scholarly journals The Role of Tip Leakage Vortex Breakdown in Compressor Rotor Aerodynamics

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Furukawa ◽  
Masahiro Inoue ◽  
Kazuhisa Saiki ◽  
Kazutoyo Yamada
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Peak Pressure ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Rotor Aerodynamics ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Breakdown Region

The breakdown of tip leakage vortex has been investigated on a low-speed axial compressor rotor with moderate blade loading. Effects of the breakdown on the rotor aerodynamics are elucidated by Navier-Stokes flow simulations and visualization techniques for identifying the breakdown. The simulations show that the leakage vortex breakdown occurs inside the rotor at a lower flow rate than the peak pressure rise operating condition. The breakdown is characterized by the existence of the stagnation point followed by a bubble-like recirculation region. The onset of breakdown causes significant changes in the nature of the tip leakage vortex: large expansion of the vortex and disappearance of the streamwise vorticity concentrated in the vortex. The expansion has an extremely large blockage effect extending to the upstream of the leading edge. The disappearance of the concentrated vorticity results in no rolling-up of the vortex downstream of the rotor and the disappearance of the pressure trough on the casing. The leakage flow field downstream of the rotor is dominated by the outward radial flow resulting from the contraction of the bubble-like structure of the breakdown region. It is found that the leakage vortex breakdown plays a major role in characteristic of rotor performance at near-stall conditions. As the flow rate is decreased from the peak pressure rise operating condition, the breakdown region grows rapidly in the streamwise, spanwise and pitchwise directions. The growth of the breakdown causes the blockage and the loss to increase drastically. Then, the interaction of the breakdown region with the blade suction surface gives rise to the three-dimensional separation of the suction surface boundary layer, thus leading to a sudden drop in the total pressure rise across the rotor.

The Role of Tip Leakage Vortex Breakdown in Compressor Rotor Aerodynamics

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 469-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Furukawa ◽  
M. Inoue ◽  
K. Saiki ◽  
K. Yamada
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Peak Pressure ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Rotor Aerodynamics ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Breakdown Region

The breakdown of tip leakage vortex has been investigated on a low-speed axial compressor rotor with moderate blade loading. Effects of the breakdown on the rotor aerodynamics are elucidated by Navier–Stokes flow simulations and visualization techniques for identifying the breakdown. The simulations show that the leakage vortex breakdown occurs inside the rotor at a lower flow rate than the peak pressure rise operating condition. The breakdown is characterized by the existence of the stagnation point followed by a bubblelike recirculation region. The onset of breakdown causes significant changes in the nature of the tip leakage vortex: large expansion of the vortex and disappearance of the streamwise vorticity concentrated in the vortex. The expansion has an extremely large blockage effect extending upstream of the leading edge. The disappearance of the concentrated vorticity results in no rolling-up of the vortex downstream of the rotor and the disappearance of the pressure trough on the casing. The leakage flow field downstream of the rotor is dominated by the outward radial flow, resulting from the contraction of the bubblelike structure of the breakdown region. It is found that the leakage vortex breakdown plays a major role in characteristic of rotor performance at near-stall conditions. As the flow rate is decreased from the peak pressure rise operating condition, the breakdown region grows rapidly in the streamwise, spanwise, and pitchwise directions. The growth of the breakdown causes the blockage and the loss to increase drastically. Then, the interaction of the breakdown region with the blade suction surface gives rise to the three-dimensional separation of the suction surface boundary layer, thus leading to a sudden drop in the total pressure rise across the rotor.

scholarly journals Three-Dimensional Boundary Layer on a Compressor Rotor Blade at Peak Pressure Rise Coefficient

1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lakshminarayana ◽  
P. Popovski
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Peak Pressure ◽  
Pressure Coefficient ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Layer Growth ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Compressor Rotor

A comprehensive study of the three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer on a compressor rotor blade at peak pressure rise coefficient is reported in this paper. The measurements were carried out at various chordwise and radial locations on a compressor rotor blade using a rotating miniature “V” configuration hot-wire probe. The data are compared with the measurement at the design condition. Substantial changes in the blade boundary layer characteristics are observed, especially in the outer sixteen percent of the blade span. The increased chordwise pressure gradient and the leakage flow at the peak pressure coefficient have a cumulative effect in increasing the boundary layer growth on the suction surface. The leakage flow has a beneficial effect on the pressure surface. The momentum and boundary layer thicknesses increase substantially from those at the design condition, especially near the outer radii of the suction surface.

