Influence of endwall slotted injection on performance and flow physics in a compressor cascade

Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Cao ◽  
Cheng Song ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Limin Gao

Air injection is an effectively methodology to suppress flow separation and to improve blade loading of airfoils and compressors. In order to remove corner separations in a cascade, investigation of endwall slotted injection was carried out numerically in this study. Based on endwall slot schemes of other flow control methods, six different endwall slots were designed, aiming at revealing the axial location effect and pitchwise location effect. For each endwall slot, numerical simulations were performed with six different injection directions to uncover the injection direction effect. Results showed that endwall slotted injection can effectively remove the corner separation. The overall loss coefficient and endwall loss coefficient of the cascade were reduced by 10.3% and 36.8% at most, respectively. Injection from leading edge and mid-chord can reduce endwall loss; however, the optimal axial location of endwall slot is near the trailing edge, where the corner separation is located. Different with other flow control methods, in general, the optimal pitchwise location of endwall slot is not close to suction surface but 0.16 pitch away from it. Injection near the suction surface is more sensitive to injection direction compared with injection at 0.16 pitch away from suction surface. Injection with velocity components both downstream and toward suction surface promises optimal control effect on corner separation. However, at mid-span, trailing edge separation is deteriorated and the flow turning angle is reduced, the flow mechanism being that the low-momentum fluid migrates along spanwise.

Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Cao ◽  
Wei Guo ◽  
Cheng Song ◽  
Bo Liu

Tandem configuration is an effective methodology to reduce flow separation on compressor blade suction surface and to improve blade loading. However, in modern highly loaded cases, corner separation remains as its single blade counterpart. In this study, non-axisymmetric endwall profiling (NAEP) was utilized in a highly loaded tandem cascade (diffusion factor D = 0.69), aiming at reducing its severe corner separation and revealing the unique flow mechanism while NAEP is utilized in tandem cascade. NAEP was designed in both forward (F) blade and rare (R) blade separately, and was investigated numerically in tandem environment. Results show that, NAEP in F blade passage can effectively eliminate the corner separation and reduce loss generation, whereas NAEP in R blade passage has no positive effect on corner separation and even promotes loss production. The optimal NAEP approximately removes the corner separation completely, with loss coefficient reducing by as much as 37.8%. The optimal NAEP for the tandem cascade features optimal axial location at the origin of corner separation. There is an optimal NAEP height (0.02 of blade height), under which NAEP can achieve pretty good control effect while the peak of NAEP varies in a large axial location range. In the tandem configuration, it is found that NAEP transfers blade loading from R blade to F blade; the static pressure increases significantly for the entire cascade, but the static pressure distribution of F blade does not exhibit as the design intent of NAEP. In addition, it is interesting to find that the flow turning near endwall reduces after endwall profiling, which is unique in tandem cascade and is contrast to the view on conventional configuration. On the contrary, NAEP in R blade has no influence on the corner separation of the tandem cascade; due to the decrement of cross-passage pressure gradient for R blade, the flow overturning near endwall reduces.


Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Yanhui Wu

Corner separation contributes greatly to the loss and the passage blockage in a compressor stage. In order to mitigate the corner separation and improve the aerodynamic performance of compressors, a novel passive flow control method, an off-surface micro-blade installed upstream of the separation onset location, was proposed. A numerical investigation has was performed in an annular compressor cascade to assess the control effectiveness of the micro-blade. The results show that the location of the micro-blade affects the control effect significantly. The application of the well-designed micro-blade enhances the diffusion capacity considerably under the inflow incidence from −2° to +10°, accompanied by a slight loss reduction at some particular incidences. Detailed analysis of the predicted flow field was carried out to understand the underlying mechanism. It indicates that a “jet” forms upstream of the separation onset location with the application of the micro-blade. The formation of the jet reduces the thickness of boundary layer on the suction surface and builds a “jet barrier” near the endwall to hinder the accumulation of the low momentum fluid. The influence of the incidence was also investigated. It is concluded that the incidence increase has both positive and negative influences on the control effect of the micro-blade. As a result, the performance of the micro-blade is sensitive to the variation of inlet incidence.


Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Yanhui Wu ◽  
Kai Liu

Driven by the need to control flow separations in highly loaded compressors, a numerical investigation is carried out to study the control effect of wavy blades in a linear compressor cascade. Two types of wavy blades are studied with wavy blade-A having a sinusoidal leading edge, while wavy blade-B having pitchwise sinusoidal variation in the stacking line. The influence of wavy blades on the cascade performance is evaluated at incidences from −1° to +9°. For the wavy blade-A with suitable waviness parameters, the cascade diffusion capacity is enhanced accompanied by the loss reduction under high incidence conditions where 2D separation is the dominant flow structure on the suction surface of the unmodified blade. For well-designed wavy blade-B, the improvement of cascade performance is achieved under low incidence conditions where 3D corner separation is the dominant flow structure on the suction surface of the baseline blade. The influence of waviness parameters on the control effect is also discussed by comparing the performance of cascades with different wavy blade configurations. Detailed analysis of the predicted flow field shows that both the wavy blade-A and wavy blade-B have capacity to control flow separation in the cascade but their control mechanism are different. For wavy blade-A, the wavy leading edge results in the formation of counter-rotating streamwise vortices downstream of trough. These streamwise vortices can not only enhance momentum exchange between the outer flow and blade boundary layer, but also act as the suction surface fence to hamper the upwash of low momentum fluid driven by cross flow. For wavy blade-B, the wavy surface on the blade leads to a reduction of the cross flow upwash by influencing the spanwise distribution of the suction surface static pressure and guiding the upwash flow.


