Simulating combustion chamber burn-through

Engineers at Rolls-Royce investigated this potential event using numerical simulation.

The 3-D flow field inside the bypass duct of two aircraft engines - BR710 and BR715 - were simulated numerically in the event of a combustion chamber burn-through. The simulations showed the effect of different burn-through hole sizes on the bending of the torch and on the maximum temperature of the bypass duct. Using the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods, the hypothetical case of an additional failure of the bypass duct structure was also simulated. These simulations also showed that both engines retain their integrity for the various burn-through scenarios.

A combustion chamber burn-through is a major aircraft engine topic with respect to airworthiness and safety. It involves very high pressures combined with very high temperature jets, which may potentially affect the engine, nacelle, or other airframe parts.