| Summary: | Particle ingestion remains an important concern for turbine engines, specifically those in aircraft. Sand and related particles tend to become suspended in air, posing an omnipresent health threat to engine components. This issue is most prevalent during operation in sandy environments at low altitudes. Takeoffs and landings can blow a significant quantity of particulates into the air; these particulates may then be ingested by the engine. Helicopters and other Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft are at high risk of engine damage in these conditions. Compressor blades are especially vulnerable, as they may encounter the largest of particles. Robust and thorough experimental and computational studies have been conducted to understand the relationships between particle type, shape, and size and their effects on compressor and turbine blade wear. However, there is a lack of literature that focuses on sampling particles directly from the flow inside an engine. Instead, experimental studies that estimate the trajectories and behavior of particles are based upon the resulting erosion of blades and the expected aerodynamics and physics of the region. It is important to close this gap to fully understand the role of particulates in eroding engine components. This study investigated the performance of a particle-sampling probe designed to collect particles after the first compressor stage of a Rolls-Royce Allison Model 250 turboshaft engine. The engine was not used in this investigation; rather, a rig that creates a particle-laden jet was developed in order to determine probe sampling sensitivity with respect to varying angles of attack and flow Mach number. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was utilized to understand the aerodynamic effects of the probe on smaller particles. === Master of Science === Aircraft jet engines are constantly exposed to particles suspended in the atmosphere. Most jet engines contain several stages of spinning blades. The first series of stages near the front of the engine comprise the compressor, while the series towards the end of the engine comprise the turbine. Engines depend on compressor blades to add energy to the flow via compression and turbine blades to extract energy from the flow after combustion. Thus, they are critical for the successful operation of the engine. The constant impact of airborne particulates against these blades causes erosion, which alters blade geometry and thereby engine performance. Depending on the turbine inlet temperature, particles may melt and clog the cooling passages in turbine blades, causing serious damage as the blades reach temperatures above their intended operating regime. These damages inhibit the ability of the engine to operate properly and pose a serious safety risk if left unchecked. In literature, experimental engine erosion correlations and numerical models of particle trajectories through the engine have been developed; however, none of these studies collected particles directly from the compressor region of the engine. In this study, a probe was developed and evaluated for the purpose of sampling particulates between the first and second compressor stages of a Rolls-Royce Allison Model 250 turboshaft engine. The probe's efficacy and aerodynamic properties were analyzed such that the probe will provide processable data when inserted into the engine. The methods to obtain this data include particle-sampling and particle image velocimetry (PIV).
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