scholarly journals Supersonic Compressor Cascade Shape Optimization under Multiple Inlet Mach Operating Conditions

Aerospace ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Marco Casoni ◽  
Andrea Magrini ◽  
Ernesto Benini

Transonic compressors are widely used today in propulsion and industrial applications thanks to their higher specific work compared to subsonic. In this work, the aerodynamic optimization of a two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the transonic cascade ARL-SL19 is described. The validated computational model is used for a multi-objective optimization of the cascade at three different inlet Mach numbers using a genetic algorithm and an artificial neural network, with the aim of reducing total pressure loss and increasing maximum pressure ratio. Finally, the optimized shapes on the Pareto fronts are investigated, analyzing mechanisms responsible for loss reduction and enhanced compression. Profiles having the lowest losses have flatter camberlines and reduced acceleration of flow on the suction side, while geometries achieving the highest pressure ratio values have a more cambered shape with a concave suction side.

Author(s):  
Joachim Kurzke

Realistic compressor maps are the key to high quality gas turbine performance calculations. When modeling the performance of an existing engine then these maps are usually not known and must be approximated by adapting maps from literature to either measured data or to other available information. There are many publications describing map adaptation processes, simple ones and more sophisticated physically based scaling rules. There are also reports about using statistics, genetic algorithms, neural networks and even morphing techniques for re-engineering compressor maps. This type of methods does not consider the laws of physics and consequently the generated maps are valid at best in the region in which they have been calibrated. This region is frequently very narrow, especially in case of gas generator compressors which run in steady state always on a single operating line. This paper describes which physical phenomena influence the shape of speed and efficiency lines in compressor maps. For machines operating at comparatively low speeds (so that the flow into each stage is subsonic), there is usually considerable range between choke and stall corrected flow. As the speed of the machine is increased the range narrows. For high-speed stages with supersonic relative flow into the rotor the efficiency maximum is where the speed line turns over from vertical to lower than maximum corrected flow. At this operating condition the shock is about to detach from the leading edge of the blades. The flow at a certain speed can also be limited by choking in the compressor exit guide vanes. For high pressure ratio single stage centrifugal compressors this is a normal case, but it can also happen with low pressure ratio multistage boosters of turbofan engines, for example. If the compressor chokes at the exit, then the specific work remains constant along the speed line while the overall pressure ratio varies and that generates a very specific shape of the efficiency contour lines in the map. Also in other parts of the map, the efficiency varies along speed lines in a systematic manner. Peculiar shapes of specific work and corrected torque lines can reveal physically impossibilities that are difficult to see in the standard compressor map pictures. Compressor maps generated without considering the inherent physical phenomena can easily result in misleading performance calculations if used at operating conditions outside of the region where they have been calibrated. Whatever map adaptation method is used: the maps created in such a way should be checked thoroughly for violations of the underlying laws of compressor physics.


Author(s):  
Maryam Khelghatibana ◽  
Jean-Yves Trépanier ◽  
Christophe Tribes ◽  
Jason Nichols

A multi-objective and multi-point optimization methodology is developed for aerodynamic design of transonic fan blades. The optimization method aims to increase design efficiency, near stall efficiency and stall margin while maintaining the required design pressure ratio and high speed choke margin. Numerical analyses are performed by solving three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations combined with shear stress turbulence model. A multi-level blade parameterization is employed to modify the blade geometry. The proposed method is applied to redesign NASA rotor 67. First, an optimization case with considering two operating conditions at peak efficiency and near stall is performed to demonstrate the relation between near stall efficiency and stall margin. An investigation on Pareto optimal solutions of this optimization shows that the stall margin is increased with improving near stall efficiency. Then, in order to maintain the required choke margin, an operating point at high speed choked flow is added to the optimization process. A final optimized design is selected by considering the interaction of design requirements at all three operating points. The new design presents higher efficiency and stall margin without any reduction in the chocking mass flow rate.