Physical Explanations of Tip Leakage Flow Field in an Axial Compressor Rotor

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Inoue ◽  
Masato Furukawa ◽  
Kazuhisa Saiki ◽  
Kazutoyo Yamada
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Vortex Core ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Surface Boundary Layer ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Vortex Lines

Structure of a tip leakage flow field in an axial compressor rotor has been investigated by detailed numerical simulations and appropriate post-processing. Physical explanations of the structure are made in terms of vortex-core identification, normalized helicity, vortex-lines, limiting streamlines, etc. The onset of the discrete tip leakage vortex is located on the suction surface at some distance from the leading edge. The vortex core with high vorticity is generated from a shear layer between the leakage jet flow and the main flow. The streamlines in the leakage flow are coiling around the vortex core. All the vortex-lines in the tip leakage vortex core link to ones in the suction surface boundary layer. The other vortex-lines in the suction surface boundary layer link to the vortex-lines in the pressure surface boundary layer and in the casing wall boundary layer. There are two mechanisms to reduce intensity of the tip leakage vortex: one is reduction of discharged vorticity caused by the linkage of vortex-lines between the suction surface and casing wall boundary layers, and another is diffusion of vorticity from the tip leakage vortex. Relative motion of the endwall has a substantial influence on the structure of the leakage flow field. In the case of a compressor rotor, it intensifies streamwise vorticity of the leakage vortex but reduces leakage flow loss.

Numerical Investigation of Relation Between Unsteady Behavior of Tip Leakage Vortex and Rotating Disturbance in a Transonic Axial Compressor Rotor

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yamada ◽  
K. Funazaki ◽  
H. Sasaki
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Clearance Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Clearance Flow ◽  
Transonic Axial Compressor ◽  
Rotating Instability

The purpose of this study is to have a better understanding of the unsteady behavior of tip clearance flow at near-stall condition from a multi-passage simulation and to clarify the relation between such unsteadiness and rotating disturbance. This study is motivated by the following concern. A single passage simulation has revealed the occurrence of the tip leakage vortex breakdown at near-stall condition in a transonic axial compressor rotor, leading to the unsteadiness of the tip clearance flow field in the rotor passage. These unsteady flow phenomena were similar to those in the rotating instability, which is classified in one of the rotating disturbances. In other words it is possible that the tip leakage vortex breakdown produces a rotating disturbance such as the rotating instability. Three-dimensional unsteady RANS calculation was conducted to simulate the rotating disturbance in a transonic axial compressor rotor (NASA Rotor 37). The four-passage simulation was performed so as to capture a short length scale disturbance like the rotating instability and the spike-type stall inception. The simulation demonstrated that the unsteadiness of tip leakage vortex, which was derived from the vortex breakdown at near-stall condition, invoked the rotating disturbance in the rotor, which is similar to the rotating instability.

Unsteady Flow Behavior due to Breakdown of Tip Leakage Vortex in an Axial Compressor Rotor at Near-Stall Condition

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Furukawa ◽  
Kazuhisa Saiki ◽  
Kazutoyo Yamada ◽  
Masahiro Inoue
Keyword(s):  
Unsteady Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Pressure Side ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
Compressor Rotor

The unsteady flow nature caused by the breakdown of the tip leakage vortex in an axial compressor rotor at near-stall conditions has been investigated by unsteady three-dimensional Navier-Stokes flow simulations. The simulations show that the spiral-type breakdown of the tip leakage vortex occurs inside the rotor passage at the near-stall conditions. Downstream of the breakdown onset, the tip leakage vortex twists and turns violently with time, thus interacting with the pressure surface of the adjacent blade. The motion of the vortex and its interaction with the pressure surface are cyclic. The vortex breakdown causes significant changes in the nature of the tip leakage vortex, which result in the anomalous phenomena in the time-averaged flow fields near the tip at the near-stall conditions: no rolling-up of the leakage vortex downstream of the rotor, disappearance of the casing wall pressure trough corresponding to the leakage vortex, large spread of the low-energy fluid accumulating on the pressure side, and large pressure fluctuation on the pressure side. As the flow rate is decreased, the movement of the tip leakage vortex due to its breakdown becomes so large that the leakage vortex interacts with the suction surface as well as the pressure one. The interaction with the suction surface gives rise to the three-dimensional separation of the suction surface boundary layer.

Three-Dimensional Turbulent Flow in the Tip Region of an Axial Compressor Rotor Passage at a Near Stall Condition

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongwei Ma ◽  
Haokang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Turbulent Flow ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor

This paper presents an experimental study of the three-dimensional turbulent flow field in the tip region of an axial flow compressor rotor passage at a near stall condition. The investigation was conducted in a low-speed large-scale compressor using a 3-component Laser Doppler Velocimetry and a high frequency pressure transducer. The measurement results indicate that a tip leakage vortex is produced very close to the leading edge, and becomes the strongest at about 10% axial chord from the leading edge. Breakdown of the vortex periodically occurs at about 1/3 chord, causing very strong turbulence in the radial direction. Flow separation happens on the tip suction surface at about half chord, prompting the corner vortex migrating toward the pressure side. Tangential migration of the low-energy fluids results in substantial flow blockage and turbulence in the rear of a rotor passage. Unsteady interactions among the tip leakage vortex, the separated vortex and the corner flow should contribute to the inception of the rotating stall in a compressor.

