Kestrel is a tool developed by the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments-Air Vehicles (CREATE-AV) Program to expedite the acquisition process of fixed-wing aircraft. Kestrel's capabilities include simulating internal flow, including within turbomachinery. Mixing plane methods are often used for modeling flow in gas turbine engine turbomachinery in order to evaluate multiple designs quickly. Because Kestrel's mixing plane capabilities have been demonstrated in only limited cases, this research seeks to further validate the model using the Air Force Research Lab's (AFRL) Rotor 4 fan. Extensive experimental data has been gathered for Rotor 4, allowing for in-depth comparisons to be made. Following the validation study, differences between the experimental results and the predictions from the mixing plane model are highlighted and discussed. These comparisons lead the authors to conclude that Kestrel's mixing planes can be utilized to predict performance at various operating conditions and rotor speeds. This research serves to further Kestrel's development and use by the Department of Defense (DoD) for aircraft acquisition.
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