Modeling for the Development and Evaluation of Strategies for Controlling Flow Instabilities in Transonic Compressors

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Chi
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Air Injection ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Operating Range ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Hot Air ◽  
Injection Model

A gas turbine engine consists of three primary components: a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine. The operating range, performance, and reliability of gas turbine engines are limited by aerodynamic instabilities that occur in the compressor at low mass flow rates. Two of such compressor instabilities are rotating stall and surge. The stabilization of compression systems by means of active control has been demonstrated on several research compressors using different actuators such as inlet guide vanes, bleed valves, and air injection to manipulate the compressor flow field. This paper presents validated models of the steady and unsteady behaviors of air injection in high speed axial flow compressors that can be used for feasibility studies and control algorithm development. The steady air injection model consists of a control volume analysis coupled with wind tunnel measurements to characterize the changes in flow profiles entering the compressor and a streamline curvature analysis to model the response of the compressor blade rows to the different inlet span-wise profiles generated by the jet actuator. The steady air injection model was validated with experimentally measured span-wise profiles and compressor speed-lines, and then used to study the effect of hot air injection on the performance of a transonic compressor. The results show that injecting hot air into a transonic compressor has a potential increase in the operating range (i.e., decrease in the stalling mass flow rate) and a decrease in the total pressure rise across the transonic compressor. A modified theoretical stall inception model for high speed machines with air injection actuation is also presented. The compressible rotating stall inception model is a two-dimensional linearized stability model and pre-stall dynamics measurements from a single stage transonic compressor were used to validate the model. The compressible rotating stall inception model is an important tool that can be used for studying the effects of compressor design parameters on stability during compressor redesign, and for designing and evaluating feedback controllers.

Unsteady Measurements of Periodic Effects in a Transonic Compressor With Casing Treatments

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Brandstetter ◽  
Fabian Wartzek ◽  
Jan Werner ◽  
Heinz-Peter Schiffer ◽  
Frank Heinichen
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Operating Range ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
High Pressure Compressor ◽  
Image Velocimetry ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Casing Treatments

Application of nonaxisymmetric casing treatments (CTs) can extend the operating range of a transonic compressor significantly. Recent CT designs have proven successful at achieving operating range extension without efficiency loss under design conditions. Two different CT designs were investigated on a high-speed one and a half stage test rig using extensive instrumentation. The stage setup is representative of the front stage of a modern high-pressure compressor. Results of particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements taken in the blade tip region underneath the CT show a significantly modified flow structure compared to the smooth casing reference case. Blockage zone, secondary flow, and shock structures are affected by the CT, especially in highly throttled operating conditions. The stall inception process of the system with axial slots shows unexpected behavior, with modal activities that are not observed without CT. These activities are resolved using unsteady wall pressure (WP) and hot wire measurements.

Unsteady Measurements of Periodic Effects in a Transonic Compressor With Casing Treatments

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Brandstetter ◽  
Fabian Wartzek ◽  
Jan Werner ◽  
Heinz-Peter Schiffer ◽  
Frank Heinichen
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Casing Treatment ◽  
Operating Range ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
High Pressure Compressor ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Casing Treatments

Application of non-axisymmetric Casing Treatments (CTs) can extend the operating range of a transonic compressor significantly. Recent CT designs have proven successful at achieving operating range extension without efficiency loss under design conditions. Two different CT designs were investigated on a high-speed one and a half stage test rig using extensive instrumentation. The stage setup is representative of the front stage of a modern high-pressure compressor. Results of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements taken in the blade tip region underneath the Casing Treatment show a significantly modified flow structure compared to the Smooth Casing reference case. Blockage zone, secondary flow and shock structures are affected by the CT, especially in highly throttled operating conditions. The stall inception process of the system with Axial Slots shows unexpected behavior, with modal activities that are not observed without CT. These activities are resolved using unsteady wall pressure and Hot Wire measurements.

