Inverse Design of 3D Multistage Transonic Fans at Dual Operating Points

2013 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
James H. Page ◽  
Paul Hield ◽  
Paul G. Tucker

Semi-inverse design is the automatic recambering of an aerofoil during a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation in order to achieve a target lift distribution while maintaining thickness, hence, “semi-inverse.” In this design method, the streamwise distribution of curvature is replaced by a streamwise distribution of lift. The authors have developed an inverse design code based on the method of Hield (2008, “Semi-Inverse Design Applied to an Eight Stage Transonic Axial Flow Compressor,” ASME Paper No. GT2008-50430), which can rapidly design three-dimensional fan blades in a multistage environment. The algorithm uses an inner loop to design to radially varying target lift distributions, an outer loop to achieve radial distributions of stage pressure ratio and exit flow angle, and a choked nozzle to set design mass flow. The code is easily wrapped around any CFD solver. In this paper, we describe a novel algorithm for designing simultaneously for specified performance at full speed and peak efficiency at part speed, without trade-offs between the targets at each of the two operating points. We also introduce a novel adaptive target lift distribution, which automatically develops discontinuous changes of calculated magnitude, based on the passage shock, eliminating erroneous lift demands in the shock vicinity and maintaining a smooth aerofoil.

Author(s):  
James H. Page ◽  
Paul Hield ◽  
Paul G. Tucker

Semi-inverse design is the automatic re-cambering of an aerofoil, during a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation, in order to achieve a target lift distribution while maintaining thickness, hence “semi-inverse”. In this design method, the streamwise distribution of curvature is replaced by a stream-wise distribution of lift. The authors have developed an inverse design code based on the method of Hield (2008) which can rapidly design three-dimensional fan blades in a multi-stage environment. The algorithm uses an inner loop to design to radially varying target lift distributions, an outer loop to achieve radial distributions of stage pressure ratio and exit flow angle, and a choked nozzle to set design mass flow. The code is easily wrapped around any CFD solver. In this paper, we describe a novel algorithm for designing simultaneously for specified performance at full speed and peak efficiency at part speed, without trade-offs between the targets at each of the two operating points. We also introduce a novel adaptive target lift distribution which automatically develops discontinuous changes of calculated magnitude, based on the passage shock, eliminating erroneous lift demands in the shock vicinity and maintaining a smooth aerofoil.


Author(s):  
M. H. Noorsalehi ◽  
M. Nili-Ahamadabadi ◽  
E. Shirani ◽  
M. Safari

In this study, a new inverse design method called Elastic Surface Algorithm (ESA) is developed and enhanced for axial-flow compressor blade design in subsonic and transonic flow regimes with separation. ESA is a physically based iterative inverse design method that uses a 2D flow analysis code to estimate the pressure distribution on the solid structure, i.e. airfoil, and a 2D solid beam finite element code to calculate the deflections due to the difference between the calculated and target pressure distributions. In order to enhance the ESA, the wall shear stress distribution, besides pressure distribution, is applied to deflect the shape of the airfoil. The enhanced method is validated through the inverse design of the rotor blade of the first stage of an axial-flow compressor in transonic viscous flow regime. In addition, some design examples are presented to prove the effectiveness and robustness of the method. The results of this study show that the enhanced Elastic Surface Algorithm is an effective inverse design method in flow regimes with separation and normal shock.


Author(s):  
Pritam Batabyal ◽  
Dilipkumar B. Alone ◽  
S. K. Maharana

This paper presents a numerical case study of various stepped tip clearances and their effect on the performance of a single stage transonic axial flow compressor, using commercially available software ANSYS FLUENT 14.0. A steady state, implicit, three dimensional, pressure based flow solver with SST k-Ω turbulence model has been selected for the numerical study. The stepped tip clearances have been compared with the baseline model of zero tip clearance at 70% and 100 % design speed. It has been observed that the compressor peak stage efficiency and maximum stage pressure ratio decreases as the tip clearances in the rear part are increased. The stall margin also increases with increase in tip clearance compared to the baseline model. An ‘optimum’ value of stepped tip clearance has been obtained giving peak stage compressor performance. The CFD results have been validated with the earlier published experimental data on the same compressor at 70% design speed.


