PARTICLE DYNAMICS SIMULATIONS IN INLET SEPARATOR WITH AN EXPERIMENTALLY BASED BOUNCE MODEL

This article presents a probabilistic simulation methodology for the p article dynamics through a helicopter engine's inlet separator with an experimentally based particle bounce model. The flowfield is determin ed from the numerical solution of the compressible Navier-Stokes equat ions with a two-equation turbulence model. The probabilistic simulatio ns of the particle dynamics take into consideration the experimentally measured variance in the particle bounce conditions after surface int eractions. Results are presented for the particle trajectories through the inlet and for the separator effectiveness over a range of sand pa rticle sizes, and also for C-spec. sand.