Effect of Circumferential Grooves on the Aerodynamic Performance of an Axial Single-Stage Transonic Compressor

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin W. Mu¨ller ◽  
Heinz-Peter Schiffer ◽  
Chunill Hah
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Single Stage ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Favorable Change ◽  
Design Speed

This paper reports on experimental and numerical investigations on circumferential grooves in an axial single-stage transonic compressor. Total pressure ratio and efficiency speedlines were taken at design speed and three off-design conditions. The experiments comprise four different configurations with deep and shallow grooves and variable coverage of the projected rotor axial chord. All casing treatments proved to have a beneficial effect on stall range while maintaining high levels of efficiency, even at off-design operation. Deep grooves extending almost to the trailing edge showed the biggest potential: the mass flow at stall inception for design speed could be strongly reduced, and the operating range could be enlarged by 56.1%. When three shallow grooves were applied to the compressor, the stage efficiency at design speed was shifted to slightly higher values. A possible explanation could be a favorable change in stator aerodynamics due to the reduction of corner separation. For a closer look into the physical effects of grooves on the tip leakage flow, a rotor-only CFD analysis has been carried out using a steady state calculation. A multi-block grid with approximately 1.2 million nodes was used. The numerical simulations reveal strong effects of circumferential grooves on the rotor flow field at tip. Mach-number contours, axial velocity distributions and particle traces for the smooth casing and six deep grooves are presented at stall mass flow. Compared to the smooth wall case, the treated casing significantly reduces blockage in the tip area and weakens the roll-up of the core vortex. These mechanisms prevent an early spillage of low momentum fluid into the adjacent blade passage and delay the onset of rotating stall.

Backward Traveling Rotating Stall Waves in Centrifugal Compressors

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. S. Spakovsky
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
First Principles ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Air Injection ◽  
System Stability ◽  
Centrifugal Compressors ◽  
Injection Scheme ◽  
Surge Margin ◽  
Low Order

Rotating stall waves that travel against the direction of rotor rotation are reported for the first time and a new, low-order analytical approach to model centrifugal compressor stability is introduced. The model is capable of dealing with unsteady radially swirling flows and the dynamic effects of impeller-diffuser component interaction as it occurs in centrifugal compression systems. A simple coupling criterion is developed from first principles to explain the interaction mechanism important for system stability. The model findings together with experimental data explain the mechanism for first-ever observed backward traveling rotating stall in centrifugal compressors with vaned diffusers. Based on the low-order model predictions, an air injection scheme between the impeller and the vaned diffuser is designed for the NASA Glenn CC3 high-speed centrifugal compressor. The steady air injection experiments show an increase of 25% in surge-margin with an injection mass flow of 0.5% of the compressor mass flow. In addition, it is experimentally demonstrated that this injection scheme is robust to impeller tip-clearance effects and that a reduced number of injectors can be applied for similar gains in surge-margin. The results presented in this paper firmly establish the connection between the experimentally observed dynamic phenomena in the NASA CC3 centrifugal compressor and a first principles based coupling criterion. In addition, guidelines are given for the design of centrifugal compressors with enhanced stability.

Stall Warning Using the Rotor Tip Pressure in a Transonic Axial Compressor With Circumferential Grooves

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byeung Jun Lim ◽  
Tae Choon Park ◽  
Young Seok Kang
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow Rate ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Single Stage ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Casing Treatment ◽  
Stall Warning ◽  
Transonic Axial Compressor

In this study, characteristics of stall inception in a single-stage transonic axial compressor with circumferential grooves casing treatment were investigated experimentally. Additionally, the characteristic of increasing irregularity in the pressure inside circumferential grooves as the compressor approaches the stall limit was applied to the stall warning method. Spike-type rotating stall was observed in the single-stage transonic axial compressor with smooth casing. When circumferential grooves were applied, the stall inception was suppressed and the operating point of the compressor moved to lower flow rate than the stall limit. A spike-like disturbance was developed into a rotating stall cell and then the Helmholtz perturbation was overlapped on it at N = 80%. At N = 70 %, the Helmholtz perturbation was observed first and the amplitude of the wave gradually increased as mass flow rate decreased. At N = 60%, spike type stall inceptions were observed intermittently and then developed into continuous rotating stall at lower mass flow rate. Pressure measured at the bottom of circumferential grooves showed that the level of irregularity of pressure increased as flow rate decreased. Based on the characteristic of increasing irregularity of the pressure signals inside the circumferential grooves as stall approaches, an autocorrelation technique was applied to the stall warning. This technique could be used to provide warning against stall and estimate real-time stall margins in compressors with casing treatments.