Author(s):  
Arash Soltani Dehkharqani ◽  
Masoud Boroomand ◽  
Hamzeh Eshraghi

There is a severe tendency to reduce weight and increase power of gas turbine. Such a requirement is fulfilled by higher pressure ratio of compressor stages. Employing tandem blades in multi-stage axial flow compressors is a promising methodology to control separation on suction sides of blades and simultaneously implement higher turning angle to achieve higher pressure ratio. The present study takes into account the high flow deflection capabilities of the tandem blades consisting of NACA-65 airfoil with fixed percent pitch and axial overlap at various flow incidence angles. In this regard, a two-dimensional cascade model of tandem blades is constructed in a numerical environment. The inlet flow angle is varied in a wide range and overall loss coefficient and deviation angles are computed. Moreover, the flow phenomena between the blades and performance of both forward and afterward blades are investigated. At the end, the aerodynamic flow coefficient of tandem blades are also computed with equivalent single blades to evaluate the performance of such blades in both design and off-design domain of operations. The results show that tandem blades are quite capable of providing higher deflection with lower loss in a wide range of operation and the base profile can be successfully used in design of axial flow compressor. In comparison to equivalent single blades, tandem blades have less dissipation because the momentum exerted on suction side of tandem blades confines the size of separation zone near trailing edges of blades.


Author(s):  
Uyioghosa Igie ◽  
Pericles Pilidis ◽  
Dimitrios Fouflias ◽  
Ken Ramsden ◽  
Paul Lambart

On-line compressor washing for industrial gas turbine application is a promising method of mitigating the effects of compressor fouling degradation; however there are still few studies from actual engine experience that are inconclusive. In some cases the authors attribute this uncertainty as a result of other existing forms of degradation. The experimental approach applied here is one of the first of its kind, employing on-line washing on a compressor cascade and then relating the characteristics to a three-dimensional axial flow compressor. The overall performance of a 226MW engine model for the different cases of a clean, fouled and washed engine is obtained based on the changing compressor behavior. Investigating the effects of fouling on the clean engine exposed to blade roughness of 102μm caused 8.7% reduction in power at design point. This is equivalent, typically to 12 months degradation in fouling conditions. Decreases in mass flow, compressor efficiency, pressure ratio and unattainable design point speed are also observed. An optimistic recovery of 50% of the lost power is obtained after washing which lasts up to 10mins. Similarly, a recovery of all the key parameters is achieved. The study provides an insight into compressor cascade blade washing, which facilitates a reliable estimation of compressor overall efficiency penalties based on well established assumptions. Adopting Howell’s theory as well as constant polytropic efficiency, a general understanding of turbomachinery would judge that 50% of lost power recovered is likely to be the high end of what is achievable for the existing high pressure wash. This investigation highlights the obvious benefits of power recovery with on-line washing and the potential to maintain optimum engine performance with frequent washes. Clearly, the greatest benefits accrue when the washing process is initiated immediately following overhaul.


Author(s):  
M. Zangeneh ◽  
N. Amarel ◽  
K. Daneshkhah ◽  
H. Krain

In this work, the redesign of a centrifugal transonic compressor impeller with splitter blades by means of the three-dimensional inverse design code TURBOdesign-1 is presented. The basic design methodology for impellers with splitter blades is outlined and is applied in a systematic way to improve the aero/mechanical performance of a transonic 6.2:1 pressure ratio centrifugal compressor impeller. The primary design variables are the main and splitter blades loading and their thickness distributions, the splitter to main blade work ratio, as well as the span-wise swirl distribution. The flow in the original and redesigned impellers are then analyzed by means of a commercial CFD code (ANSYS CFX). The predicted flow field for the original impeller is compared with detailed L2F measurements inside and outside the impeller. The validated CFD results are used to compare the flow field in the optimized and original impeller. It is shown that the inverse design method could be effectively used to control the position and strength of the shock waves, eliminate flow separation and hence obtain a more uniform impeller exit flow in order to improve the aerodynamic performance. In addition, some results are presented on the comparison of stress and vibration in both impellers.


Author(s):  
Ali Shahsavari ◽  
Mahdi Nili-Ahamadabadi

This paper presents a novel one-dimensional design method based on the radial equilibrium theory and constant span-wise diffusion factor to redesign of NASA rotor 67 just aerodynamically with a higher pressure ratio at the same design point. A one-dimensional design code is developed to obtain the meridional plane and blade to blade geometry of rotor to reach the three-dimensional view of rotor blades. To verify the redesigned rotor, its flow numerical simulation is carried out to compute its performance curve. The experimental performance curve of NASA rotor 67 is used for validation of the numerical results. Structured mesh with finer grids near walls is used to capture flow field and boundary layer effects. RANS equations are solved by finite volume method for rotating zones and stationary zones. The numerical results of the new rotor show about 9% increase in its pressure ratio at both design and off design mass flow rate. The new rotor has a higher outlet velocity through its upper span improving bypass ratio of a turbofan engine. To prove the new fan ability of producing more bypass ratio, a thermodynamic analysis is conducted. The results of this analysis show 13% increase in bypass ratio and 5.7% decline in specific fuel consumption in comparison to NASA rotor 67.


