What is it about?
Analysis and testing have been used to determine the effect of ingesting the boundary layer wake of a body into its propulsion system. It has been suggested that this may improve the propulsive efficiency of propulsions systems. This paper provides an explanation for why it does not and presents experimental evidence that this is the case.
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Why is it important?
There has been renewed interest at major aircraft and engine companies in increasing the propulsive efficiency of aircraft engines by ingesting the aircraft’s wake. This experimental and analytical study of the effect of ingesting the wake of a body shows that wake ingestion in fact reduces the propulsive efficiency.
Perspectives
There is no agreement on why ingestion would increase the propulsive efficiency. At least half a dozen different hypotheses have been suggested, but the benefit has never been experimentally demonstrated. We hope this paper will stimulate new thinking about this mechanism.
Dr Paul M Bevilaqua
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Propulsive Efficiency of Wake Ingestion, Journal of Propulsion and Power, July 2020, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/1.b37695.
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