Aeroelastic Instability in Transonic Fans

Author(s):  
Mehdi Vahdati ◽  
Nick Cumpsty

This paper describes stall flutter, which can occur at part speed operating conditions near the stall boundary. Although it is called stall flutter, this phenomenon does not require the stalling of the fan blade in the sense that it can occur when the slope of the pressure rise characteristic is still negative. This type of flutter occurs with low nodal diameter forward traveling waves and it occurs for the first flap (1F) mode of blade vibration. For this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been applied to a real fan of contemporary design; the code has been found to be reliable in predicting mean flow and aeroelastic behavior. When the mass flow is reduced, the flow becomes unstable, resulting in flutter or in stall (the stall perhaps leading to surge). When the relative tip speed into the fan rotor is close to sonic, it is found (by measurement and by computation) that the instability for the fan blade considered in this work results in flutter. The CFD has been used like an experimental technique, varying parameters to understand what controls the instability behavior. It is found that the flutter for this fan requires a separated region on the suction surface. It is also found that the acoustic pressure field associated with the blade vibration must be cut-on upstream of the rotor and cut-off downstream of the rotor if flutter instability is to occur. The difference in cut off conditions upstream and downstream is largely produced by the mean swirl velocity introduced by the fan rotor in imparting work and pressure rise to the air. The conditions for instability therefore require a three-dimensional geometric description and blades with finite mean loading. The third parameter that governs the flutter stability of the blade is the ratio of the twisting motion to the plunging motion of the 1F mode shape, which determines the ratio of leading edge (LE) displacement to the trailing edge (TE) displacement. It will be shown that as this ratio increases the onset of flutter moves to a lower mass flow.

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Coull ◽  
Nick R. Atkins ◽  
Howard P. Hodson

This paper investigates the design of winglet tips for unshrouded high pressure turbine rotors considering aerodynamic and thermal performance simultaneously. A novel parameterization method has been developed to alter the tip geometry of a rotor blade. A design survey of uncooled, flat-tipped winglets is performed using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) calculations for a single rotor at engine representative operating conditions. Compared to a plain tip, large efficiency gains can be realized by employing an overhang around the full perimeter of the blade, but the overall heat load rises significantly. By employing an overhang on only the early suction surface, significant efficiency improvements can be obtained without increasing the overall heat transfer to the blade. The flow physics are explored in detail to explain the results. For a plain tip, the leakage and passage vortices interact to create a three-dimensional impingement onto the blade suction surface, causing high heat transfer. The addition of an overhang on the early suction surface displaces the tip leakage vortex away from the blade, weakening the impingement effect and reducing the heat transfer on the blade. The winglets reduce the aerodynamic losses by unloading the tip section, reducing the leakage flow rate, turning the leakage flow in a more streamwise direction, and reducing the interaction between the leakage fluid and end wall flows. Generally, these effects are most effective close to the leading edge of the tip where the leakage flow is subsonic.


1981 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Raj ◽  
W. B. Swim

The flow from a small forward curved fan rotor was studied to provide guidance for fan design. The single width fan had a 0.23 m rotor containing 48 blades. It is typical of the centrifugal fans used in small air-conditioning units. Visualization techniques and hot wire measurements showed the rotor flow to be highly turbulent and strongly three-dimensional. The inlet flow was found to fill only 3/4 of the blade span. The shroud end of the rotor was an inactive or separated region. A jet-wake pattern occurred at the blade exit in the active flow region. The inlet flow separated at the leading edge of the blade suction surface. Design changes are offered to improve the performance of FC fans.


