Transient Surge Dynamics: A Shock Tube Theory and Experimental Comparison

Author(s):  
Paul Xiubao Huang ◽  
JianAn Yin

High-speed high-pressure ratio compressor surge is a transient breakdown in compression accompanied by an abrupt momentary reversal of gas flow. It commonly exists in dynamic type turbo compressors, particularly in the axial compressor of modern aero-engines. By Newton’s Laws of Motion, a force is needed to change the state of any motion. So what is the force that can cause such a dramatic motion as surge? What exactly triggers it, and how do we quantify the transient surge phenomenon? This paper attempts to answer these questions and discuss the transient dynamics of surge at its initial stage. It has generally been accepted that surge is precipitated by the onset of a rotating spike or stall, not only for low speed but for high-speed compressors too. The state of dynamic surge modeling today is best exemplified by the “Greitzer-Moore” model. However, it fails to incorporate the key elements of the transient nature of a surge inception: the extremely short time duration on millisecond scale and the shock wave presence observed experimentally. An indirect approach is taken in this paper to address the transient dynamics of stall and surge by using an analogy to the shock tube. The link is established based on observations that instant zero net through flow inside stalled cascade cell triggers stall/surge. The results from the analogy reveal that surge initiation simultaneously generates a pair of non-linear compression and expansion waves (CW & EW) and induced reverse fluid flow (IRFF). The dynamic forces for instant flow reversal are the pushing force of upstream propagating CW and the pulling force from downstream travelling EW. Surge Rules are deduced and then compared with experimental findings by previous researchers with good agreements. Moreover, the strength of the transient post-surge components, CW, EW and IRFF, can be estimated analytically or numerically by the shock tube theory from known pre-surge conditions and routes to surge.

Author(s):  
Paul Xiubao Huang ◽  
Robert S. Mazzawy

This paper is a continuing work from one author on the same topic of the transient aerodynamics during compressor stall/surge using a shock tube analogy by Huang [1, 2]. As observed by Mazzawy [3] for the high-speed high-pressure (HSHP) ratio compressors of the modern aero-engines, surge is an event characterized with the stoppage and reversal of engine flow within a matter of milliseconds. This large flow transient is accomplished through a pair of internally generated shock waves and expansion waves of high strength. The final results are often dramatic with a loud bang followed by the spewing out of flames from both the engine intake and exhaust, potentially damaging to the engine structure [3]. It has been demonstrated in the previous investigations by Marshall [4] and Huang [2] that the transient flow reversal phase of a surge cycle can be approximated by the shock tube analogy in understanding its generation mechanism and correlating the shock wave strength as a function of the pre-surge compressor pressure ratio. Kurkov [5] and Evans [8] used a guillotine analogy to estimate the inlet overpressure associated with the sudden flow stoppage associated with surge. This paper will expand the progressive surge model established by the shock tube analogy in [2] by including the dynamic effect of airflow stoppage using an “integrated-flow” sequential guillotine/shock tube model. It further investigates the surge formation (characterized by flow reversal) and propagation patterns (characterized by surge shock and expansion waves) after its generation at different locations inside a compressor. Calculations are conducted for a 12-stage compressor using this model under various surge onset stages and compared with previous experimental data [3]. The results demonstrate that the “integrated-flow” model closely replicates the fast moving surge shock wave overpressure from the stall initiation site to the compressor inlet.


