scholarly journals Study of Radial Tip Clearance Effects in a Low-Speed Axial Compressor Rotor

Author(s):  
I. G. Nikolaou ◽  
K. C. Giannakoglou ◽  
K. D. Papailiou

A three-dimensional space marching code is used for the numerical modelling of the flow in an isolated axial flow compressor rotor. The rotor is analyzed at four operating points, up to near stall conditions. Numerical results are first validated versus available experimental data and then further exploited in order to illuminate flow patterns in the inter-blade region. The tip leakage impact on the main passage flow and losses level as well as the effect of blade loading on the hub corner stall extent and the radial displacement of the flow are fully detailed. In order to account for the rotor geometry, the modifications performed in an existing software are mainly concerned with the accurate modelling of the clearance which is formed above the curved blade tip; for this purpose, a local H-type mesh is embedded to the main passage grid.

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. V. Ramakrishna ◽  
M. Govardhan

This article presents the detailed study of rotor tip leakage related phenomena in a low speed axial compressor rotor passages for three sweep configurations [Unswept (UNS), Tip Chordline Swept (TCS) and Axially Swept (AXS)]. Fifteen domains are numerically studied with 5 sweep configurations (0°, 20°TCS, 30°TCS, 20°AXS, and 30°AXS) and for 3 tip clearances (0.0%, 0.7% and 2.7% of the blade chord). Results were well validated with experimental data. Observations near the tip reveal that UNS rotor shows high sensitivity than the swept rotors in the blade pressure distribution with change in tip clearance. AXS rotor has high loading capability and less tip clearance effect on blade loading at the near stall mass flow. Downstream shift of the vortex rollup along the chord is observed with increased flow coefficient and increment in the tip gap height. In particular, the effect of flow coefficient is more predominant on this effect. Tip vortex-related flow blockage is less with the swept rotors. Among the rotors, the AXS rotor is found to incur low total pressure losses attributable to tip leakage. Effect of incidence is observed on the flow leakage direction.


Author(s):  
Yanhui Wu ◽  
Wuli Chu ◽  
Xingen Lu ◽  
Junqiang Zhu

The current paper reports on investigations with an aim to advance the understanding of the flow field near the casing of a small-scale high-speed axial flow compressor rotor. Steady three dimensional viscous flow calculations are applied to obtain flow fields at various operating conditions. To demonstrate the validity of the computation, the numerical results are first compared with available measured data. Then, the numerically obtained flow fields are analyzed to identify the behavior of tip leakage flow, and the mechanism of blockage generation arising from flow interactions between the tip clearance flow, the blade/casing wall boundary layers, and non-uniform main flow. The current investigation indicates that the “breakdown” of the tip leakage vortex occurs inside the rotor passage at the near stall condition. The vortex “breakdown” results in the low-energy fluid accumulating on the casing wall spreads out remarkably, which causes a sudden growth of the casing wall boundary layer having a large blockage effect. A low-velocity region develops along the tip clearance vortex at the near stall condition due to the vortex “breakdown”. As the mass flow rate is further decreased, this area builds up rapidly and moves upstream. This area prevents incoming flow from passing through the pressure side of the passage and forces the tip leakage flow to spill into the adjacent blade passage from the pressure side at the leading edge. It is found that the tip leakage flow exerts little influence on the development of the blade suction surface boundary layer even at the near stall condition.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. V. Ramakrishna ◽  
M. Govardhan

This article presents the study of Tip Chordline Sweeping (TCS) and Axial Sweeping (AXS) of low-speed axial compressor rotor blades against the performance of baseline unswept rotor (UNS) for different tip clearance levels. The first part of the paper discusses the changes in design parameters when the blades are swept, while the second part throws light on the effect of sweep on tip leakage flow-related phenomena. 15 domains are studied with 5 sweep configurations (, TCS, TCS, AXS, and AXS) and for 3 tip clearances (0.0%, 0.7%, and 2.7% of the blade chord). A commercial CFD package is employed for the flow simulations and analysis. Results are well validated with experimental data. Forward sweep reduced the flow incidences. This is true all over the span with axial sweeping while little higher incidences below the mid span are observed with tip chordline sweeping. Sweeping is observed to lessen the flow turning. AXS rotors demonstrated more efficient energy transfer among the rotors. Tip chordline sweep deflected the flow towards the hub while effective positive dihedral induced with axial sweeping resulted in outward deflection of flow streamlines. These deflections are more at lower mass flow rates.


Author(s):  
Pradyumna Kodancha ◽  
Pramod Salunkhe

Abstract Numerical investigations are carried out in a single-stage subsonic axial flow compressor to unravel the influence of blade tip surface roughness on the tip leakage flow characteristics and hence the compressor performance. The studies were carried out at different tip clearance of 0.38?, 0.77?, 1.15? and 1.54? and blade tip surface roughness of 0.31? and 0.62?. The tip clearance of 0.38? with blade tip surface roughness of 0.62? resulted in the highest stall margin and pressure rise of 20.3% and 4.3%, respectively. The compressor blade loading was found to be improved by 5.9% after incorporating the blade tip surface roughness. The iso-surfaces of vorticity contour plotted using the Q-criterion showed the reduction in strength of the tip leakage vortex. The tip leakage trajectory was found to be shifted towards the suction surface of the blade for the blade tip with surface roughness. This positive alteration in the tip leakage flow structure led to the improved performance for the blade tip with surface roughness.


