Simulation And Flow Characterization Of Spiked Supersonic Gas Turbine Intake At Non-Zero Angle Of Attack

Intake of a supersonic gas turbine requires the highest possible total pressure recovery and minimal total pressure lost in order to obtain an efficient operation. The supersonic intake is mainly affected by two substantial factors which are the angle of attack and the geometry of the spike (wedge angle). At zero angle of attack, the solution is quite direct, but at non-zero angle of attack, the shock system structure will be affected and the flow distribution will be unsymmetrical in the upper (leeside) and the lower side (windward side) of the inlet. The objective of this work is to analyze the thermo fluid mechanism and to investigate the flow characteristic in the diffuser part of the intake. The analysis is carried out under the assumption of viscous, steady, 2D compressible fluid flow. The external part (shock system part) is to be modelled and analyzed analytically. The shock system part is successfully modelled using Microsoft Excel. The internal part (diffuser) will be simulated and analyzed numerically using CFD software. The available FLUENT and GAMBIT software in the department will be used for modelling and simulation. In conclusion, the study on combination effect of angle of attack and wedge angle is very essential as it directly affect the performance of the compressor and in turn, the gas turbine operation