Stall Inception in a High-Speed Centrifugal Compressor During Speed Transients

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangyuan Lou ◽  
John C. Fabian ◽  
Nicole L. Key
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Transient Performance ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Pressure Transducers

The inception and evolution of rotating stall in a high-speed centrifugal compressor are characterized during speed transients. Experiments were performed in the single stage centrifugal compressor (SSCC) facility at Purdue University and include speed transients from subidle to full speed at different throttle settings while collecting transient performance data. Results show a substantial difference in the compressor transient performance for accelerations versus decelerations. This difference is associated with the heat transfer between the flow and the hardware. The heat transfer from the hardware to the flow during the decelerations locates the compressor operating condition closer to the surge line and results in a significant reduction in surge margin during decelerations. Additionally, data were acquired from fast-response pressure transducers along the impeller shroud, in the vaneless space, and along the diffuser passages. Two different patterns of flow instabilities, including mild surge and short-length-scale rotating stall, are observed during the decelerations. The instability starts with a small pressure perturbation at the impeller leading edge (LE) and quickly develops into a single-lobe rotating stall burst. The stall cell propagates in the direction opposite of impeller rotation at approximately one-third of the rotor speed. The rotating stall bursts are observed in both the impeller and diffuser, with the largest magnitudes near the diffuser throat. Furthermore, the flow instability develops into a continuous high frequency stall and remains in the fully developed stall condition.

Stall Inception in a High Speed Centrifugal Compressor During Speed Transients

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangyuan Lou ◽  
John C. Fabian ◽  
Nicole L. Key
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Transient Performance ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Pressure Transducers

The inception and evolution of rotating stall in a high-speed centrifugal compressor are characterized during speed transients. Experiments were performed in the Single Stage Centrifugal Compressor (SSCC) facility at Purdue University and include speed transients from sub-idle to full speed at different throttle settings while collecting transient performance data. Results show a substantial difference in the compressor transient performance for accelerations versus decelerations. This difference is associated with the heat transfer between the flow and the hardware. The heat transfer from the hardware to the flow during the decelerations locates the compressor operating condition closer to the surge line and results in a significant reduction in surge margin during decelerations. Additionally, data were acquired from fast-response pressure transducers along the impeller shroud, in the vaneless space, and along the diffuser passages. Two different patterns of flow instabilities, including mild surge and short-length-scale rotating stall, are observed during the decelerations. The instability starts with a small pressure perturbation at the impeller leading edge and quickly develops into a single-lobe rotating stall burst. The stall cell propagates in the direction opposite of impeller rotation at approximately one third of the rotor speed. The rotating stall bursts are observed in both the impeller and diffuser, with the largest magnitudes near the diffuser throat. Furthermore, the flow instability develops into a continuous high frequency stall and remains in the fully developed stall condition.

Stall Inception and Development in an Axial Flow Aeroengine

1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Wilson ◽  
C. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Engine Speed ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Flow Disturbance ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Small Flow

This paper describes the phenomenon of stall and surge in an axial flow aeroengine using fast response static pressure measurements from the compressor of a Rolls-Royce VIPER engine. It details the growth of flow instability at various speeds, from a small zone of stalled fluid involving only a few blades into the violent surge motion of the entire machine. Various observations from earlier theoretical and compressor rig results are confirmed by these new engine measurements. The main findings are as follows: (1) The point of stall inception moves rearward as engine speed increases, and is shown to be simply related to the axial matching of the compressor. (2) The final unstable operation of the machine can be divided into rotating stall at low speed and surge or multiple surge at high speed. (3) The inception process is independent of whether the final unstable operation is rotating stall or multiple surge. (4) Stall/surge always starts as a circumferentially small flow disturbance, rotating around the annulus at some fraction of rotor speed.