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.

Numerical Investigations on Partial Surge Initiated Inception and Stall Evolution in a Transonic Compressor

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaguo Hu ◽  
Tianyu Pan ◽  
Wenqian Wu ◽  
Qiushi Li ◽  
Yifang Gong
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Transient Simulations ◽  
Two Factors

The instability has been the largest barrier of the high performance axial compressor in the past decades. Stall inception, which determines the route and the characteristics of instability evolution, has been extensively focused on. A new stall inception, “partial surge”, is discovered in the recent experiments. In this paper full-annulus transient simulations are performed to study the origin of partial surge initiated inception and explain the aerodynamic mechanism. The simulations show that the stall inception firstly occurs at the stator hub region, and then transfers to the rotor tip region. The compressor finally stalled by the tip region rotating stall. The stall evolution is in accord with the experiments. The stall evolution can be divided into three phases. In the first phase, the stator corner separation gradually merged with the adjacent passages, producing an annulus stall cell at the stator hub region. In the second phase, the total pressure rise of hub region emerges rapid decline due to the fast expansion of the annulus stall cell, but the tip region maintains its pressure rise. In the third phase, a new rotating stall cell appears at the rotor tip region, leading to the onset of fast drop of the tip region pressure rise. The stall cells transfer from hub region to the tip region is caused by two factors, the blockage of the hub region which transfers more load to the tip region, and the separation fluid fluctuations in stator domain which increase the circumferential non-uniformity in the rotor domain. High load and non-uniformity at the rotor tip region induce the final rotating stall.

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.

Reduced-Order Modelling of Rotating Stall

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Schlüter ◽  
Robert P. Grewe ◽  
Fabian Wartzek ◽  
Alexander Liefke ◽  
Jan Werner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Mass Flow Rate ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Rotational Speed ◽  
Stability Limit ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Experimental Findings

Abstract Rotating stall is a non-axisymmetric disturbance in axial compressors arising at operating conditions beyond the stability limit of a stage. Although well-known, its driving mechanisms determining the number of stall cells and their rotational speed are still marginally understood. Numerical studies applying full-wheel 3D unsteady RANS calculations require weeks per operating point. This paper quantifies the capability of a more feasible quasi-2D approach to reproduce 3D rotating stall and related sensitivities. The first part of the paper deals with the validation of a numerical baseline the simplified model is compared to in detail. Therefore, 3D computations of a state-of-the-art transonic compressor are conducted. At steady conditions the single-passage RANS CFD matches the experimental results within an error of 1% in total pressure ratio and mass flow rate. At stalled conditions, the full-wheel URANS computation shows the same spiketype disturbance as the experiment. However, the CFD underpredicts the stalling point by approximately 7% in mass flow rate. In deep stall, the computational model correctly forecasts a single-cell rotating stall. The stall cell differs by approximately 21% in rotational speed and 18% in circumferential size from the experimental findings. As the 3D model reflects the compressor behaviour sufficiently accurate, it is considered valid for physical investigations. In the second part of the paper, the validated baseline is reduced in radial direction to a quasi-2D domain only resembling the compressor tip area. Four model variations regarding span-wise location and extent are numerically investigated. As the most promising model matches the 3D flow conditions in the rotor tip region, it correctly yields a single-cell rotating stall. The cell differs by only 7% in circumferential size from the 3D results. Due to the impeded radial migration in the quasi-2D slice, however, the cell exhibits an increased axial extent. It is assumed, that the axial expansion into the adjacent rows causes the difference in cell speed by approximately 24%. Further validation of the reduced model against experimental findings reveals, that it correctly reflects the sensitivity of circumferential cell size to flow coefficient and individual cell speed to compressor shaft speed. As the approach reduced the wall clock time by 92%, it can be used to increase the physical understanding of rotating stall at much lower costs.

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