Author(s):  
G. Perrin ◽  
F. Leboeuf ◽  
W. N. Dawes

A three-dimensional computation has been performed for a supersonic axial flow compressor rotor by solving the Navier-Stokes equations. The results of the computation are used to analyse the tip leakage flow in more detail. As well as the global behaviour of the tip leakage vortex, the analysis focuses on the origins of this vortex. It is shown that the main source of its vorticity is the shear layer at the tip of the blade associated with the shedding of the blade loading. A separation occurs, with respect to the axial velocity component, as the jet leakage flow, crossing the clearance gap, encounters the upstream incoming flow. Although the entropy increase of this separation is low, it has a strong effect on the mixing around the leakage vortex. Overall, for this compressor and the choosen operating point, the tip leakage effects are localised near the tip wall and suction side of the blade.


1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 364-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pouagare ◽  
J. M. Galmes ◽  
B. Lakshminarayana

The three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer developing on a rotor blade of an axial flow compressor was measured using a minature “x” configuration hot-wire probe. The measurements were carried out at nine radial locations on both surfaces of the blade at various chordwise locations. The data derived includes streamwise and radial mean velocities and turbulence intensities. The validity of conventional velocity profiles such as the “power law profile” for the streamwise profile, and Mager and Eichelbrenner’s for the radial profile, is examined. A modification to Mager’s crossflow profile is proposed. Away from the blade tip, the streamwise component of the blade boundary layer seems to be mainly influenced by the streamwise pressure gradient. Near the tip of the blade, the behavior of the blade boundary layer is affected by the tip leakage flow and the annulus wall boundary layer. The “tangential blockage” due to the blade boundary layer is derived from the data. The profile losses are found to be less than that of an equivalent cascade, except in the tip region of the blade.


Author(s):  
Song Yan ◽  
Wuli Chu ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
YuChen Dai

The change of the blade tip clearance size has an important impact on the performance of the compressor. Considering that the performance curve of the compressor is often limited by surge and stall boundaries, this paper used the numerical simulation method to investigate the influence mechanism of the blade tip clearance size change on the stall margin of transonic axial flow compressor rotor. By mathematically decomposing the calculation formula of the stall margin of rotor, the approximate calculation formula of the change of rotor’s stall margin was obtained. Then, the detailed quantitative analysis of the factors that affect the rotor’s stall margin was carried out, the influence weights of various factors on the rotor’s stall margin was also obtained. Finally, the physical mechanism of the change of the rotor’s performance parameters was obtained by the analysis of rotor tip flow field after the blade tip clearance size change.


Author(s):  
Hiroaki Kikuta ◽  
Ken-ichiro Iwakiri ◽  
Masato Furukawa ◽  
Kazutoyo Yamada ◽  
Satoshi Gunjishima ◽  
...  

The unsteady behaviors and three-dimensional flow structure of the spike-type stall inception in an axial flow compressor rotor have been investigated by experimental and numerical analyses. In order to capture the transient phenomena of spike-type stall inception experimentally, “SFMT (Simultaneous Field Measurement Technique)”, by which instantaneous pressure distributions on the casing wall were acquired, was developed. By applying this technique, the unsteady flow pattern on the casing wall was extracted for each phase of development process of the stall inception. The details of three-dimensional flow structure in the stall inception process were revealed by the numerical analysis using a detached-eddy simulation (DES). At the stall inception, the characteristic patterns of the casing wall pressure distributions are observed in the experimental results: the low pressure regions moving in the circumferential direction and the variations of the low pressure regions at the leading edge. Considering the results of DES, these patterns are made by the vortices fragmented from the deformed tip leakage vortex or the tornado-type separation vortex and also are made by the tornado-type separation vortex itself, as well. The vortical flow structures have been elucidated. These vortices actually result from the leading edge separation at the blade tip. Therefore, it has been found that spike-type stall inception is dominated by the leading edge separation at the rotor blade tip.


Author(s):  
Fan Yang ◽  
Yanhui Wu ◽  
Ziyun Zhang ◽  
Zhenyang Wang

Abstract A series of unsteady simulations, supported by experimental data, are used to characterize the periodic unsteadiness of the tip clearance vortex in an axial compressor rotor. The numerical probes detect significant periodic fluctuations in the blade tip region at near stall conditions. A reduced frequency at different condition is limited to a small range although there exist a large difference on the natural frequency. Physical explanations of the periodic fluctuations are made in terms of vortex-core identification, contour, etc. The nature of the periodic unsteadiness in the tip region is the periodic bubble-type breakdown of the tip leakage vortex induced by the broken vortex core generated by the previous breakdown. The life cycle of the broken vortex core can be summarized as three processes, generation, propagation and inducing breakdown of tip leakage vortex. The broken vortex core arrives at mid-chord of the adjacent blade, resulting in change of momentum in the tip clearance and pressure in the leading edge of the adjacent blade. The flow in this blade tip region is similarly affected by another adjacent blade. The tip leakage vortex core is bent, then the breakdown of tip clearance happens and a new broken vortex core appears accompanied by a back flow region.


1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 336-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lakshminarayana ◽  
M. Zaccaria ◽  
B. Marathe

Detailed measurements of the flow field in the tip region of an axial flow compressor rotor were carried out using a rotating five-hole probe. The axial, tangential, and radial components of relative velocity, as well as the static and stagnation pressures, were obtained at two axial locations, one at the rotor trailing edge, the other downstream of the rotor. The measurements were taken up to about 26 percent of the blade span from the blade tip. The data are interpreted to understand the complex nature of the flow in the tip region, which involves the interaction of the tip leakage flow, the annulus wall boundary layer and the blade wake. The experimental data show that the leakage jet does not roll up into a vortex. The leakage jet exiting from the tip gap is of high velocity and mixes quickly with the mainstream, producing intense shearing and flow separation. There are substantial differences in the structure of tip clearance observed in cascades and rotors.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document