J051054 Effects of Tip Leakage Vortex Breakdown on Unsteady Flow Fields in an Axial Flow Compressor Rotor at Near-Stall Condition

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 (0) ◽  
pp. _J051054-1-_J051054-5
Author(s):  
Hiroaki KIKUTA ◽  
Kazutoyo YAMADA ◽  
Satoshi Gunjishima ◽  
Goki OKADA ◽  
Yasunori HARA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unsteady Flow ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Axial Flow Compressor ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Flow Compressor

Unsteady Three-Dimensional Flow Phenomena Due to Breakdown of Tip Leakage Vortex in a Transonic Axial Compressor Rotor

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yamada ◽  
M. Furukawa ◽  
T. Nakano ◽  
M. Inoue ◽  
K. Funazaki
Keyword(s):  
Shock Wave ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor

Unsteady three-dimensional flow fields in a transonic axial compressor rotor (NASA Rotor 37) have been investigated by unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations. The simulations show that the breakdown of the tip leakage vortex occurs in the compressor rotor because of the interaction of the vortex with the shock wave. At near-peak efficiency condition small bubble-type breakdown of the tip leakage vortex happens periodically and causes the loading of the adjacent blade to fluctuate periodically near the leading edge. Since the blade loading near the leading edge is closely linked to the swirl intensity of the tip leakage vortex, the periodic fluctuation of the blade loading leads to the periodic breakdown of the tip leakage vortex, resulting in self-sustained flow oscillation in the tip leakage flow field. However, the tip leakage vortex breakdown is so weak and small that it is not observed in the time-averaged flow field at near-peak efficiency condition. On the other hand, spiral-type breakdown of the tip leakage vortex is caused by the interaction between the vortex and the shock wave at near-stall operating condition. The vortex breakdown is found continuously since the swirl intensity of tip leakage vortex keeps strong at near-stall condition. The spiral-type vortex breakdown has the nature of self-sustained flow oscillation and gives rise to the large fluctuation of the tip leakage flow field, in terms of shock wave location, blockage near the rotor tip and three-dimensional separation structure on the suction surface. It is found that the breakdown of the tip leakage vortex leads to the unsteady flow phenomena near the rotor tip, accompanying large blockage effect in the transonic compressor rotor at the near-stall condition.

Three-Dimensional Turbulent Flow of the Tip Leakage Vortex in an Axial Compressor Rotor Passage

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongwei Ma ◽  
Haokang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Turbulent Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Radial Component ◽  
Reynolds Stresses ◽  
Compressor Cascade ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor

Three-dimensional turbulent flow of the tip leakage vortex in a single-stage axial compressor rotor passage is studied using a 3-Component Laser Doppler Velocimetry. The measurement results indicate that the tip leakage vortex originates at about 10% axial chord, 8% pitch away from the suction surface, and becomes strongest at about 30% chord. With the flow downstream, the vortex core moves toward the pressure surface and to a lower radial location, leading to substantial flow mixing, blockage and turbulence in the tip region. The radial component of turbulence intensities is found to be the highest while the axial-radial component of Reynolds stresses is the largest. Breakdown of the leakage vortex occurs inside the rear rotor passage, which makes the flow more turbulent in a wider region downstream. This viewpoint is confirmed by the measurements of unsteady static pressure on the casing wall. Breakdown of a leakage vortex is observed clearly in a compressor cascade with a small clearance. Unsteady interactions of the broken vorticities and the suction surface’s boundary layer are shown obviously inside the downstream passage.

The Role of Tip Leakage Vortex Breakdown in Flow Fields and Aerodynamic Characteristics of Transonic Centrifugal Compressor Impellers

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazutoyo Yamada ◽  
Masato Furukawa ◽  
Hisataka Fukushima ◽  
Seiichi Ibaraki ◽  
Isao Tomita
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Transonic Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Compressor Impeller

This paper describes the experimental and numerical investigations on unsteady three-dimensional flow fields in two types of transonic centrifugal compressor impellers with different aerodynamic characteristics. In the experimental results, the frequency spectra of the pressure fluctuations, which were measured with the high-response pressure transducers mounted on the casing wall just upstream of the impeller, turned out to be quite different between the compressor impellers at stall condition. The simulation results also showed different stall pattern for each compressor impeller. In the compressor impeller with a better performance at off-design condition, the stall cell was never formed despite decreasing flow rate and instead all the passages were covered with a reverse flow near the tip, where the vortex breakdown happened in the tip leakage vortex of full blade and led to the unsteadiness in the impeller. The vortex breakdown happened in all the passages prior to the stall and generated a blockage near the tip. This means that even with the advent of rotating stall the flow could not return to a normal undistorted condition in unstalled region, because all the passages are already occupied by the blockage due to the vortex breakdown. As a result, the rotating stall cell could not appear in the impeller. In the other compressor impeller, the rotating stall cell was formed at stall inception without the vortex breakdown in the tip leakage vortex of full blade, and developed with decreased flow rate.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document