Author(s):  
Jingjing Chen ◽  
Yadong Wu ◽  
Zhonglin Wang ◽  
Anjenq Wang

The design of air induction system is targeting to balance the internal and external flow characteristics as well as the structure and aerodynamic integrity. An optimized air intake design that providing velocity and pressure distributions with least drag and maximum pressure recovery could end up at the expense of higher inlet flow distortion and lower stability margin. Indeed, design requirements and considerations at different operating conditions, such as takeoff, and high AOA maneuvers, could be significantly different from that of cruise and level flight. One of the most challenged operating conditions to be certified for FAR33 & FAR25 requirements is ground crosswind condition, when “Engine” is operating statically on the ground with high crosswind presented. It could accommodate inlet separation or distortion resulted from crosswind, and triggers fan or core stall, as well as induces high fan and/or engine vibrations. Studies of engine inlet compatibility become one of the major tasks required during the engine developing phase. This research is a parametric study of using CFD to evaluate operational characteristics of the air induction system. Comparisons of various inlet designs are made and characterized into four categories, i.e., i) Inlet pressure loss, ii) Nacelle drag, iii) Inlet flow distortion, and iv) Inlet Mach distribution. The objective is to assess the impact of air induction design of turbofan upon inlet compatibility. The research introduces the Kriging model and weighting coefficients to optimize internal total pressure loss and external drag using the isolated nacelle model. Bezier equation was used to fit the optimized curves obtained by changing several control points of the baseline configuration of nacelle. To study the impact of asymmetric lip on flow separation in ground crosswind condition, the paper built crosswind model which introduce a inlet boundary as fan face. Comparisons are then made between the original and optimal nacelle, to show correlation between inlet compatibility and air intake profile.


2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lanxin Sun ◽  
Qun Zheng ◽  
Yijin Li ◽  
Rakesh Bhargava

The effects of wet compression on the flow field within a compressor stage, particularly in the presence of the separated flow region, are not fully understood. Numerical simulations of 3D compressible separated flows within a wet compression compressor stage are carried out using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program. Numerical computations of flow fields in a compressor cascade with wet compression assume that a separated region exist in the corner of the rotor blade suction surface and hub surface in the case of dry compression. Under different operating conditions and with wet compression, this study presents the changes in the extent of separated region on the flow channel surfaces, compression efficiency, pressure ratio and specific compression work, etc. Also, effects of factors such as droplet size, droplet temperature, and injected water flow rate on the compressor stage performance and flow field within compressor stage passage have been investigated. The results show that wet compression could weaken and eliminate the flow separation and then the efficiency and pressure ratio maintain a high level.


2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Wadia ◽  
P. N. Szucs

This paper reports on the numerical assessment of the differences in aerodynamic performance between part span shrouded and unshrouded fan blades generally found in the first stage of multistage fans in low bypass ratio aircraft engines. Rotor flow fields for both blade designs were investigated at two operating conditions using a three-dimensional viscous flow analysis. Although designed to the same radius ratio, aspect ratio, and solidity, the unshrouded fan rotor had a slightly increased tip speed (+3%) and somewhat lower pressure ratio (−3.2%) due to engine cycle requirements. Even when allowing for these small differences, the analysis reveals interesting differences in the level and in the radial distribution of efficiency between these two rotors. The reason for the improved performance of the shrouded rotor in part can be attributed to the shroud blocking off the radial migration of boundary layer fluid centrifuged from the hub on the suction side. As a result, the shock boundary layer interaction seems to be improved on the shrouded blade. At the cruise condition, the efficiency is the same for both rotors. The slightly better efficiency of the shrouded blade in the outer panel is nullified by the large efficiency penalty in the vicinity of the shroud. As there is no significant radial migration of fluid in the suction side boundary layer, as indicated by the analysis at this condition relative to the design speed case, the benefit due to the shroud is greatly reduced. At this speed and at lower speeds, the shroud becomes a net additional loss for the blade. Also of interest from the numerical results is the indication that significant blade ruggedization penalties to performance can be reduced in the case of the unshrouded blade through custom tailoring of its mean camber line.