Author(s):  
Paul Xiubao Huang ◽  
JianAn Yin

Compressor surge is a complete breakdown in compression resulting in an abrupt momentary reversal of gas flow and the violent pressure fluctuation with relatively low frequency and high amplitude. It commonly exists in dynamic type turbo compressors, particularly axial compressor and jet engine, or turbo charger for reciprocating engines. It is generally accepted that surge is preceded by a rotating stall, a situation of a few stalled blades rotating around compressor annulus (cascade) with much higher frequency. In jet engine, violent surge event typically produces a frightening loud bang, lots of vibrations and could cause catastrophic structural failures if not timely managed. Naturally, as important matters as rotating stall and surge, there have been tremendous R/D efforts from academia, government and industry devoted to this area, especially since jet engines became the prime powerhouses for modern airplanes. Despite of all the efforts, there still seems to be a more urgent need to understand the physical characteristics of the transition from a rotating stall to surge that has mystified researchers due to its transient nature. Fundamental questions remain unanswered even today, such as: What exactly triggers the surge to take place from a rotating stall? What is the physical nature of a compressor system or a local incipient surge: is it a movement of wave or fluid particles or both? How to estimate the quantitative destructive forces of a severe surge, that is, the maximum possible surge strength? This paper attempts to answer these questions by applying the classical Shock Tube Theory to the transient process from rotating stall to surge. The Shock Tube analogy is established with the hypothesis (implied from experimental observations) that an instant zero through flow condition exists inside a stalled cascade cell or dynamic compressor that triggers surge. It is revealed that surge event consists of a pair of non-linear compression and expansion waves (CW & EW) that instantly reverse gas flow (IRFF) by the pushing force of upstream propagating CW and the pulling force from downstream travelling EW. The surge strength is shown to be proportional to the square root of the pressure ratio of the involved cascade or compressor. Surge Rules are deduced to predict the location of surge initiation, the minimum and maximum surge strengths, travelling directions and speed. Moreover, a pro-active control strategy called SEWI (Surge Early Warning Initiative) is proposed using the unique characteristics of CW-IRFF-EW formation of a cascade cell induced surge as precursors for subsequent warning and controls before the destructive compressor surge takes place.


Author(s):  
Adam R. Hickman ◽  
Scott C. Morris

Flow field measurements of a high-speed axial compressor are presented during pre-stall and post-stall conditions. The paper provides an analysis of measurements from a circumferential array of unsteady shroud static pressure sensors during stall cell development. At low-speed, the stall cell approached a stable size in approximately two rotor revolutions. At higher speeds, the stall cell developed within a short amount of time after stall inception, but then fluctuated in circumferential extent as the compressor transiently approached a stable post-stall operating point. The size of the stall cell was found to be related to the annulus average flow coefficient. A discussion of Phase-Locked Average (PLA) statistics on flow field measurements during stable operation is also included. In conditions where rotating stall is present, flow field measurements can be Double Phase-Locked Averaged (DPLA) using a once-per-revolution (1/Rev) pulse and the period of the stall cell. The DPLA method provides greater detail and understanding into the structure of the stall cell. DPLA data indicated that a stalled compressor annulus can be considered to contained three main regions: over-pressurized passages, stalled passages, and recovering passages. Within the over-pressured region, rotor passages exhibited increased blade loading and pressure ratio compared to pre-stall values.


2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Fischer ◽  
Walter Riess ◽  
Joerg R. Seume

The FVV sponsored project “Bow Blading” (cf. acknowledgments) at the Turbomachinery Laboratory of the University of Hannover addresses the effect of strongly bowed stator vanes on the flow field in a four-stage high-speed axial compressor with controlled diffusion airfoil (CDA) blading. The compressor is equipped with more strongly bowed vanes than have previously been reported in the literature. The performance map of the present compressor is being investigated experimentally and numerically. The results show that the pressure ratio and the efficiency at the design point and at the choke limit are reduced by the increase in friction losses on the surface of the bowed vanes, whose surface area is greater than that of the reference (CDA) vanes. The mass flow at the choke limit decreases for the same reason. Because of the change in the radial distribution of axial velocity, pressure rise shifts from stage 3 to stage 4 between the choke limit and maximum pressure ratio. Beyond the point of maximum pressure ratio, this effect is not distinguishable from the reduction of separation by the bow of the vanes. Experimental results show that in cases of high aerodynamic loading, i.e., between maximum pressure ratio and the stall limit, separation is reduced in the bowed stator vanes so that the stagnation pressure ratio and efficiency are increased by the change to bowed stators. It is shown that the reduction of separation with bowed vanes leads to a increase of static pressure rise towards lower mass flow so that the present bow bladed compressor achieves higher static pressure ratios at the stall limit.


