Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study experimentally the effect of transition and also the roughness height on the flow structure of the shock wave boundary layer interaction in the blades passage of a compressor cascade.
Design/methodology/approach
A model of a turbine compressor passage was designed and assembled in a transonic wind tunnel. In the experiment, the distributed roughness with different heights and locations was used to induce transition upstream of the shock wave.
Findings
Recommendation regarding the roughness parameters for the application depends on what is more important as goal, whether the reduction of losses or unsteadiness. In case if more important are the losses reduction, a good choice for the roughness location seems to be the one close to the shock wave position.
Research limitations/implications
The knowledge gained by this paper will enable the implementation of an effective laminar flow technology for engines in which the interaction of a laminar boundary layer with a shock wave takes place in the propulsion system and causes severe problems.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on the influence of the boundary layer transition induced by different roughness values and locations on aerodynamic performance of a compressor cascade. Very valuable results were obtained in the roughness application for the boundary layer transition control, demonstrating a positive effect in changing the nature of the interaction and also some negative influence in case of oversized roughness height, which cannot be found in the existing literature.