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Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences - Vol. 13, No. 02
Publication Date: April 25, 2025
DOI:10.14738/tecs.1302.18449.
Qattan, N. A., Kada, B., & Al-Bahi, A. M. (2025). Numerical Investigation of Sand Erosion Effects on the T-56 Compressor Blade with
Changing Parameters. Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences, 13(02). 62-83.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Numerical Investigation of Sand Erosion Effects on the T-56
Compressor Blade with Changing Parameters
Nizar A. Qattan
Belkacem Kada
Ali M. Al-Bahi
ABSTRACT
In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, Lockheed C-130 aircraft are
frequently exposed to sand and particle erosion. This harsh and corrosive
environment causes the deterioration of the rotor blades’ leading and trailing
edges, which results in airfoil deformation, engine performance degradation, and a
shorter lifespan. The present paper aims to model, simulate, and analyze the effects
of sand erosion on a Lockheed T-56 engine compressor operating in such harsh
environments. The study provides valuable insights into the effects of sand erosion
on turbomachinery. It emphasizes developing effective mitigation strategies to
guarantee optimal engine performance and longevity in harsh environments.
Numerical models are developed and applied to calculate the surface erosion in
turbomachinery, which helps to predict particle trajectories in turbomachinery
passages and calculate impact rates, velocities, and angles. Profile data is created
from new and eroded blades of the T-56 first-stage compressor using a 3D scan. The
analysis results reveal that particle concentration has the greatest effect on blade
erosion rate, whereas particle size has a lesser influence on all other measured
parameters.
Keywords: computational fluid dynamics, turbomachinery, transonic compressor, T-56
engine compressor, transport equations, Eulerian approach, Turbulence models, shear
stress transport model, Finnie’s Model.
INTRODUCTION
The high sand and dust erosion can negatively impact Turbomachinery's performance and
lifespan in some regions. When these particles collide with a wall's surface, it might result in
mechanical damage. This type of erosion is a multi-physics problem, including the interplay of
the flow field, particle trajectory, and wall deformation, and it is commonly related to gas-solid
two-phase turbulent flow. The intricate three-dimensional flow and rotor-stator interaction
during takeoff and landing make jet engines especially vulnerable to particle ingestion, which
can cause significant damage to the compressor of aircraft engines. Erosion from sand and dust
is exacerbated by the conditions depicted in Fig. 1 [1], which include a rise in pressure,
temperature, and air mass velocity. Recent interest in these phenomena has prompted more
studies into how to maintain best and enhance the performance of industrial machinery.
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Qattan, N. A., Kada, B., & Al-Bahi, A. M. (2025). Numerical Investigation of Sand Erosion Effects on the T-56 Compressor Blade with Changing
Parameters. Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences, 13(02). 62-83.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/tecs.1302.18449
Fig 1: Schematic of Power Section Air Flow [1]
The erosive wear of compressor blades is a topic that has been the focus of numerous studies
in scientific literature. Particle trajectories and flow field modifications in a single-stage axial
flow compressor were numerically analyzed by Suzuki et al. [2]. They determined that the
blade's leading edge and pressure surface experienced the most severe degradation because of
the first collision. Subsequently, Suzuki and Yamamoto [3] created a 3D sand erosion prediction
system and discovered that the blade’s leading edge and pressure side are particularly
vulnerable to erosion. Pressure surfaces and the impeller of the compressor experience the
most erosion due to particle impacts, as determined by Tabakoff and Elfeki [4]. On the other
hand, numerous studies have recently investigated the use of coating materials to stop erosion.
Hardened steel (17-4 PH) was subjected to sand erosion tests by Koul et al. [5], who used a
variety of techniques, including cryogenic treatment, ion implantation, vapor deposition, and
Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition (EBPVD) to determine which coating material would
be most effective. They found TiN coatings deposited by PVD were the most resistant to erosion,
followed by EBPVD (16 μm) coatings that exhibited the greatest erosion resistance at 30° and
90° impingement angles, respectively. According to a comprehensive study by Muboyadzhyan
[6] on Ion plasma coating prepared by hardened metal compounds, the best corrosion
resistance was found for titanium alloys and compositions based on compressor steels,
respectively. The effect of different stoichiometric compositions of (Ti, Cr) N Nano layer
coatings placed on 17-4PH, Ti-6Al-4V, and Inconel 718, as well as Nano layer thickness on
particle erosion was studied by Reedy et al. [7]. At a 90 angle of particle impingement, they
discovered that uncoated samples performed better than coated ones. However, at a 30 angle
of impingement, (Ti, Cr) N coatings with minimal microstructure bias performed better than
TiN coatings. Simon and Litt use data from the T700-GE-701C engine and the Kalman filter as
an estimator with data input from the engine's sensors. [8] devised a technique to estimate
compressor efficiency decline. To monitor the wear and erosion of compressor blades in sandy
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Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences (TECS) Vol 13, Issue 02, April - 2025
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
conditions, they created a tracking tool to monitor performance variance. Comparing simulated
results with the mean line compressor performance model, Hameed et al. [9] examined
performance loss in compressors due to blade attrition induced by ingested particles. Erosion
causes blade surface roughness and tip clearance, which reduce adiabatic efficiency by 3–4%.
Overall compressor performance and the influence of erosion on individual stages were
reported by Lakshminarasimha et al. [10], who also established a model to assess the effects of
erosion in multistage compressors. They determined that erosion had a greater impact on the
compressor's initial stage than on later stages. W. Tabakof [11] found that most erosion in
helicopter engines (when equipped with an inlet particle separator) occurs at the tip, close to
the leading edge. He also found that erosion alters the pressure distribution across the blades
and leads to tip leaks, negatively impacting engine efficiency.
The purpose of the present study is to develop a simulation tool for numerical analysis of the
impact of erosion on the performance of a transonic compressor rotor such as T-56. To the
authors’ best knowledge, this is the first investigation into the effects of erosion on the
performance of a T-56 transonic compressor rotor. The bow shock wave could affect the
transonic rotor while it functions, changing the erosion pattern. The authors used a validation
strategy derived from their earlier work on the NASA rotor 37 geometry [12] to verify the
accuracy of the computational model used in this investigation. As no experimental data were
available for the current geometry, the validation approach was essential to confirm the
accuracy and reliability of the numerical results. Following the validation, the impact of erosion
on the rotor's performance was studied by altering the particle size and number used. This
allowed investigating the sensitivity of the rotor's performance to different levels of erosion,
providing valuable insights into the impact of erosion on the transonic compressor rotor's
performance.
SIMULATION AND GEOMETRICAL DETAILS
The purpose of this study is to analyze how erosion rate affects the compression ratio of the T- 56 engine. To begin, a computational model of NASA's rotor 37 was created using data from
prior studies [12]. Then, numerical simulations were checked against experimental data and a
computer-based model was used to analyze the compressor rotor. Fig. 2 illustrates the
geometrical model of the T-56 engine compressor used in this study.