Modeling Particle Deposition Effects in Aircraft Engine Compressors

Airborne particles ingested in aircraft engines deposit on compressor blading and end walls. Aerodynamic surfaces degrade on a microscopic and macroscopic scale. Blade row, compressor, and engine performance deteriorate. Optimization of maintenance scheduling to mitigate these effects requires modeling of the deterioration process. This work provides a deterioration model on blade row level and the experimental validation of this model in a newly designed deposition test rig. When reviewing previously published work, a clear focus on deposition effects in industrial gas turbines becomes evident. The present work focuses on quantifying magnitudes and timescales of deposition effects in aircraft engines and the adaptation of the generalized Kern and Seaton deposition model for application in axial compressor blade rows. The test rig's cascade was designed to be representative of aircraft engine compressor blading. The cascade was exposed to an accelerated deposition process. Reproducible deposition patterns were identified. Results showed an asymptotic progression of blade row performance deterioration. A significant increase in total pressure loss and decrease in static pressure rise were measured. Application of the validated model using existing particle concentration and flight cycle data showed that more than 95% of the performance deterioration due to deposition occurs within the first 1000 flight cycles.