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Team 44

Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Reis Muccino
Brian Machado
Kawtar Nadama

Reza Sheikhi

Sponsor

Pratt & Whitney

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Heat Exchanger Bypass Duct Flow Modeling

The purpose of this report is to provide in detail the continuation of the heat exchanger model process, where it highlights the data collection from experiments conducted, the processes and changes made on the physical aspect of the wind tunnel, and future considerations for upcoming iterations. In the aerospace industry, the control of bypass air flow is essential to multiple components in gas turbine engines, such as the performance and management of critical fluid throughout the system. The use of heat exchangers provides the ability for air flow to travel efficiently and keep temperatures in a controlled state. The caveat that surrounds heat exchangers has the potential to impact the flow from several parameters, such as size, porosity, position, and overall structure. At the time this report was written, a number of iterations were conducted on the existing wind tunnel, with mixed success on all previous parties. Obtaining accurate measurements and data from testing determines the performance of a heat exchanger to be successful, and that can be measured based on consistent pressure drops and accurate readings from various devices currently installed. Alternative methods such as reduced order models in porosity and the wind tunnel itself are also in consideration of finding stable readings from the eye test and calculations done in the procedures. While it is desirable to discover an optimal solution to provide consistent accurate results in each test, modifications on the physical structure and devices implemented will be further established per the sponsor’s request, to avoid the maximum amount of defects that can be presented when observing the overall flow throughout the heat exchanger.