Influence of Rotating Instability on Stall Inception Patterns in a Variable-Pitch Axial-Flow Fan

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nishioka ◽  
Shuuji Kuroda ◽  
Tsukasa Nagano ◽  
Hiroshi Hayami
Keyword(s):  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Stagger Angle

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the inception patterns of rotating stall at different rotor blade stagger-angle settings with the aim of extending the stable operating range for a variable-pitch axial-flow fan. Pressure and velocity fluctuations were measured for a low-speed axial-flow fan with a relatively large tip clearance. Two stagger-angle settings were tested, the design setting, and a high setting which was 10 degrees greater than the design setting. Rotating instability (RI) was first observed near the peak pressure-rise point at both settings. It propagated in the rotation direction at about 40 to 50% of the rotor rotation speed, and its wavelength was about one rotor-blade pitch. However, the stall-inception patterns differed between the two settings. At the design stagger-angle setting, leading edge separation occurred near the stall-inception point, and this separation induced a strong tip leakage vortex that moved upstream of the rotor. This leakage vortex simultaneously induced a spike and a RI. The conditions for stall inception were consistent with the simple model of the spike-type proposed by Camp and Day. At the high stagger-angle setting, leading edge separation did not occur, and the tip leakage vortex did not move upstream of the rotor. Therefore, a spike did not appear although RI developed at the maximum pressure-rise point. This RI induced a large end-wall blockage that extended into the entire blade passage downstream of the rotor. This large blockage rapidly increased the rotor blade loading and directly induced a long length-scale stall cell before a spike or modal disturbance appeared. The conditions for stall inception were not consistent with the simple models of the spike or modal-type. These findings indicate that the movement of the tip leakage vortex associated with the rotor blade loading affects the development of a spike and RI and that the inception pattern of a rotating stall depends on the stagger-angle setting of the rotor blades.

Characteristics of End-Wall Flow at Spike and Modal Stall Inceptions in a Variable-Pitch Axial-Flow Fan

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nishioka ◽  
Toshio Kanno ◽  
Hiroshi Hayami
Keyword(s):  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Incoming Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
End Wall ◽  
Stagger Angle

The flow mechanisms for spike and modal stall inceptions in a low-speed axial-flow fan with a relatively large tip clearance were studied. The pressure and velocity fluctuations were measured to clarify the influences of blade loading, end-wall flow, and tip-leakage flow on stall inception at two stagger-angle settings for the rotor blade, which are the design and small stagger-angle settings. A rotating instability was observed near the maximum pressure-rise point at both design and small stagger-angle settings. This instability was induced by the interaction between the incoming flow, tip-leakage flow, and end-wall backflow. The stall inception patterns were a spike type at the design stagger-angle setting and a modal type at the small stagger-angle setting. At the design stagger-angle setting, the interface between the incoming flow, tip-leakage flow, and end-wall backflow became parallel to the rotor leading edge plane and reached the pressure side of adjacent blade. The interaction between these flows generated the large end-wall blockage in the rotor blade passage, and this blockage developed leading edge separation on the overloaded rotor blade at the tip. The leading edge separation that developed then grew into a spike, which traveled upstream of the rotor. At the small stagger-angle setting, the rotating instability and modal disturbance were also induced by the interaction between the incoming flow, tip-leakage flow, and end-wall backflow. However, the interface between the tip-leakage flow and end-wall backflow surrounded the suction surface of the rotor blade at the tip and neither became parallel to the leading edge plane nor reached the pressure side of the adjacent blade even though the rotor blade at the tip had stalled. Spikes did not therefore appear. The modal disturbance periodically decreased the inlet velocity and induced a long length-scale stall cell including a spike. It is concluded from these results that the stall inception patterns, which were characterized by the interaction between the incoming flow, tip-leakage flow, and end-wall backflow, depended on the stagger-angle settings for the rotor blades.

