Design of an Inertial Engine Air Particle Separator for Low-Flying Vehicles

Abstract

Aircraft engines operating in particle-laden environments are frequently at risk of internal damage and performance degradation due to the ingestion of foreign object debris (FOD). This research project focuses on the design of an axisymmetric inertial particle separator (IPS) to protect small turbojet engines, employing physical testing to evaluate performance. The primary objectives of this study are to design a functional IPS prototype and to enable rapid experimental evaluation of a variety of IPS geometries. Through iterative processes, a final IPS device and physical experiments for pressure drop, separation efficiency, and flow visualization are developed to meet all design requirements. The device’s modular architecture allows for individual components of the IPS to be swapped to test a variety of geometries in quick succession. The experimentation focuses on rapid iteration and comparative analysis of IPS performance indicators, informing the selection of the final design. Key results include that the presented IPS device achieves an air-particle separation efficiency of 90.83%, demonstrates a pressure drop of 1.03% for 100,mph flight, and displays successful debris rejection in flow visualization tests. Of the geometries tested, the baseline device is supported by the most convincing experimental evidence and is therefore selected as the final IPS design. This research presents a modular, axisymmetric inertial particle separator design for minimizing FOD ingestion in small turbojet engines, enabling rapid comparison of multiple geometries via separation efficiency, pressure loss, and flow visualization experiments.