Numerical Analysis of Transonic Compressor Rotor Flow Near Stall Points

Author(s):  
Daisaku Masaki ◽  
Shojiro Kaji

A three-dimensional Navier-Stokes solver based upon a high resolution shock-capturing scheme has been developed in order to analyze complex flow phenomena inside transonic fan/compressor rotors, especially tip clearance flow. The aim of this research is to find out a key element concerned with aerodynamic instability of transonic fan/compressor rotors such as rotating stall and surge by using this newly developed numerical tool. The numerical analysis of this research is twofold. First it investigates the flowfield of a transonic compressor rotor along the design speed operating line. It obtains definite flow structures around the tip region and clear description of the transition of the flow pattern inside the clearance gap between operating points, which shows that shock-tip leakage vortex interaction plays an important role on both loss generation and the failure of steady flow, or surge. A model will be proposed on the onset of tip stall in transonic compressor rotors according to the calculated results. Secondly, the above model will be examined through a series of numerical experiments by altering tip clearance height white keeping the design speed. From qualitative point of view, the model works fairly well and seems geometry-independent for typical transonic fan/compressor rotors. A clue to the optimum clearance is also obtained.

1987 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. N. Dawes

The numerical analysis of highly loaded transonic compressors continues to be of considerable interest. Although much progress has been made with inviscid analyses, viscous effects can be very significant, especially those associated with shock–boundary layer interactions. While inviscid analyses have been enhanced by the interactive inclusion of blade surf ace boundary layer calculations, it may be better in the long term to develop efficient algorithms to solve the full three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. Indeed, it seems that many phenomena of key interest, like tip clearance flows, may only be accessible to a Navier–Stokes solver. The present paper describes a computer program developed for solving the three-dimensional viscous compressible flow equations in turbomachine geometries. The code is applied to the study of the flowfield in an axial-flow transonic compressor rotor with an attempt to resolve the tip clearance flow. The predicted flow is compared with laser anemometry measurements and good agreement is found.


1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. W. Copenhaver ◽  
E. R. Mayhew ◽  
C. Hah ◽  
A. R. Wadia

An experimental and numerical investigation of detailed tip clearance flow structures and their effects on the aerodynamic performance of a modern low-aspect-ratio, high-throughflow, axial transonic fan is presented. Rotor flow fields were investigated at two clearance levels experimentally, at tip clearance to tip blade chord ratios of 0.27 and 1.87 percent, and at four clearance levels numerically, at ratios of zero, 0.27, 1.0, and 1.87 percent. The numerical method seems to calculate the rotor aerodynamics well, with some disagreement in loss calculation, which might be improved with improved turbulence modeling and a further refined grid. Both the experimental and the numerical results indicate that the performance of this class of rotors is dominated by the tip clearance flows. Rotor efficiency drops six points when the tip clearance is increased from 0.27 to 1.87 percent, and flow range decreases about 30 percent. No optimum clearance size for the present rotor was indicated. Most of the efficiency change occurs near the tip section, with the interaction between the tip clearance flow and the passage shock becoming much stronger when the tip clearance is increased. In all cases, the shock structure was three dimensional and swept, with the shock becoming normal to the endwall near the shroud.


Author(s):  
William W. Copenhaver ◽  
Ellen R. Mayhew ◽  
Chunill Hah

An experimental and numerical investigation of detailed tip clearance flow structures and their effects on the aerodynamic performance of a modern low-aspect-ratio, high-through-flow, axial transonic fan is presented. Rotor flow fields were investigated at two clearance levels experimentally, at tip clearance to tip blade chord ratios of 0.27 and 1.87 percent, and at four clearance levels numerically, at ratios of zero, 0.27, 1.0, and 1.87 percent. The numerical method seems to calculate the rotor aerodynamics well, with some disagreement in loss calculation which might be improved with improved turbulence modeling and a further refined grid. Both the experimental and the numerical results indicate that the performance of this class of rotors is dominated by the tip clearance flows. Rotor efficiency drops six points when the tip clearance is increased from 0.27 to 1.87 percent, and flow range decreases about 30 percent. No optimum clearance size for the present rotor was indicated. Most of the efficiency change occurs near the tip section, with the interaction between the tip clearance flow and the passage shock becoming much stronger when the tip clearance is increased. In all cases, the shock structure was three-dimensional and swept, with the shock becoming normal to the endwall near the shroud.