Author(s):  
Jan Siemann ◽  
Ingolf Krenz ◽  
Joerg R. Seume

Reducing the fuel consumption is a main objective in the development of modern aircraft engines. Focusing on aircraft for mid-range flight distances, a significant potential to increase the engines overall efficiency at off-design conditions exists in reducing secondary flow losses of the compressor. For this purpose, Active Flow Control (AFC) by aspiration or injection of fluid at near wall regions is a promising approach. To experimentally investigate the aerodynamic benefits of AFC by aspiration, a 4½-stage high-speed axial-compressor at the Leibniz Universitaet Hannover was equipped with one AFC stator row. The numerical design of the AFC-stator showed significant hub corner separations in the first and second stator for the reference configuration at the 80% part-load speed-line near stall. Through the application of aspiration at the first stator, the numerical simulations predict the complete suppression of the corner separation not only in the first, but also in the second stator. This leads to a relative increase in overall isentropic efficiency of 1.47% and in overall total pressure ratio of 4.16% compared to the reference configuration. To put aspiration into practice, the high-speed axial-compressor was then equipped with a secondary air system and the AFC stator row in the first stage. All experiments with AFC were performed for a relative aspiration mass flow of less than 0.5% of the main flow. Besides the part-load speed-lines of 55% and 80%, the flow field downstream of each blade row was measured at the AFC design point. Experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical predictions. The use of AFC leads to an increase in operating range at the 55% part-load speed-line of at least 19%, whereas at the 80% part-load speed-line no extension of operating range occurs. Both speed-lines, however, do show a gain in total pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency for the AFC configuration compared to the reference configuration. Compared to the AFC design point, the isentropic efficiency ηis rises by 1.45%, whereas the total pressure ratio Πtot increases by 1.47%. The analysis of local flow field data shows that the hub corner separation in the first stator is reduced by aspiration, whereas in the second stator the hub corner separation slightly increases. The application of AFC in the first stage further changes the stage loading in all downstream stages. While the first and third stage become unloaded by application of AFC, the loading in terms of the De-Haller number increases in the second and especially in the fourth stage. Furthermore, in the reference as well as in the AFC configuration, the fourth stator performs significantly better than predicted by numerical results.


Author(s):  
Axel Fischer ◽  
Walter Riess ◽  
Joerg R. Seume

The FVV-sponsored-Project “Bow Blading” (c.f. acknowledgments) at the Turbomachinery Laboratory of the University of Hannover addresses the effect of strongly bowed stator vanes on the flow field in an 4-stage high speed axial compressor with controlled diffusion airfoil (CDA) blading. The compressor is equipped with more strongly bowed vanes than have previously been reported in the literature. The performance map of the present compressor is being investigated experimentally and numerically. The results show that the pressure ratio and the efficiency at the design point and at the choke limit are reduced by the increase in friction losses on the surface of the bowed vanes, whose surface area is greater than that of the reference (CDA) vanes. The mass flow at the choke limit decreases for the same reason. Because of the change in the radial distribution of axial velocity, pressure rise shifts from stage 3 to stage 4 between the choke limit and maximum pressure ratio. Beyond the point of maximum pressure ratio, this effect is not distinguishable from the reduction of separation by the bow of the vanes. Experimental results show that in cases of high aerodynamic loading, i.e. between maximum pressure ratio and the stall limit, separation is reduced in the bowed stator vanes so that the stagnation pressure ratio and efficiency are increased by the change to bowed stators. It is shown that the reduction of separation with bowed vanes leads to a increase of static pressure rise towards lower mass flow so that the present bow bladed compressor achieves higher static pressure ratios at the stall limit.