Stall Inception in a High-Speed Centrifugal Compressor

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeong-Seek Kang ◽  
Shin-Hyoung Kang
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Good Method ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Stall Warning ◽  
Response Pressure ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Warning Time

Stall inception in a high-speed centrifugal compressor has been examined. The main objective was to find stall precursor and to develop a reliable stall warning method. Eight equally spaced fast-response pressure transducers in the inducer detected the spatial structure of small amplitude perturbations, via spatial Fourier transform, as stall is approached. Near the stall inception point, the phase of spatial Fourier coefficients increased linearly with the speed of impeller rotation for several impeller revolutions at all test speeds, and the spectrum at impeller frequency increased as stall is approached. This is the clear evidence that the impeller frequency participates in the stalling process. For stall warning, a method which uses the spectrum at impeller frequency is suggested. The use of spectrum at impeller frequency as a stall warning method showed a warning time of about two hundreds impeller revolutions. This method uses only one sensor that it has made the stall warning method more useful. And the well-known traveling wave energy method proved to be a good method for stall warning also in a high-speed centrifugal compressor. The warning time was about one hundred impeller revolutions at lower speeds, and about one thousand impeller revolutions at higher speeds. The stall warning methods used here were found to be robust and reliable. Therefore, it seems to be promising to set up a reliable stall avoidance control based on this analysis.

scholarly journals Stall Inception and Development in an Axial Flow Aeroengine

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander G. Wilson ◽  
Chris Freeman
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Engine Speed ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Flow Disturbance ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Small Flow

This paper describes the phenomenon of stall and surge in an axial flow aeroengine using fast response static pressure measurements from the compressor of a Rolls-Royce VIPER engine. It details the growth of flow instability at various speeds, from a small zone of stalled fluid involving only a few blades into the violent surge motion of the entire machine. Various observations from earlier theoretical and compressor rig results are confirmed by these new engine measurements. The main findings are as follows: 1. The point of stall inception moves rearwards as engine speed increases, and is shown to be simply related to the axial matching of the compressor. 2. The final unstable operation of the machine can be divided into rotating stall at low speed and surge or multiple surge at high speed. 3. The inception process is independent of whether the final unstable operation is rotating stall or multiple surge. 4. Stall/surge always starts as a circumferentially small flow disturbance, rotating around the annulus at some fraction of rotor speed.

Fan Stability With Leading Edge Damage: Blind Prediction and Validation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Gunn ◽  
T. Brandvik ◽  
M. J. Wilson ◽  
R. Maxwell
Keyword(s):  
Supersonic Flow ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Blind Prediction ◽  
Edge Damage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Operating Points ◽  
Relative Flow

Abstract This paper considers the impact of a damaged leading edge on the stall margin and stall inception mechanisms of a transonic, low pressure ratio fan. The damage takes the form of a squared-off leading edge over the upper half of the blade. Full-annulus, unsteady CFD simulations are used to explain the stall inception mechanisms for the fan at low- and high-speed operating points. A combination of steady and unsteady simulations show that the fan is predicted to be sensitive to leading edge damage at low speed, but insensitive at high speed. This blind prediction aligns well with rig test data. The difference in response is shown to be caused by the change between subsonic and supersonic flow regimes at the leading edge. Where the inlet relative flow is subsonic, rotating stall is initiated by growth and propagation of a subsonic leading edge flow separation. This separation is shown to be triggered at higher mass flow rates when the leading edge is damaged, reducing the stable flow range. Where the inlet relative flow is supersonic, the flow undergoes a supersonic expansion around the leading edge, creating a supersonic flow patch terminated by a shock on the suction surface. Rotating stall is triggered by growth of this separation, which is insensitive to leading edge shape. This creates a marked difference in sensitivity to damage at low- and high-speed operating points.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Surge in a High-Speed Centrifugal Compressor Using Digital PIV

2000 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 418-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Wernet ◽  
Michelle M. Bright ◽  
Gary J. Skoch
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Transient Flow ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Transient Pressure ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Stable Operating ◽  
Particle Imaging