Author(s):  
Gherardo Zambonini ◽  
Xavier Ottavy

The aim of this work is to present detailed unsteady pressure measurements of three-dimensional flow field in a NACA 65 linear compressor cascade. Chord-based Reynolds number of 382000 and incidence angle of 4 degrees were chosen as target configuration of the rig, which clearly presents the corner separation phenomenon at the juncture of the blade suction side and the end-wall. Concerning the experiments, a characterization of the mean and fluctuating component of wall static pressure on the surface of a specially developed blade is achieved at first. This fluctuating component is investigated utilizing nineteen high sensitivity condenser microphones plugged into blade cavities which have been carefully calibrated. Transfer functions obtained by calibration are exploited to reconstruct the time-dependent pressure signal and finally statistics, conditional ensemble averages, coherence and spectra analyses of fluctuations are presented in order to investigate the unsteady characteristics of the corner separation. High values of root mean square are individuated near the leading edge and in the separation region on the suction surface of the blade. Skewness and kurtosis show an intermittent behavior of the separation onset, which moves upstream and downstream on the suction surface. This intermittency of the separation line is probably linked with the existence of a bimodal behavior of the size of the corner separation. The analyses of coherence and conditional ensemble average between the signals at the leading edge and at the onset of the separation suggest a critical influence of angle and velocity of the incoming end-wall boundary layer on the positive pressure signatures of the shear layer, which characterize the inception of the separation.


Author(s):  
Seung Chul Back ◽  
Garth V. Hobson ◽  
Seung Jin Song ◽  
Knox T. Millsaps

An experimental investigation has been conducted to characterize the influence of surface roughness location and Reynolds number on compressor cascade performance. Flow field surveys have been conducted in a low-speed, linear compressor cascade. Pressure, velocity, and flow angles have been measured via a 5-hole probe, pitot probe, and pressure taps on the blades. In addition to the entirely smooth and entirely rough blade cases, blades with roughness covering the leading edge; pressure side; and 5%, 20%, 35%, 50%, and 100% of suction side from the leading edge have been studied. All of the tests have been done for Reynolds number ranging from 300,000 to 640,000.Cascade performance (i.e. blade loading, loss, and deviation) is more sensitive to roughness on the suction side than pressure side. Roughness near the trailing edge of suction side increases loss more than that near the leading edge. When the suction side roughness is located closer to the trailing edge, the deviation and loss increase more rapidly with Reynolds number. For a given roughness location, there exists a Reynolds number at which loss begins to visibly increase. Finally, increasing the area of rough suction surface from the leading edge reduces the Reynolds number at which the loss coefficient begins to increase.


Author(s):  
Simon W. Evans ◽  
Howard P. Hodson

This paper documents an analysis performed to estimate the cycle cost of flow control in a compressor. The analysis is based on a series of experiments conducted in a low-speed compressor cascade at high incidence. In these experiments, flow control was applied to delay a turbulent separation on the suction surfaces of the blades in the cascade. The flow control methods studied include boundary layer suction and both steady and pulsed vortex generator jets. Endwall control was also applied to remove corner separations. Tip gaps and endwall suction were both studied for this purpose. The flow control methods studied were able to successfully delay a separation occurring on the suction surface of the blades, reducing the loss coefficient. The mass flow rates and jet supply pressures required to achieve control in each case were used to model a single flow-controlled blade row in a typical turbofan cycle using cycle analysis software. The cost of control to the cycle was calculated as the polytropic compressor efficiency increase required to maintain thrust relative to a conventional cycle with no flow control. The results of the analysis show that the benefits of flow control significantly outweigh the cost. They also show that boundary layer suction coupled with endwall suction yields the lowest cycle cost. This is because of the small pressure difference required to drive suction, which allows reinjection of the aspirated air a short distance upstream of the flow controlled blade row.


Author(s):  
Simeng Tian ◽  
Yangyang Wu ◽  
Zhibo Zhang ◽  
Bangqin Cheng ◽  
Yinghong Li ◽  
...  

In this paper, experimental investigations of a linear compressor cascade have been performed with Reynolds number of 2.4×105 to analyze the flow mechanism of hub-corner separation with end-wall jet and suction control. The vortices are measured with a quasi-three dimensional test system in different axial planes consisting of vorticity distribution and secondary flow structure. The experimental results give detailed insight into the performance of the principle vortices with different flow control methods. Corner separation losses could remarkably decrease with the jets and suction position near the asymptotic line of separation lines on suction surface. The flow control position plays a great role in affecting the corner separation losses while it is a more sensitive factor in the case of jets rather than the suction. It is evidenced that the combined flow control would get a higher decrease in the total pressure loss coefficient while an additional benefit in the reduction of losses has been gained in the case of a combined actuator layout.


Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Cao ◽  
Xi Gao ◽  
Cheng Song ◽  
Xiang Zhang ◽  
Fei Zhang ◽  
...  

In highly loaded tandem compressor cascades, corner separations can still exist. In order to eliminate corner separations in highly loaded tandem compressor cascades, incoming vortex–corner separation interaction mechanism was investigated. Different schemes of the vortex generators, which located at different pitchwise locations and could generate vortexes with different rotation directions, were designed and investigated numerically. Results show that, severe corner separation occurred at the front blade passage of the tandem cascade; by utilizing flow control method of incoming vortex–corner separation interaction, the corner separation could be reduced significantly. The optimal control effect of incoming vortex on corner separation was achieved with anticlockwise rotation and the vortex generator is located right ahead of the leading edge of tandem cascade, a maximum loss coefficient reduction of 21.8% being achieved. Different from single blade configuration, the boundary layer of tandem cascade was regenerated at rear blade suction surface due to the injection flow from blade gap between the two blades. Though corner separations could be reduced at both conditions, the loss of tandem cascade with clockwise incoming vortex is higher than that with anticlockwise vortex, and a smaller corner separation region at suction surface was achieved by utilizing clockwise vortex. The mechanism was that anticlockwise incoming vortex reduced the corner separation but increased secondary flow, while clockwise vortex enhanced passage vortex and decreased secondary flow. For clockwise incoming vortex near pressure surface, the vortex would be divided into two parts at the leading edge of rear blade, one would go through the blade gap and deteriorate flow fluid near rear blade suction surface, the other flowed downstream along pressure surface. The rotation direction of different incoming vortexes became the same as the passage vortex at rear blade passage of tandem cascade, which was mainly due to the effect of secondary flow.


Author(s):  
Yun Wu ◽  
Xiao-hu Zhao ◽  
Ying-hong Li ◽  
Jun Li

Corner separation, which forms over the suction surface and endwall corner of a blade passage, causes significant total pressure loss in highly loaded compressors. Plasma flow control, based on the plasma aerodynamic actuation, is a novel active flow control technique to improve aircrafts’ aerodynamic characteristics and propulsion efficiency. This paper reports computational and experimental results on using three types of plasma aerodynamic actuation (PAA) to control the corner separation in a highly loaded, low speed, linear compressor cascade. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations were performed to optimize the PAA arrangement. The PAA was generated by a microsecond or nanosecond dielectric barrier discharge in wind tunnel experiments. The total pressure loss coefficient distribution was adopted to evaluate the corner separation control effect. The control effect of pitch-wise PAA on the endwall, in terms of relative reduction of the pitch-wise averaged total pressure loss coefficient in the wake, is much better than that of stream-wise PAA on the suction surface. When both pitch-wise PAA on the endwall and stream-wise PAA on the suction surface are turned on simultaneously, the control effect is the best among all three types of PAA. The main effect of pitch-wise PAA on the endwall is to inhibit the crossflow from neighboring pressure surface to the suction surface, whilest the main effect of stream-wise PAA on the suction surface is to inhibit the boundary layer accumulation and separation. Compared to microsecond discharge PAA, nanosecond discharge PAA is more effective at higher freestream velocity. The mechanisms for nanosecond discharge and microsecond discharge PAA are different for corner separation control.


Author(s):  
Wei Ma ◽  
Feng Gao ◽  
Xavier Ottavy ◽  
Lipeng Lu ◽  
A. J. Wang

Recently bimodal phenomenon in corner separation has been found by Ma et al. (Experiments in Fluids, 2013, doi:10.1007/s00348-013-1546-y). Through detailed and accurate experimental results of the velocity flow field in a linear compressor cascade, they discovered two aperiodic modes exist in the corner separation of the compressor cascade. This phenomenon reflects the flow in corner separation is high intermittent, and large-scale coherent structures corresponding to two modes exist in the flow field of corner separation. However the generation mechanism of the bimodal phenomenon in corner separation is still unclear and thus needs to be studied further. In order to obtain instantaneous flow field with different unsteadiness and thus to analyse the mechanisms of bimodal phenomenon in corner separation, in this paper detached-eddy simulation (DES) is used to simulate the flow field in the linear compressor cascade where bimodal phenomenon has been found in previous experiment. DES in this paper successfully captures the bimodal phenomenon in the linear compressor cascade found in experiment, including the locations of bimodal points and the development of bimodal points along a line that normal to the blade suction side. We infer that the bimodal phenomenon in the corner separation is induced by the strong interaction between the following two facts. The first is the unsteady upstream flow nearby the leading edge whose angle and magnitude fluctuate simultaneously and significantly. The second is the high unsteady separation in the corner region.


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