degrees of accuracy and computational time on the case of a contra-rotating open rotor (AI-PX7). The main goal is to assess the capacity of a code based on singularity methods to predict global open rotor performance, the in-plane loads (also called 1P loads), and the blade load distribution during a full blade cycle. Moreover, installation and unsteady correction models have been implemented in this code in order to evaluate the possible improvements of initial predictions. Finally, a numerical method to quantify some of the mechanisms governing open rotor thrust and 1P loads is proposed.