Compressor stall is a catastrophic breakdown of the flow in a compressor, which can lead to a loss of engine power, large pressure transients in the inlet/nacelle, and engine flameout. The implementation of active or passive strategies for controlling rotating stall and surge can significantly extend the stable operating range of a compressor without substantially sacrificing performance. It is crucial to identify the dynamic changes occurring in the flow field prior to rotating stall and surge in order to control these events successfully. Generally, pressure transducer measurements are made to capture the transient response of a compressor prior to rotating stall. In this investigation, Digital Particle Imaging Velocimetry (DPIV) is used in conjunction with dynamic pressure transducers to capture transient velocity and pressure measurements simultaneously in the nonstationary flow field during compressor surge. DPIV is an instantaneous, planar measurement technique that is ideally suited for studying transient flow phenomena in high-speed turbomachinery and has been used previously to map the stable operating point flow field in the diffuser of a high-speed centrifugal compressor. Through the acquisition of both DPIV images and transient pressure data, the time evolution of the unsteady flow during surge is revealed.

Delay of Rotating Stall in Compressors Using Plasma Actuators

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzad Ashrafi ◽  
Mathias Michaud ◽  
Huu Duc Vo
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Plasma Actuator ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Compressor Stage ◽  
Dbd Plasma ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Flow Acceleration

Rotating stall is a well-known aerodynamic instability in compressors that limits the operating envelope of aircraft gas turbine engines. An innovative method for delaying the most common form of rotating stall inception using an annular dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator had been proposed. A DBD plasma actuator is a simple solid-state device that converts electricity directly into flow acceleration through partial air ionization. However, the proposed concept had only been preliminarily evaluated with numerical simulations on an isolated axial rotor using a relatively basic CFD code. This paper provides both an experimental and a numerical assessment of this concept for an axial compressor stage as well as a centrifugal compressor stage, with both stages being part of a low-speed two-stage axial-centrifugal compressor test rig. The two configurations studied are the two-stage configuration with a 100 mN/m annular casing plasma actuator placed just upstream of the axial rotor leading edge (LE) and the single-stage centrifugal compressor with the same actuator placed upstream of the impeller LE. The tested configurations were simulated with a commercial RANS CFD code (ansys cfx) in which was implemented the latest engineering DBD plasma model and dynamic throttle boundary condition, using single-passage multiple blade row computational domains. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations indicate that in both types of compressors, the actuator delays the stall inception by pushing the incoming/tip clearance flow interface downstream into the blade passage. In each case, the predicted reduction in stalling mass flow matches the experimental value reasonably well.

An Investigation of Stall Inception in Centrifugal Compressor Vaned Diffuser1

2012 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan N. Everitt ◽  
Zoltán S. Spakovszky
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Short Wavelength ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Blade Tip

In compression systems, the stable operating range is limited by rotating stall and/or surge. Two distinct types of stall precursors can be observed prior to full scale instability: the development of long-wavelength modal waves or a short-wavelength, three-dimensional flow breakdown (so-called “spike” stall inception). The cause of the latter is not well understood; in axial machines it has been suggested that rotor blade-tip leakage flow plays an important role, but spikes have recently been observed in shrouded vaned diffusers of centrifugal compressors where these leakage flows are not present, suggesting an alternative mechanism may be at play. This paper investigates the onset of instability in a shrouded vaned diffuser from a highly loaded turbocharger centrifugal compressor and discusses the mechanisms thought to be responsible for the development of short-wavelength stall precursors. The approach combines unsteady 3D RANS simulations of an isolated vaned diffuser with previously obtained experimental results. The unsteady flow field simulation begins at the impeller exit radius, where flow is specified by a spanwise profile of flow angle and stagnation properties, derived from single-passage stage calculations but with flow pitchwise mixed. Through comparison with performance data from previous experiments and unsteady full-wheel simulations, it is shown that the diffuser is accurately matched to the impeller and the relevant flow features are well captured. Numerical forced response experiments are carried out to determine the diffuser dynamic behavior and point of instability onset. The unsteady simulations demonstrate the growth of short-wavelength precursors; the flow coefficient at which these occur, the rotation rate and circumferential extent agree with experimental measurements. Although the computational setup and domain limitations do not allow simulation of the fully developed spike nor full-scale instability, the model is sufficient to capture the onset of instability and allows the postulation of the following necessary conditions: (i) flow separation at the diffuser vane leading edge near the shroud endwall; (ii) radially reversed flow allowing vorticity shed from the leading edge to convect back into the vaneless space; and (iii) recirculation and accumulation of low stagnation pressure fluid in the vaneless space, increasing diffuser inlet blockage and leading to instability. Similarity exists with axial machines, where blade-tip leakage sets up endwall flow in the circumferential direction leading to flow breakdown and the inception of rotating stall. Rather than the tip leakage flows, the cause for circumferential endwall flow in the vaned diffuser is the combination of high swirl and the highly nonuniform spanwise flow profile at the impeller exit.

