Citation: Rosell, D.; Grönstedt, T.
Design Considerations of Low
Bypass Ratio Mixed Flow Turbofan
Engines with Large Power Extraction.
Fluids 2022, 7, 21. https://doi.org/
10.3390/fluids7010021
Academic Editor: Nikolaos Aretakis
Received: 12 November 2021
Accepted: 30 December 2021
Published: 1 January 2022
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fluids
Article
Design Considerations of Low Bypass Ratio Mixed Flow
Turbofan Engines with Large Power Extraction
Daniel Rosell
1,
* and Tomas Grönstedt
2
1
Saab Aeronautics, Bröderna Ugglas Gata, 581 88 Linköping, Sweden
2
Division of Fluid Dynamics, Chalmers University of Technology, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences,
412 96 Göteborg, Sweden; tomas.gronstedt@chalmers.se
* Correspondence: daniel.rosell@saabgroup.com
Abstract: The possibility of extracting large amounts of electrical power from turbofan engines is
becoming increasingly desirable from an aircraft perspective. The power consumption of a future
fighter aircraft is expected to be much higher than today’s fighter aircraft. Previous work in this area
has concentrated on the study of power extraction for high bypass ratio engines. This motivates a
thorough investigation of the potential and limitations with regards to performance of a low bypass
ratio mixed flow turbofan engine. A low bypass ratio mixed flow turbofan engine was modeled,
and key parts of a fighter mission were simulated. The investigation shows how power extraction
from the high-pressure turbine affects performance of a military engine in different parts of a mission
within the flight envelope. An important conclusion from the analysis is that large amounts of power
can be extracted from the turbofan engine at high power settings without causing too much penalty
on thrust and specific fuel consumption, if specific operating conditions are fulfilled. If the engine is
operating (i) at, or near its maximum overall pressure ratio but (ii) further away from its maximum
turbine inlet temperature limit, the detrimental effect of power extraction on engine thrust and thrust
specific fuel consumption will be limited. On the other hand, if the engine is already operating at
its maximum turbine inlet temperature, power extraction from the high-pressure shaft will result in
a considerable thrust reduction. The results presented will support the analysis and interpretation
of fighter mission optimization and cycle design for future fighter engines aimed for large power
extraction. The results are also important with regards to aircraft design, or more specifically, in
deciding on the best energy source for power consumers of the aircraft.
Keywords: low bypass ratio mixed flow turbofan; power extraction; fighter; engine performance
1. Introduction
Air vehicle design is moving towards increased electrification [1]. This holds for
the military sector as well [2]. An increased amount of electrical equipment, with higher
power demands, is contributing to this development. Hydraulic systems and components
are being replaced by electrical systems and components [3]. Increasing aircraft power
consumption will not only put new requirements on the aircraft engine with regards to
engine performance, stability, and operability, but increased power will create excessive
heat, which must be taken care of by the aircraft [4]. Efficient energy management of the
aircraft will be crucial to handle this excessive heat [2].
In turbofan engines, electrical power is extracted by a generator connected to one of
the rotating shafts, usually via an accessory gearbox [5], but future engines might have
generators directly mounted to the shaft [6]. Typical power consumers are pumps, aircraft
hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems and electrical systems such as control systems [7,8].
The extracted power is a small fraction of the total useful power generated by the engine
and the main power output is in the form of high velocity jets and thrust generation.
Civil aircraft typically use high bypass ratio turbofan engines with separate exhausts,
as they increase propulsive efficiency [7]. The search for improved efficiency to achieve
Fluids 2022, 7, 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids7010021 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/fluids