Rotating Stall Inception From Spike and Rotating Instability in a Variable-Pitch Axial-Flow Fan

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nishioka ◽  
Toshio Kanno ◽  
Hiroshi Hayami
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Rotating Instability ◽  
Stagger Angle

End wall flow fields at the two stagger-angle settings for the rotor blades in the low-speed axial-flow fan are experimentally and numerically investigated to elucidate the mechanism of stall inception. Rotating instability is confirmed near the maximum pressure-rise point at both design and large stagger-angle settings. This instability is induced by the interaction between the incoming flow, tip leakage flow, and backflow from the trailing edge. The stall-inception pattern, however, differs at the two stagger-angle settings. The stall inception from a spike is observed at the design stagger-angle setting, and the stall inception without the spike and modal disturbance is observed at the large stagger-angle setting. The rotating instability seems to influence the formation of stall cell at the large stagger-angle setting. Tip-leakage vortex breakdown occurs at both design and large stagger angle settings. This breakdown induces the three-dimensional separation on the suction surface of the rotor blade at the tip. Three-dimensional separation at the design stagger-angle setting is stronger than that at the large stagger-angle setting. The strong separation grows into a three-dimensional separation vortex, which crosses the blade passage near the trailing edge. This separation vortex seems to be one of the conditions for spike initiation.

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.

scholarly journals Discussion: “Criteria for Spike Initiated Rotating Stall” (Vo, H. D., Tan, C. S., Greitzer, E. M., 2008, ASME J. Turbomach., 130, p. 011023)

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Deppe ◽  
H. Saathoff ◽  
U. Stark
Keyword(s):  
Computational Study ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage

The paper “Criteria for Spike Initiated Rotating Stall” by Vo et al. (2008, ASME J. Turbomach., 130, p. 011023) provides a very important contribution to the understanding of spike-type stall inception in axial-flow compressors by demonstrating that spike-type disturbances are directly linked to the tip leakage flow of the rotor. The computational study of Vo et al. leads to the conclusion that two conditions have to be fulfilled simultaneously for the formation of spike-type stall: (i) axial backflow at the leading edge plane and (ii) axial backflow at the trailing edge plane. The objective of the present technical brief is to support these findings by corresponding experimental results.

Influence of Rotor Stagger Angle on Rotating Stall Inception in an Axial-Flow Fan

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nishioka ◽  
Shuuji Kuroda ◽  
Tadashi Kozu
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Short Length ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Stall Cells ◽  
Stagger Angle

Inception patterns of rotating stall in a low-speed axial flow fan have been investigated experimentally. Experiments have been carried out at two different stagger angle settings for rotor blades. Pressure and velocity fluctuations were measured to elucidate the features of the stall cells and the stall inception patterns. At the design stagger angle setting for the rotor blades, a short length-scale stall cell known as a “spike” and multiple short length-scale stall cells appear when the slope of pressure-rise characteristic is almost zero. These stall cells grow into a long length-scale stall cell as flow rate decreases. The spike and the multiple short length-scale stall cells do not make the slope of the characteristic positive. However, the long length-scale stall cell induces a full-span stall, and makes the slope of the characteristic positive. At the small stagger angle, a long length-scale disturbance known as a “modal oscillation” is observed first, when the slope of the characteristic is positive. Then the spikes appear together with the modal oscillation as flow rate decreases. The long length-scale stall cell is generated by the spikes without change in the size of the modal oscillation. Suction-tip corner stall occurs in the stator passage near the peak of the characteristic at both the design and the small stagger angle settings. At the design stagger angle, however, the corner stall does not induce the modal oscillation and does not make the characteristic positive. In contrast, the corner stall at the small stagger angle induces the modal oscillation and makes the characteristic positive because it is larger than that at the design stagger angle. It is concluded from these results that the rotating stall inception patterns depend on the rotor stagger angle, which influences blade loading and rotor-stator matching.