Stall Inception Measurements in a High-Speed Multi-Stage Compressor

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Escuret ◽  
V. Garnier
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Finite Amplitude ◽  
Short Length ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Flow Phenomena ◽  
Response Pressure

This paper presents unsteady measurements taken in a high-speed four-stage aero-engine compressor prior to the onset of aerodynamic flow instabilities. In this experiment, forty fast-response pressure transducers have been located at various axial and circumferential positions throughout the machine in order to give a very detailed picture of stall inception. At all the compressor speeds investigated, the stall pattern observed is initiated by a very short length-scale finite-amplitude disturbance which propagates at a fast rate around the annulus. This initial stall cell leads to a large-amplitude system instability in less than five rotor revolutions. Varying the IGV setting angle is found to have a strong influence on the axial location of the first disturbance detected. In particular, transferring the aerodynamic loading from front to downstream stages moves the first disturbance detected from the first to the last stage of the compressor. Other repeatable features of the stall inception pattern in this compressor have been identified using a simple analysis technique particularly appropriate to the study of short length-scale disturbances. It is found that the origins of instabilities are tied to particular tangential positions in both the stationary and rotating frames of reference. These measurements lead to the conclusion that the stall inception process in high-speed multi-stage compressors can be characterised by some very local and organised flow phenomena. Moreover, there is no evidence of pre-stall waves in this compressor.

Spike and Modal Stall Inception in an Advanced Turbocharger Centrifugal Compressor

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. S. Spakovszky ◽  
C. H. Roduner
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Compression System ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Highly Loaded

In turbocharger applications, bleed air near the impeller exit is often used for secondary flow systems to seal bearing compartments and to balance the thrust load on the bearings. There is experimental evidence that the performance and operability of highly-loaded centrifugal compressor designs can be sensitive to the amount of bleed air. To investigate the underlying mechanisms and to assess the impact of bleed air on the compressor dynamic behavior, a research program was carried out on a preproduction, 5.0 pressure ratio, high-speed centrifugal compressor stage of advanced design. The investigations showed that bleed air can significantly reduce the stable flow range. Compressor rig experiments, using an array of unsteady pressure sensors and a bleed valve to simulate a typical turbocharger environment, suggest that the path into compression system instability is altered by the bleed flow. Without the bleed flow, the prestall behavior is dominated by short-wavelength disturbances, or so called “spikes,” in the vaneless space between the impeller and the vaned diffuser. Introducing bleed flow at the impeller exit reduces endwall blockage in the vaneless space and destabilizes the highly-loaded vaned diffuser. The impact is a 50% reduction in stable operating range. The altered diffuser characteristic reduces the compression system damping responsible for long-wavelength modal prestall behavior. A four-lobed backward traveling rotating stall wave is experimentally measured in agreement with calculations obtained from a previously developed dynamic compressor model. In addition, a self-contained endwall blockage control strategy was employed, successfully recovering 75% of the loss in surge-margin due to the bleed flow and yielding a one point increase in adiabatic compressor efficiency.

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