Author(s):  
James W. Post ◽  
Sumanta Acharya

Measurements of endwall and vane cooling effectiveness are reported in a pressurized hot cascade consisting of a natural-gas-fired combustor and film-cooled guide-vanes and endwall. The experiments are performed for operating conditions that are more realistic than typical low-speed cascade studies. Measurements are reported for a maximum pressure ratio (Po,∞/Ps) of 2, combustor exit temperature of 750 °F (399 °C), blowing ratios in the range of 1–2, and coolant to freestream density ratio (DR) of around 2. Results reported include pressure ratios, surface temperature ratios and cooling effectiveness along the endwall and airfoil surfaces. Cooling effectiveness (non-dimensional surface temperature) values in the range of 0.2–0.3 are generally observed along the endwall with poorer coverage in the vicinity of the suction surface.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyeong-Su Kim ◽  
In Lee

Air foil bearings are very attractive bearing systems for turbomachinery because they have several advantages over conventional bearings in terms of oil-free environment, low power loss, long life, and no maintenance. However, most of the developed machines using air foil bearings are limited to small and high-speed rotors of 60,000–120,000 rpm, since the increase in power of turbomachinery requires lower rotor speed and greater loading in bearings, which makes it difficult to use air foil bearings for large machines. In this paper, a 75 kW turboblower using air foil bearings is introduced, and the vibration characteristics of the machine have been investigated experimentally under a wide range of operating conditions, including compressor surge in the performance test. The machine is designed to be fully air lubricated and air cooled, and its operating speed is 20,000–26,000 rpm with maximum pressure ratio of 1.8. The results show that the air foil bearings offer adequate damping to ensure dynamically stable operation in the whole range.


Author(s):  
Mohamed A. Gadalla

The retrofitting projects have been considered in many countries to convert simple gas turbine units into more advanced cycle units with higher efficiency and higher output. Among many proven technologies, such as inlet air cooling, intercooling, regeneration, reheat and steam injection gas turbine etc., pulse combustion is one of the promising technologies in boosting both the output capacity and thermal efficiency, and reducing carbon and nitrogen oxides emissions without additional pollution control equipment. This paper presents the analysis of potential and real benefits of pulse combistion technology applied in the combustion process of a simple gas turbine cycle under different operating conditions. In addition, this study investigates the utilization of converting part of chemical energy of fuel into pressure energy in the gas turbine pulse combustion chamber. The influence of the maximum pressure rise due to pulse combustion (pre-compression parameter), the ratio of combustion heat released in the isochoric process, maximum cycle temperature, and compressor pressure ratio on the performance paramenters such as net work output, cycle thermal efficiency, and fuel consumption were also investigated. Finally, the results of comparative analyses between a simple gas turbine cycle utilizing a pulse combustor and a conventional cycle show the thermodynamic advantages of applying this technology in simple gas turbine power cycles.


2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Hehn ◽  
Moritz Mosdzien ◽  
Daniel Grates ◽  
Peter Jeschke

A transonic centrifugal compressor was aerodynamically optimized by means of a numerical optimization process. The objectives were to increase the isentropic efficiency and to reduce the acoustic signature by decreasing the amplitude of pre-shock pressure waves at the inlet of the compressor. The optimization was performed at three operating points on the 100% speed line in order to maintain choke mass flow and surge margin. At the design point, the specific work input was kept equal. The baseline impeller was designed by using ruled surfaces due to requirements for flank milling. To investigate the benefits of arbitrary blade surfaces, the restrictions of ruled surfaces were abolished and fully three-dimensional (3D) blade profiles allowed. In total, therefore, 45 parameters were varied during the optimization. The combined geometric and aerodynamic analysis reveals that a forward swept leading edge (LE) and a concave suction side at the tip of the LE are effective design features for reducing the shock strength. Beyond that, the blade shape of the optimized compressor creates a favorable impeller outlet flow, which is the main reason why the performance of the vaneless diffuser improves. In total, a gain of 1.4% points in isentropic total-to-static efficiency, evaluated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) at the exit plane of the vaneless diffuser, is achieved.


Author(s):  
Lanxin Sun ◽  
Yijin Li ◽  
Qun Zheng ◽  
Rakesh Bhargava

Effects of wet compression on the flow field within a compressor stage, particularly in presence of the separated flow region are not fully understood. Numerical simulations of 3D compressible separated flows within a wet compression compressor stage are carried out using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) program. Numerical computations of flow fields in a compressor cascade with wet compression assume that a separated region exist in the corner of the rotor blade suction surface and hub surface in the case of dry compression. Under different operating conditions and with wet compression, this study presents the changes in the extent of separated region on the flow channel surfaces, compression efficiency, pressure ratio and specific compression work etc. Also, effects of factors such as droplet size, droplet temperature, and injected water flow rate on the compressor stage performance and flow field within compressor stage passage have been investigated.


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