1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Gerolymos ◽  
I. Vallet

The purpose of this paper is to investigate tip-clearance and secondary flows numerically in a transonic compressor rotor. The computational method used is based on the numerical integration of the Favre-Reynolds-averaged three-dimensional compressible Navier–Stokes equations, using the Launder–Sharma near-wall k–ε turbulence closure. In order to describe the flowfield through the tip and its interaction with the main flow accurately, a fine O-grid is used to discretize the tip-clearance gap. A patched O-grid is used to discretize locally the mixing-layer region created between the jetlike flow through the gap and the main flow. An H–O–H grid is used for the computation of the main flow. In order to substantiate the validity of the results, comparisons with experimental measurements are presented for the NASA_37 rotor near peak efficiency using three grids (of 106, 2 X 106, and 3 X 106 points, with 21, 31, and 41 radial stations within the gap, respectively). The Launder–Sharma k–ε model underestimates the hub corner stall present in this configuration. The computational results are then used to analyze the interblade-passage secondary flows, the flow within the tip-clearance gap, and the mixing downstream of the rotor. The computational results indicate the presence of an important leakage-interaction region where the leakage-vortex after crossing the passage shock-wave mixes with the pressure-side secondary flows. A second trailing-edge tip vortex is also clearly visible.


Author(s):  
Jinhua Lang ◽  
Wuli Chu ◽  
Haoguang Zhang ◽  
Shan Ma ◽  
Xiangyi Chen

This paper shows the results of three-dimensional multi-passage numerical simulations on a transonic compressor, NASA compressor Rotor 37. The aim is to investigate the unsteady flow on the stall condition and elucidate the dynamic evolution mechanism of the rotating stall. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model were solved to analyze the fluid flow in the transonic axial compressor. Before the study of the stall flow, grid independence and data correctness were well validated. A new parameter B is defined to assess the blockage effect during the stall development. As shown in the results, with the development of the rotating stall, the blockage effect increases slowly before the 18th revolution in unsteady numerical simulation, and then increases dramatically in the following revolutions. Thus, the whole process of stall evolution can be divided into two stages, i.e. stall stage I and stall stage II. The stall stage I is the first 18th revolutions, while the stall stage II refers to the period after the18th revolution. Further analyses of the instantaneous flow field show that the interaction between the tip leakage flow and the detached shock wave induces the breakdown of the leakage vortex. As the broken leakage vortex moves downstream, the low energy flow is rolled up. At the middle of the channel, the trajectory of the vortex core inclines to the PS of adjacent blade under the influence of the adverse pressure gradient, and an obvious new vortex is formed. During the development process of the rotating stall, the blockage is primarily induced by the tip leakage vortex and the new vortex. In the stall stage I, the evolution of the blockage area near the tip is periodic affected by the self-sustaineed process of tip leakage vortex. The self-sustained phenomenon will be illustrated in detail later. In the stall stage II, the whole passage is blocked at 99% blade span, and the spillage flow is observed throughout the whole stage. These flow charicteristics are regarded as signs of a rapid deterioration of the flow field. A vicious cycle is seen as the main reason for the rapid deterioration of the flow field, and the vicious cycle will be explained in detail later.


Author(s):  
Wei Zhu ◽  
Le Cai ◽  
Songtao Wang ◽  
Zhongqi Wang

A three-dimensional, multi-passage unsteady numerical study was conducted to enhance the understanding of unsteady flow phenomena in the tip region of highly loaded compressors. The first-stage rotor of a three-stage transonic low-reaction compressor was chosen as the computational model. Three different tip clearance sizes were calculated to demonstrate the effect of the tip clearance dimension on the unsteadiness in the rotor tip region. It was found that the unsteadiness existed at the vicinity of the stall point when the tip clearance size was larger than the design value. The unsteadiness in the tip region appeared as a “multi-passage structure” in the nine-passage unsteady simulation and it propagated along the circumferential direction. Tip leakage vortex breakdown was the source of unsteady flow behavior. Besides, special attention was paid to the difference between the conventional transonic rotor and the low-reaction rotor. The scale of the flow separation downstream of the shock wave was controllable for the low-reaction rotor even at near-stall conditions. The boundary layer would reattach to the blade surface due to local axial acceleration. Finally, attempts were made to study the stall mechanism of the low-reaction rotor.


