Investigations of tip-jet and exhaust jet development in a ducted fan

The major aim of this work is to investigate the tip-jet and exhaust jet development in a ducted fan as well as the impact on the fan’s performance. The flow field of the ducted fans under the solidity varied from 0.2 to 0.7 are simulated by using the shear-stress transport k-ω turbulence model with a refined high-quality structured grid. The exhaust jet trajectory, expanding range and the flow intersection of the jet and mainstream in the blade passage are analyzed. As the results suggest, the flow direction of the exhaust jet is deflected by the downwash and Coanda effect. The major decay region of the exhaust jet can extend at least 2 times the blade chord downstream from the blade trailing edge. The blade circulation is impacted by the tip-jet rather than the exhaust jet from the upstream when the blade tip pitch angle is 8°, and the fan solidity is less than 0.7. The blade tip thrust is reduced by the interruption from the exhaust jet when the blade tip pitch angle is 2°, and the fan solidity is larger than 0.3.