Development of a Novel Transonic Fan Casing Making Use of Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) presents significant cost savings and lead time reductions because of features inherent to the manufacturing process. The technology lends itself to rapid prototyping due to the streamlined workflow of quickly implementing design changes. Compared to traditional machining, AM techniques are simpler in execution for design engineers because they do not require detailed engineering drawings and they typically make use of the nominal geometry in computer models. A novel transonic fan casing assembly has been developed that makes use of AM inserts surrounding the rotor to provide an opportunity to cost-effectively change the corresponding flowpath. The rapid prototyping design philosophy developed from this work will allow for numerous experimental studies into the effects that different design parameters of casing geometries have on fan aerodynamic performance. A fan stage representative of a small turbofan engine was successfully tested with smooth-walled, additively manufactured inserts as a baseline case for future configurations. Before installing the 3D printed casing assembly, computational thermal stress analysis was performed to reduce the risk in implementation due to the demanding environment associated with the rotor. AM components and materials typically have nonlinear mechanical properties, adding to the complexity of the structural analysis. As part of the research, steady aerodynamic performance was measured over the entire relevant operating range of the fan.