Resumen de Aerothermal characterisation of surface heat exchangers for turbofans
In a present marked by the continuous fight against pollution and climate change, research into technological improvements that allow an acceptable transition for society towards a greener future occupies a fundamental role. Specifically, aviation is a constant focus of innovation, since it is considered an essential function in a society as globalized as today's, but with worrying levels of pollution. In this regard, the development of motors with high efficiencies is a key step for the environmental transition. However, these alternatives present a technological challenge in terms of their thermal management, based mainly on the need to increase cooling. In this context and promoted by the Clean Sky 2 "Aerodynamic upgrade of Surface Air Cooled Oil Cooler (SACOC)" project, this doctoral thesis focuses on the experimental study of surface heat exchanger geometries for engine oil cooling using the use of secondary flow air from the turbofan. Currently, there are a number of limitations regarding the capacity to carry out a detailed analysis and design of this type of heat exchanger due to the lack of facilities that allow a correct, complete and robust experimental characterization. The main data sources are based on numerical calculations validated from extrapolations under conditions of questionable applicability.
The thesis presents results after a detailed characterization of four different geometries of heat exchangers using both intrusive and optical techniques. A flow bench capable of generating a typical air current around the exchangers is used, while an oil conditioning system controls the point of operation on the hot side. To more realistically recreate operating conditions, a methodology is presented to automatically generate distortion screens that can reproduce a two-dimensional distribution of target velocities through additive manufacturing of variable porosity panels. This model, analyzed by means of CFD and validated experimentally, is used to reproduce the typical speed profile present around the exchanger in a real operating circumstance.
After defining relevant metrics that allow analyzing the behaviour of the different geometries, it is concluded that aerodynamic and thermal problems are highly coupled in these devices, demonstrating the need for careful design to improve the exchanger's performance. The results show that an improvement of more than 12% in pressure drop and almost 20% in heat exchange can be obtained. In addition, the impact of using the distortion screen has been confirmed, with variations of the order of 10% in both variables. The results also show that it is possible to carry out a preliminary characterization in a reliable way with a 3D printed model, in terms of velocity fields, pressure losses and corrected eigenfrequencies.
With the analysis carried out in this thesis, it can be concluded that it is essential to have an experimental installation that reproduces the real operating conditions of an engine to carry out relevant studies of heat exchangers. In addition, the use of appropriate metrics is necessary together with the development of a comprehensive, reliable and robust methodology. The results and methodology presented in this research can have a significant impact both at an academic and industrial level, since they open the door to developing more efficient thermal management systems in preliminary design stages that are more affordable, consume less time and have more flexibility to make changes.
