Potential flow modelling of boundary layer ingesting configurations

Abstract

Boundary Layer Ingestion (BLI) is a promising technology for reducing the impact of aviation on the environment. By placing a propulsor on an aircraft such that it ingests the slower moving air within the boundary layer, a decrease in power consumption can be achieved. Evaluating the performance of BLI configurations remains a challenge though. Many conventional methods for computing the thrust and drag of an aircraft cannot be used due to the interference between the airframe and the propulsor. As a result, researchers have to rely on either low fidelity methods with limited accuracy, or on expensive CFD simulations. In this work, an attempt was made to create a computationally inexpensive method that can evaluate the drag, thrust and propulsive power of an axisymmetric fuselage with a BLI propulsor. The method proposed relies on potential flow modeling and makes use of a boundary layer model and several corrections.