Author(s):  
Dilipkumar Bhanudasji Alone ◽  
Subramani Satish Kumar ◽  
Shobhavathy M. Thimmaiah ◽  
Janaki Rami Reddy Mudipalli ◽  
A. M. Pradeep ◽  
...  

This paper describes the study of flow behavior of the transonic compressor stage in un-stalled and stalled conditions. Experiments were carried out in an open circuit single stage transonic axial flow compressor test rig. The test compressor was designed for 1.35 total to total pressure ratio at corrected mass flow rate of 22 kg/s. Both steady and unsteady measurements were carried out. The operating envelop of the compressor was experimentally determined to demark the stable and unstable operating range of the compressor at different operating speeds. Variations in the rotor inlet axial and tangential velocity in the tip region were studied using a calibrated single component hot wire probe. The compressor blade element performance was obtained at full flow and near stall conditions using a three hole aerodynamic probe. The variation in flow parameters like absolute flow angle, axial Mach number, absolute Mach number, tangential Mach number, static and total pressure ratio profiles at the rotor exit were obtained and their variations along the blade height were studied at full flow and near stall conditions. Static pressure variation in the tip region along the rotor chord was studied which showed reduction in slope as stall approached. Hotwire measurements showed abrupt variation in the axial velocity as compared to tangential velocity at stalled condition. It was observed that the flow turned in tangential direction at stall, as tangential component of velocity shows more fluctuations at stall in comparison with unstalled condition. The FFT analysis of the raw signals was performed and it was observed that the nature of the rotating stall was abrupt and stall cell travels nearly at half the rotor speed.


Author(s):  
A. Gill ◽  
T. W. von Backström ◽  
T. M. Harms

This article describes an experimental investigation of the flow structures occurring in an axial flow compressor during second quadrant operation for reversed rotor rotation in the incompressible flow regime. In second quadrant operation, the flow direction is reversed, but the pressure is lower at the compressor inlet than at the outlet. The compressor thus acts as an axial flow turbine. A three stage axial flow compressor, with a mass flow rate of 2.7 kg/s and a pressure ratio of 1.022 was investigated. The design rotor tip Mach number is 0.2. Three operational points within the second quadrant were investigated, at flow coefficients of −0.482, −0.553 and −0.843. A five hole conical probe and a 50 micron diameter inclined hot film anemometer were used in this investigation. Radial traverses downstream of rotor rows and a time-dependent area traverse downstream of the first stage stator were performed. Three-dimensional time-dependent numerical Navier-Stokes solutions using the non-linear harmonic approximation for single blade passages in each blade row for each of the cases are compared with experimental work. The compressor has already been show to be capable of attaining relatively high turbine efficiency (76%) when operating in this mode. Examination of the flow field shows that little to no flow separation occurs on the rotor or stator blades. The wakes of all blades are found to be thin and sharp, and the area between wakes is large and approximately uniform. Numerical results agree relatively well with experimental results.


Author(s):  
S-C Lin ◽  
M-L Tsai

This research is aimed to establish an integrated design scheme through combining the cascade theory and inverse design method for the small axial-flow fans. At first, a reliable set of low-Reynolds-number aerodynamic characteristics for National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics airfoils is constructed to serve as the fan design database via the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation incorporated with a dependable turbulent model. Then, with the inputs of design conditions and few geometric settings, this design program can generate a fan configuration to meet with the desired performance requirement. Furthermore, by changing the operating flowrate for this fan geometry, this design approach can also yield the axial velocity and the pressure distributions for various operating points over the entire performance curve. Consequently, this feature enables the design engineer to foresee the actual fan performance delivered under different system resistances. Thereafter, a computer numerically controlled fabricated prototype and a three-dimensional numerical model are chosen to validate the design prediction of fan performance via both test and CFD approaches. As a result, a slight deviation among the designed, experimental, and numerical outcomes is observed throughout the P Q performance curve. In conclusion, this systematic and user-friendly inverse design program not only provides the fan engineer's design ability to meet with the performance requirement at the on-design point, but also the predicting capability on the off-design characteristics.


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