Low Reynolds Number Effects on the Separation and Wake of a Compressor Blade

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Liu ◽  
Will Ager ◽  
Cesare Hall ◽  
Andrew P. S. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Compressor Blade ◽  
Loss Coefficient ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Separation Bubbles ◽  
Low Reynolds

Abstract This paper investigates the surface boundary layer and wake development of a compressor blade at a range of low Reynolds number from 45000 to 120000. Experiments in a miniature linear compressor cascade facility have been performed with detailed surface pressure measurements and flow visualization to track variations in the separation bubble size. These have been combined with high resolution pneumatic pressure and hot wire probe traverses in the downstream wake. High fidelity DNS simulations have been completed on the same compressor blade section across the same range of operating conditions. The results show that large laminar separation bubbles exist on both blade surfaces. As Reynolds number increases, these separation bubbles shorten in length and reduce in thickness. Correspondingly, the downstream wake narrows, although the peak wake loss coefficient remains approximately constant. As the Reynolds number is increased from 45000 to 120000 the bubble length on the suction side reduced from 48% to 28% chord and on the pressure side reduced from 35% to 20% chord, while the loss coefficient reduced from 9% to 5%. The flow features are examined further within the high-fidelity computations, which reveal the dependence of the wake turbulence on the laminar separation bubbles. The separation bubbles are found to generate turbulent kinetic energy, which convects downstream to form the outer part of wake. As Re increases, a shorter bubble produces less turbulence in the outer part of the boundary layer leading to a narrower wake. However, the trailing edge separation is largely independent of Reynolds number, leading to the constant peak loss coefficient observed. The overall loss is shown to vary linearly with the total turbulence production, and this depends on the size of the separation bubbles. Overall, this research provides new insight into the connection between the blade surface flow field and the wake characteristics at low Reynolds number. The findings suggest that changes that minimize the extent of the blade separation bubbles could provide significant improvements to both the steady and unsteady properties of the wake.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Transition Effects on a Low Reynolds Number Airfoil

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Collison ◽  
Peter X. L. Harley ◽  
Domenico di Cugno
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Flow Visualisation ◽  
Transition Model ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Low Reynolds Number Airfoil

Low speed, small scale turbomachinery operates at low Reynolds number with transition phenomena occurring. In small consumer product applications, high efficiency and low noise are key performance metrics. Transition behaviour will partly determine the state of the boundary layer at the trailing edge; whether it is laminar, turbulent or separated impacts aerodynamic and acoustic performance. This study aimed to evaluate a commercially available CFD transition model on a low Reynolds number Eppler E387 airfoil and identify whether it was able to correctly model the boundary layer transition, and at what expense. CFD was carried out utilising the ANSYS Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω γ-Reθ transition model. The CFD progressed from 2D in Fluent v150, through to single cell thickness 3D (pseudo 2D) in CFX v172. An Eppler E387 low Reynolds number airfoil, for which experimental data was readily available from literature at Re = 200,000 was used as the validation case for the CFD, with results computed at numerous incidence angles and mesh densities. Additionally, experimental surface oil flow visualisation was undertaken in a wind tunnel using a scaled E387 airfoil for the zero incidence case at Re = 50,000. The flow visualisation exhibited the expected key features of transition in the breakdown of the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent, and was used as a validation case for the CFD transition model. The comparison between the results from the CFD transition model and the experimental data from literature suggested varying levels of agreement based on the mesh density and CFD solver in the starting location of the laminar separation bubble, with higher disparity for the position of the reattachment point. Whether 2D or 3D, the prediction accuracy was seen to worsen at high incidence angles. Finally, the location of the laminar separation bubble between CFD and oil flow visualisation had good agreement and a set of guidelines on the mesh parameters which can be applied to low Reynolds number turbomachinery simulations was determined.

Shear Layer Development, Separation, and Stability Over a Low-Reynolds Number Airfoil

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ziadé ◽  
Mark A. Feero ◽  
Philippe Lavoie ◽  
Pierre E. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Shear Layer ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Layer Development

The shear layer development for a NACA 0025 airfoil at a low Reynolds number was investigated experimentally and numerically using large eddy simulation (LES). Two angles of attack (AOAs) were considered: 5 deg and 12 deg. Experiments and numerics confirm that two flow regimes are present. The first regime, present for an angle-of-attack of 5 deg, exhibits boundary layer reattachment with formation of a laminar separation bubble. The second regime consists of boundary layer separation without reattachment. Linear stability analysis (LSA) of mean velocity profiles is shown to provide adequate agreement between measured and computed growth rates. The stability equations exhibit significant sensitivity to variations in the base flow. This highlights that caution must be applied when experimental or computational uncertainties are present, particularly when performing comparisons. LSA suggests that the first regime is characterized by high frequency instabilities with low spatial growth, whereas the second regime experiences low frequency instabilities with more rapid growth. Spectral analysis confirms the dominance of a central frequency in the laminar separation region of the shear layer, and the importance of nonlinear interactions with harmonics in the transition process.