Author(s):  
John D. Coull ◽  
Nick R. Atkins ◽  
Howard P. Hodson

This paper investigates the design of winglet tips for unshrouded high pressure turbine rotors, considering aerodynamic and thermal performance simultaneously. A novel parameterization method has been developed to alter the tip geometry of a rotor blade. A design survey of un-cooled, flat-tipped winglets is performed using RANS calculations for a single rotor at engine representative operating conditions. Compared to a plain tip, large efficiency gains can be realized by employing an overhang around the full perimeter of the blade, but the overall heat load rises significantly. By employing an overhang on only the early suction surface, significant efficiency improvements can be obtained without increasing the overall heat transfer to the blade. The flow physics are explored in detail to explain the results. For a plain tip, the leakage and passage vortices interact to create a three-dimensional impingement onto the blade suction surface, causing high heat transfer. The addition of an overhang on the early suction surface displaces the tip leakage vortex away from the blade, weakening the impingement effect and reducing the heat transfer on the blade. The winglets reduce the aerodynamic losses by unloading the tip section, reducing the leakage flow rate, turning the leakage flow in a more streamwise direction and reducing the interaction between the leakage fluid and endwall flows. Generally these effects are most effective close to the leading edge of the tip, where the leakage flow is subsonic.


2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Sergey A. Gaponov ◽  
Yuri G. Yermolaev ◽  
Aleksandr D. Kosinov ◽  
Nikolay V. Semionov ◽  
Boris V. Smorodsky

Theoretical and an experimental research results of the disturbances development in a swept wing boundary layer are presented at Mach number М = 2. In experiments development of natural and small amplitude controllable disturbances downstream was studied. Experiments were carried out on a swept wing model with a lenticular profile at a zero attack angle. The swept angle of a leading edge was 40°. Wave parameters of moving disturbances were determined. In frames of the linear theory and an approach of the local self-similar mean flow the stability of a compressible three-dimensional boundary layer is studied. Good agreement of the theory with experimental results for transversal scales of unstable vertices of the secondary flow was obtained. However the calculated amplification rates differ from measured values considerably. This disagreement is explained by the nonlinear processes observed in experiment


Author(s):  
Wei Li ◽  
Hua Ouyang ◽  
Zhao-hui Du

To give insight into the clocking effect and its influence on the wake transportation and its interaction, the unsteady three-dimensional flow through a 1.5-stage axial low pressure turbine is simulated numerically using a density-correction based, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations commercial CFD code. The 2nd stator clocking is applied over ten equal tangential positions. The results show that the harmonic blade number ratio is an important factor affecting the clocking effect. The clocking effect has a very small influence on the turbine efficiency in this investigation. The efficiency difference between the maximum and minimum configuration is nearly 0.1%. The maximum efficiency can be achieved when the 1st stator wake enters the 2nd stator passage near blade suction surface and its adjacent wake passes through the 2nd stator passage close to blade pressure surface. The minimum efficiency appears if the 1st stator wake impinges upon the leading edge of the 2nd stator and its adjacent wake of the 1st stator passed through the mid-channel in the 2nd stator.


Author(s):  
Mohammad R. Saadatmand

The aerodynamic design process leading to the production configuration of a 14 stage, 16:1 pressure ratio compressor for the Taurus 70 gas turbine is described. The performance of the compressor is measured and compared to the design intent. Overall compressor performance at the design condition was found to be close to design intent. Flow profiles measured by vane mounted instrumentation are presented and discussed. The flow through the first rotor blade has been modeled at different operating conditions using the Dawes (1987) three-dimensional viscous code and the results are compared to the experimental data. The CFD prediction agreed well with the experimental data across the blade span, including the pile up of the boundary layer on the corner of the hub and the suction surface. The rotor blade was also analyzed with different grid refinement and the results were compared with the test data.


Author(s):  
J. Paulon ◽  
C. Fradin ◽  
J. Poulain

Industrial pumps are generally used in a wide range of operating conditions from almost zero mass flow to mass flows larger than the design value. It has been often noted that the head-mass flow characteristic, at constant speed, presents a negative bump as the mass flow is somewhat smaller than the design mass flows. Flow and mechanical instabilities appear, which are unsafe for the facility. An experimental study has been undertaken in order to analyze and if possible to palliate these difficulties. A detailed flow analyzis has shown strong three dimensional effects and flow separations. From this better knowledge of the flow field, a particular device was designed and a strong attenuation of the negative bump was obtained.


