Meanline Calculation of Surge Margin Loss due to Inlet Flow Distortion

In the present work, a methodology for the preliminary analysis of axial compressors operating under clean and distorted inflow conditions is discussed. A 1D mean-line solver has been developed, and the validation has been carried out under clean conditions considering the datasets of the subsonic Rolls-Royce HP9, as well as the transonic NASA Rotor 37 and NASA Rotor 67. Numerical results have been reported together with experimental data in terms of performance maps and spanwise distributions. The ARP1420 procedure and the parallel compressor theory have been implemented for the impact assessment of inlet flow distortion on the compressor surge line. A full-annulus CFD simulation of the NASA Rotor 37 has been carried out, in order to generate high-fidelity benchmark results. A 180° circumferential distortion has been considered as inlet boundary condition, and the surge line has been calculated using the two numerical models.

Heat Transfer Analysis Over a Film Cooled Platform of a Vane Cascade With a Non-Uniform Inlet Flow

This paper reports on heat transfer measurements performed on the film cooled platform of a linear nozzle vane cascade, subject to non-uniform inlet flow conditions. An obstruction, installed upstream of the cascade at different tangential positions, was responsible for inlet flow distortion. The platform cooling system included both purge flow from a slot located upstream of the leading edge and coolant ejection from a row of cylindrical holes located upstream of the slot. Testing was performed at inlet Mach number of Ma1 = 0.12 with both slot and combustor holes blowing at nominal conditions. Measured values of adiabatic film cooling effectiveness on the platform were used to obtain a detailed map of the convective heat transfer coefficient. The final goal was to compute the net heat flux reduction (NHFR), due to film cooling, when varying the relative position between obstruction and airfoil. Aligning the inflow non uniformity with the vane leading edge leads to a detrimental increase in the heat flux into the platform, within the vane passage. Conversely, positive NHFR values are observed over most of the platform surface if the inlet flow distortion is moved toward the suction side of the adjacent vane.