Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines

In civil aircraft aero engine bearing chambers it is sometimes difficult to feed oil to bearings using the traditional under-race or targeted jet approaches. In such situations one proposed solution is that of a scoop delivery system. Published experimental investigations into scoop performance show...

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Main Author: Prabhakar, Arun
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/56685/
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author Prabhakar, Arun
author_facet Prabhakar, Arun
author_sort Prabhakar, Arun
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description In civil aircraft aero engine bearing chambers it is sometimes difficult to feed oil to bearings using the traditional under-race or targeted jet approaches. In such situations one proposed solution is that of a scoop delivery system. Published experimental investigations into scoop performance show that scoop collection efficiency (the percentage of oil delivered by the scoop system to its destination compared to that supplied by the feed jet) is a function of many operational and geometric parameters. However even with high speed imaging it is impossible to experimentally determine in detail the factors that most contribute to reduction in capture efficiency and it is here particularly that a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigation has value. In the work of this thesis CFD investigations using ANSYS FLUENT are used to investigate the performance of scoop based lubrication devices. The computational domain, a 2D slice through the chosen scoop system, is discretized utilizing ANSYS Meshing. The Volume of fluid (VOF) model is used to model the multiphase flow of oil and air in the system and the RNG k-ε turbulence model is employed to account for the effects of turbulence. Comparison of numerical results with experimental results indicate good agreement. Results achieved from analytical modelling also support the results obtained from CFD and experiments. The effect of vortex shedding from the tip of scoops and different scoop geometries on the capture efficiency have also been investigated. A computationally efficient model for assessing the performance of scoops has been developed in this PhD.
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format Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
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institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
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language English
last_indexed 2025-11-14T20:34:30Z
publishDate 2019
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spelling nottingham-566852025-02-28T14:30:56Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/56685/ Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines Prabhakar, Arun In civil aircraft aero engine bearing chambers it is sometimes difficult to feed oil to bearings using the traditional under-race or targeted jet approaches. In such situations one proposed solution is that of a scoop delivery system. Published experimental investigations into scoop performance show that scoop collection efficiency (the percentage of oil delivered by the scoop system to its destination compared to that supplied by the feed jet) is a function of many operational and geometric parameters. However even with high speed imaging it is impossible to experimentally determine in detail the factors that most contribute to reduction in capture efficiency and it is here particularly that a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigation has value. In the work of this thesis CFD investigations using ANSYS FLUENT are used to investigate the performance of scoop based lubrication devices. The computational domain, a 2D slice through the chosen scoop system, is discretized utilizing ANSYS Meshing. The Volume of fluid (VOF) model is used to model the multiphase flow of oil and air in the system and the RNG k-ε turbulence model is employed to account for the effects of turbulence. Comparison of numerical results with experimental results indicate good agreement. Results achieved from analytical modelling also support the results obtained from CFD and experiments. The effect of vortex shedding from the tip of scoops and different scoop geometries on the capture efficiency have also been investigated. A computationally efficient model for assessing the performance of scoops has been developed in this PhD. 2019-07-28 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/56685/1/Arun%20Prabhakar%20PhD%20Thesis%202018%20corrected.pdf Prabhakar, Arun (2019) Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. computational fluid dynamics; turbulence modelling; multiphase flow; vortex shedding; aero engine lubrication
spellingShingle computational fluid dynamics; turbulence modelling; multiphase flow; vortex shedding; aero engine lubrication
Prabhakar, Arun
Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines
title Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines
title_full Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines
title_fullStr Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines
title_full_unstemmed Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines
title_short Numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines
title_sort numerical simulations to assess the performance of scoop based lubrication devices for use in aero-engines
topic computational fluid dynamics; turbulence modelling; multiphase flow; vortex shedding; aero engine lubrication
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/56685/