1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lakshminarayana ◽  
P. Popovski

A comprehensive study of the three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer on a compressor rotor blade at peak pressure rise coefficient is reported in this paper. The measurements were carried out at various chordwise and radial locations on a compressor rotor blade using a rotating miniature “V” configuration hot-wire probe. The data are compared with the measurement at the design condition. Substantial changes in the blade boundary layer characteristics are observed, especially in the outer sixteen percent of the blade span. The increased chordwise pressure gradient and the leakage flow at the peak pressure coefficient have a cumulative effect in increasing the boundary layer growth on the suction surface. The leakage flow has a beneficial effect on the pressure surface. The momentum and boundary layer thicknesses increase substantially from those at the design condition, especially near the outer radii of the suction surface.


Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Yu ◽  
Jianjun Liu ◽  
Chen Li ◽  
Baitao An

Abstract Numerical investigations have been performed to study the effect of incidence angle on the aerodynamic and film cooling performance for the suction surface squealer tip with different film-hole arrangements at τ = 1.5% and BR = 1.0. Meanwhile, the full squealer tip as baseline is also investigated. Three incidence angles at design condition (0 deg) and off-design conditions (± 7 deg) are investigated. The suction surface, pressure surface, and the camber line have seven holes each, with an extra hole right at the leading edge. The Mach number at the cascade inlet and outlet are 0.24 and 0.52, respectively. The results show that the incidence angle has a significant effect on the tip leakage flow characteristics and coolant flow direction. The film cooling effectiveness distribution is altered, especially for the film holes near the leading edge. When the incidence angle changes from +7 deg to 0 and −7 deg, the ‘re-attachment line’ moves downstream and the total tip leakage mass flow ratio decreases, but the suction surface tip leakage mass flow ratio near leading edge increases. In general, the total tip leakage mass flow ratio for suction surface squealer tip is 1% greater than that for full squealer tip at the same incidence angle. The total pressure loss coefficient of suction surface squealer tip is larger than that for full squealer tip. The full squealer tip with film holes near suction surface and the suction surface squealer tip with film hole along camber line show high film cooling performance, and the area averaged film cooling effectiveness at positive incidence angle +7 deg is higher than that at 0 and −7 deg. The coolant discharged from film holes near pressure surface only cools narrow region near pressure surface.


Author(s):  
Hongwei Ma ◽  
Jun Zhang

The purpose of this paper is to investigate numerically the effects of the tip geometry on the performance of an axial compressor rotor. There are three case studies which are compared with the base line tip geometry. 1) baseline (flat tip); 2) Cavity (tip with a cavity); 3) SSQA (suction side squealer tip) and 4) SSQB (modified suction side squealer tip). The case of SSQB is a combination of suction side squealer tip and the cavity tip. From leading edge to 10% chord, the tip has a cavity. From 10% chord to trailing edge, the tip has a suction side squealer. The numerical results of 2) show that the cavity tip leads to lower leakage mass flow and greater loss in tip gap and the rotor passage. The loading near the blade tip is lower than the baseline, thus the tangential force of the blade is lower. It leads to lower pressure rise than the baseline. The performance of the compressor for the tip with cavity is worse than the baseline. The results of 3) show that the higher curvature of the suction side squealer increases the loading of the blade and the tangential blade force. With the suction side squealer tip, the leakage flow experiences two vena contractor thus the mass of the leakage flow is reduced which is benefit for the performance of the compressor. The loss in the tip gap is lower than baseline. The performance is better than the baseline with greater pressure rise of the rotor, smaller leakage mass flow and lower averaged loss. For the case the SSQB, the leakage mass flow is lower than the SSQA and the loss in the tip gap and the rotor passage is greater than SSQA. The performance of the case of the SSQB is worse than the case of SSQA.


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