A Coupled CFD Framework for Combustor Turbine Interaction in a Research Aeroengine

TL;DR

This paper introduces a fully coupled CFD simulation framework for combustor-turbine interaction in a research aeroengine, enabling detailed analysis of hot streak transport and thermal loading effects under realistic operating conditions.

Contribution

It presents a novel coupled simulation approach combining pressure-based and density-based solvers with a flux-averaging coupling methodology for aeroengine components.

Findings

Coupled simulations accurately capture hot streak transport and flow variability.

The framework demonstrates realistic turbine thermal loading patterns.

Coupling improves understanding of unsteady flow effects on turbine components.

Abstract

This work presents a fully coupled combustor turbine simulation framework applied to the MYTHOS aeroengine, developed within the Horizon Europe project MYTHOS, aimed at assessing the impact of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and hydrogen on next generation propulsion systems. The numerical setup features a dynamic, bidirectional coupling between a pressure-based solver with detailed finite rate chemistry, deployed in the combustor, and a density-based turbomachinery solver employing tabulated thermochemistry for efficiency, used for the turbine. The coupling is realised through a flux-averaging methodology that ensures conservative exchange of flow quantities and allows flow in arbitrary directions across the interface. Previous validation steps of presented methodology have shown the viability of the approach and are also shortly reviewd. The paper focuses on the chemistry handling strategy that guarantees thermochemical consistency between the two solvers. Coupled reacting simulations at cruise operating conditions demonstrate the capability of the framework to capture combustor generated hot streaks transport and their influence on turbine aerothermal loading. Comparison with segregated simulations of the two components shows that coupling captures the highly unsteady temperature and flow distributions at the turbine inlet and across the blade rows. Whilst mean aerodynamic loading are essentially unchanged, a realistic circumferential variability in blade thermal loading can be observed in the coupled simulations, thus establishing a consistent foundation for future studies on the effects of alternative fuels on core engine components.