Rotor-Tip Flow Fields Near Inception Point of Modal Disturbance in an Axial-Flow Fan

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nishioka ◽  
Toshio Kanno ◽  
Hiroshi Hayami
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Axial Flow Fan ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage

The rotor-tip flow fields in two rotors of a low-speed axial-flow fan were experimentally and numerically investigated to clarify the mechanism behind modal stall inception. A NACA 65 wing section and a controlled diffusion airfoil were applied to the two rotors. At the small stagger-angle setting for both rotors, which is ten degrees smaller than the design value, the modal disturbance is observed near the peak pressure-rise point, and the rotor blades at the tip stall before the modal disturbance is observed. In the modal stall inception, the interface between the incoming flow and the reversed tip-leakage flow does not become parallel to the leading edge plane, although backflow from the trailing edge initiates near the stall condition. The reversed tip-leakage flow does not spill from the leading edge at the stall condition. Moreover, the tip-leakage vortex breakdown does not occur near or at the stall condition. A three-dimensional separation vortex is induced by secondary flow on the suction surface near the stall condition and develops at the stall condition. It is concluded from these results that the rotor-tip flow fields in the modal stall inception differ from those in the spike stall inception and that the three-dimensional separation vortex induced by the secondary flow influences the initiation of modal disturbance.

scholarly journals Effects of Tip Leakage Flow on the Aerodynamic Performance and Stability of an Axial-Flow Transonic Compressor Stage

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4168
Author(s):  
Botao Zhang ◽  
Xiaochen Mao ◽  
Xiaoxiong Wu ◽  
Bo Liu
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Shock Wave ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Transonic Compressor

To explain the effect of tip leakage flow on the performance of an axial-flow transonic compressor, the compressors with different rotor tip clearances were studied numerically. The results show that as the rotor tip clearance increases, the leakage flow intensity is increased, the shock wave position is moved backward, and the interaction between the tip leakage vortex and shock wave is intensified, while that between the boundary layer and shock wave is weakened. Most of all, the stall mechanisms of the compressors with varying rotor tip clearances are different. The clearance leakage flow is the main cause of the rotating stall under large rotor tip clearance. However, the stall form for the compressor with half of the designed tip clearance is caused by the joint action of the rotor tip stall caused by the leakage flow spillage at the blade leading edge and the whole blade span stall caused by the separation of the boundary layer of the rotor and the stator passage. Within the investigated varied range, when the rotor tip clearance size is half of the design, the compressor performance is improved best, and the peak efficiency and stall margin are increased by 0.2% and 3.5%, respectively.

The Behavior of the Casing Boundary Layer With the Presence of Tip Leakage Vortex

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Nan ◽  
Feng Lin ◽  
Takehiro Himeno ◽  
Toshinori Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Skin Friction ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Flow Loss ◽  
Produce Flow

Casing boundary layer effectively places a limit on the pressure rise capability achievable by the compressor. The separation of the casing boundary layer not only produce flow loss but also closely related to the compressor rotating stall. The motivation of this paper is to present a viewpoint that the casing boundary layer should be paid attention to in parallel with other flow factors on rotating stall trigger. This paper illustrates the casing boundary layer behavior by displaying its separation phenomena with the presence of tip leakage vortex at different flow conditions. Skin friction lines and the corresponding absolute streamlines are used to demonstrate the three-dimensional flow patterns on and near the casing. The results depict a Saddle, a Node and several tufts of skin friction lines dividing the passage into four zones. The tip leakage vortex is enfolded within one of the zones by the separated flows. All the flows in each blade passage are confined within the passage as long as the compressor is stable. The casing boundary layer of a transonic compressor is also examined in the same way, which results in qualitatively similar zonal flows that enfolds the tip leakage vortex. This research develops a new way to study the casing boundary layer in rotating compressors. The results may provide a first-principle based explanation to stalling mechanisms for compressors that are casing sensitive.

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