Author(s):  
Julia E. Stephens ◽  
Sameer Kulkarni

Abstract Advancements in core compressor technologies are necessary for next generation, high Overall Pressure Ratio (OPR) turbofan engines. High pressure compressors (HPCs) for future engines are being designed with exit corrected mass flow rates less than 2.25 kg/s (5 lbm/s). In order to accurately measure the performance of these advanced designs, high accuracy measurements are needed in test facilities. The W7 High Speed Multistage Axial Compressor Facility at NASA Glenn Research Center has been used to acquire data for advanced compressor designs. This facility utilizes an advanced differential pressure flow meter called a V-Cone. The facility has historically tested components with physical mass flow rates in the range of 27 to 45 kg/s (60 to 100 lbm/s). As such, when the V-Cone was calibrated prior to installation, the calibrations focused on higher mass flow rates, and uncertainties in that regime range from 0.5% to 0.85%. However, for low mass flow rates under 9 kg/s (20 lbm/s), expected in tests of advanced high OPR HPCs rear stages, the uncertainties of the V-Cone exceed 2.5%. To address this, using a method similar to that utilized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an array of Critical Flow Venturi Nozzles (CFVs) was installed in the W7 test section and used to calibrate the V-Cone in 0.5 kg/s (1 lbm/s) increments up to 10.5 kg/s (23 lbm/s). This effort details the measurements and uncertainties associated with this calibration which resulted in a final uncertainty of the V-Cone measurements under 1%.


1957 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-500
Author(s):  
Toyoki Koga

Abstract A numerical procedure is proposed for solution of certain problems in steady gas flow where subsonic, sonic, and supersonic regions appear simultaneously. The difficulties that occur in analytical methods for taking into account the differences of the type of the fundamental equation (elliptic, parabolic, hyperbolic) are avoided. Given a streamline and the state of the gas along that streamline, the co-ordinates of the neighboring streamline and the state of the gas along it can be computed. The procedure can be applied successively to cover a flow field. The method is described in detail for two-dimensional, steady, irrotational flow (without shocks) of a perfect gas, and an example is given.


Author(s):  
Yassine Souleimani ◽  
Huu Duc Vo ◽  
Hong Yu

The increase in compressor tip clearance over the lifespan of an aero-engine leads to a long-term degradation in its fuel consumption and operating envelope. A highly promising recent numerical study on a theoretical high-speed axial compressor rotor proposed a novel casing treatment to decrease performance and stall margin sensitivity to tip clearance increase. This paper aims to apply and analyze, through CFD simulations, this casing treatment concept to a representative production axial compressor rotor with inherently lower sensitivity to tip clearance increase and complement the explanation on the mechanism behind the reduction in sensitivity. Simulations of the baseline rotor showed that the lower span region contribute as much to the pressure ratio sensitivity as the tip region which is dominated by tip leakage flow. In contrast, the efficiency sensitivity is mainly driven by losses occurring in the tip region. The novel casing treatment was successfully applied to the baseline rotor through a design refinement. Although the casing treatment causes some penalty in nominal performance, it completely reversed the pressure ratio sensitivity (i.e. pressure ratio increases with tip clearance) and reduced the efficiency sensitivity. The reversed pressure ratio sensitivity is explained by a rotation in the core flow in the lower span region indirectly induced by the flow injection from the casing treatment. The lower efficiency sensitivity comes from a reduction in the amount of fluid that crosses the tip clearance of two adjacent blades, known as double leakage. The casing treatment’s beneficial effect on stall margin sensitivity is less obvious because of the stall inception type of the baseline rotor and its change in the presence of the casing treatment.


Author(s):  
Christian Janke ◽  
Markus Goller ◽  
Ivo Martin ◽  
Lilia Gaun ◽  
Dieter Bestle

Compressor maps of aero engines show the relation between corrected mass flow, corrected shaft speed, pressure ratio, and efficiency, where different operating conditions of the compressor are represented by different speed lines. These speed lines are an important information for the compressor design process, since they show important operation bounds like surge and choke. Typically, 3D CFD compressor maps are computed with the so called hot geometry given by the aerodynamic design point. But in reality aerofoil shapes change depending on engine speeds and gas loads resulting in twist of the blades and changes of tip clearance. In order to obtain a higher quality compressor map, all these effects must be taken into account. Therefore, a process is utilized which uses coupled CFD and FE analyses to account for load adjusted geometries aside the design point. For transformation of FE results into the CFD model a cold-to-hot blade morphing technique is used. The studies are performed for a 4.5 stage high speed axial compressor, where effects of varying tip clearance and geometry deformation are considered separately from each other. Finally, their combined effects are studied.


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