Author(s):  
Stephane Baralon ◽  
Lars-Erik Eriksson ◽  
Ulf Håll

Two three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solutions of the Nasa 67 transonic compressor rotor with tip clearance, computed at near-peak efficiency and near-stall flow conditions, have been circumferentially averaged in order to evaluate the circumferential spatial fluctuation terms such as u′u′, u′v′, u′w′, etc. The three-dimensional distribution of these fluctuations is presented and physically interpreted for the two flow conditions. Then, the meridional distributions of the tangential average of each of these fluctuation terms, the so-called perturbation stresses, are described and interpreted for the two flow conditions. A meridional throughflow computation for which all stresses were included has been performed for the near-peak efficiency flow condition using a time-marching finite-volume solver. The calculation proved to be in good agreement with the tangentially averaged 3D solution. Moreover, the relative importance of the perturbation and viscous stresses has been investigated. The influence of the viscous stresses on the meridional flow was not found important whereas the perturbation stresses were identified as significant contributors to the blade passage losses and to the spanwise mixing phenomenon. Furthermore, the relative effects of each perturbation term on the meridional flow prediction have been investigated for the near-peak efficiency case. The u′w′~, v′w′~, u′v′~ and u′u′~ stresses proved to exert a significant influence on the prediction of blade design key parameters such as flow angles and losses in the tip region, essentially.


Author(s):  
Hossein Khaleghi

The current study is aimed at understanding the effect of rotating tip clearance asymmetry on the operability and performance of a transonic compressor. Another objective of this investigation is to determine the influence of tip injection on reducing the detrimental effects of clearance asymmetry. Three dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–stokes simulations have been performed from choke to stall for different arrangements of non-uniform blade heights in a transonic fan. Furthermore, numerical computations have been conducted with endwall injection of air. The numerical results have been validated against experimental data. Results show that having the same mean tip clearance, the asymmetric compressor is less stable than the axisymmetric configuration. However, the peak pressure rise is found to be almost linearly correlated to the mean tip clearance for both the axisymmetric and asymmetric compressors. It is found that tip injection can desensitize the compressor to the tip clearance asymmetry. Results further reveal that tip clearance asymmetry does not change the compressor path to instability. However, endwall injection is found to be able to change the compressor stalling mode. Investigations concerning rotating non-uniformity (caused by non-uniform blade heights) are very few in open literature. The obtained results can assist in predicting the effect of rotating tip clearance asymmetry on the stability and performance of high-speed compressor rotors. Furthermore, the results uncover how tip injection can desensitize the compressor stability and affect its path into instability, which is one of the most important questions in the turbomachinery world.


Author(s):  
Jo¨rg Bergner ◽  
Heinz-Peter Schiffer

Three-dimensional laser-2-focus measurements complemented by measurements of the instantaneous static wall pressure in the casing above the rotor are used to investigate short length-scale rotating stall inception in an axial transonic compressor rotor. The data was collected at the Darmstadt Transonic Compressor using the forward swept “Rotor-3”. Detailed analysis of the experimental data reveals that in this configuration with pronounced forward sweep stall is not directly caused by the blockage created by the shock vortex interaction. Due to the reduced aerodynamic loading, the tip clearance vortex passes the shock without significant deceleration but shows some great fluctuation in terms of vortex strength. As the compressor is throttled to near stall, the tip clearance vortex eventually reaches the leading edge of the adjacent blade. It can be suggested that as an result, spill forward and so-called “self-induced vortex-oscillation” occurs. A phase-lock of both of these phenomena might be the trigger for a spike-type disturbance of the flow-field. The investigation underpins the great importance of the unsteady flow phenomena at near stall. For a thorough understanding of the flow features at the stability limit of a compressor, which is the basis of any effort to increase the operation range, special attention has to be paid to the unsteadiness of the flow in both experimental and numerical work. To study the mechanism of stall inception it might even be necessary to analyze the flow field around the whole annulus, as there appears to be significant interaction of the flow between neighboring passages.


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