Numerical simulation and optimization of the flow field of an electrically heated steady-state temperature distortion generator

The temperature distortion generator is a critical device for evaluating the aerodynamic stability of gas turbine engines. Th is study employs numerical simulations to investigate the internal flow characteristics of an electrically heated temperature distortion generator. The optimization of the gap between the heater and the wall is performed to address the issue of non-uniform temperature and pressure distributions near the wall. The results reveal a distinct "W"-shaped temperature and pressure distribution at the outlet, primarily occurring above 60% of the flow channel’s relative height. This phenomenon arises due to the formation of a vortex in the upper corner, where low-temperature fluid flows through the gap between the heater and the wall, causing the corner flow to rotate and merge into the main flow, leading to non-uniformity. By reducing the gap from 17 mm to 3 mm, the uniformity of the temperature and pressure distributions is significantly improved, with the radial temperature inhomogeneity decreasing from 4.66% to 2.88%. At flow rates of 10-22 kg/s, the maximum radial temperature inhomogeneity is reduced to 3.06%, while both total pressure inhomogeneity and pressure loss remain below 3%, meeting the design criteria.