Numerical investigation of the role of free-stream turbulence in boundary-layer separation

2016 ◽  
Vol 801 ◽  
pp. 289-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Balzer ◽  
H. F. Fasel
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Shear Layer ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Hydrodynamic Instability ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Low Reynolds

The aerodynamic performance of lifting surfaces operating at low Reynolds number conditions is impaired by laminar separation. In most cases, transition to turbulence occurs in the separated shear layer as a result of a series of strong hydrodynamic instability mechanisms. Although the understanding of these mechanisms has been significantly advanced over the past decades, key questions remain unanswered about the influence of external factors such as free-stream turbulence (FST) and others on transition and separation. The present study is driven by the need for more accurate predictions of separation and transition phenomena in ‘real world’ applications, where elevated levels of FST can play a significant role (e.g. turbomachinery). Numerical investigations have become an integral part in the effort to enhance our understanding of the intricate interactions between separation and transition. Due to the development of advanced numerical methods and the increase in the performance of supercomputers with parallel architecture, it has become feasible for low Reynolds number application ($O(10^{5})$) to carry out direct numerical simulations (DNS) such that all relevant spatial and temporal scales are resolved without the use of turbulence modelling. Because the employed high-order accurate DNS are characterized by very low levels of background noise, they lend themselves to transition research where the amplification of small disturbances, sometimes even growing from numerical round-off, can be examined in great detail. When comparing results from DNS and experiment, however, it is beneficial, if not necessary, to increase the background disturbance levels in the DNS to levels that are typical for the experiment. For the current work, a numerical model that emulates a realistic free-stream turbulent environment was adapted and implemented into an existing Navier–Stokes code based on a vorticity–velocity formulation. The role FST plays in the transition process was then investigated for a laminar separation bubble forming on a flat plate. FST was shown to cause the formation of the well-known Klebanoff mode that is represented by streamwise-elongated streaks inside the boundary layer. Increasing the FST levels led to accelerated transition, a reduction in bubble size and better agreement with the experiments. Moreover, the stage of linear disturbance growth due to the inviscid shear-layer instability was found to not be ‘bypassed’.

scholarly journals Exploring on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Low Reynolds Number Airfoil in Time-varying Wind Field

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-185
Author(s):  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Xiaoping Zhu ◽  
Zhou Zhou ◽  
Xiaoping Xu
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Angle Of Attack ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Response Characteristics ◽  
Separation Bubbles ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Gust Response ◽  
Laminar Separation Bubbles

A solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle generally encounters the problems that it has low Reynolds effects and is highly susceptible to gust response. Therefore, the grid velocity method was used to analyze the gust response characteristics of the airfoil FX63-137 under low Reynolds number. First, the reliability of the numerical simulation method at low Reynolds number and grid velocity method were verified with experimental data. Second, the gust response characteristics of FX63-137 airfoil under different Reynolds numbers and different angles of attack were numerically simulated. The results show that the magnitude of incremental lift coefficient in gust response decreases because laminar separation bubbles are complete as the Reynolds number decreases at a small angle of attack. They also show that laminar separation bubbles have an unloaded effect on gust response. At a high angle of attack, as the airfoil enters into stalling stage, the incremental lift coefficient begins to decline before reaching maximum gust disturbance. Because of the stalling of the airfoil, when the gust disappears, the incremental lift coefficient has a negative value. What's more, although the effective angle of attack is equal, the flow structure of the airfoil is somewhat different in upstream and downstream moments. Compared with the downstream moment, the incremental lift coefficient at the upstream moment is generally larger, and the incremental lift coefficient curve of the airfoil forms a non-closed hysteresis loop.

Numerical Simulation of Turbine Blade Boundary Layer and Heat Transfer and Assessment of Turbulence Models

1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 794-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Luo ◽  
B. Lakshminarayana
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Bypass Transition ◽  
Boundary Layer Development ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Layer Development

The boundary layer development and convective heat transfer on transonic turbine nozzle vanes are investigated using a compressible Navier–Stokes code with three low-Reynolds-number k–ε models. The mean-flow and turbulence transport equations are integrated by a four-stage Runge–Kutta scheme. Numerical predictions are compared with the experimental data acquired at Allison Engine Company. An assessment of the performance of various turbulence models is carried out. The two modes of transition, bypass transition and separation-induced transition, are studied comparatively. Effects of blade surface pressure gradients, free-stream turbulence level, and Reynolds number on the blade boundary layer development, particularly transition onset, are examined. Predictions from a parabolic boundary layer code are included for comparison with those from the elliptic Navier–Stokes code. The present study indicates that the turbine external heat transfer, under real engine conditions, can be predicted well by the Navier–Stokes procedure with the low-Reynolds-number k–ε models employed.

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