A detailed aerodynamic study of a transonic, high-through-flow, single stage compressor is presented. The compressor stage was comprised of a low-aspect-ratio rotor combined alternately with two different stator designs. Both experimental and numerical studies are conducted to understand the details of the complex flow field present in this stage. Aerodynamic measurements using high-frequency, Kulite pressure transducers and conventional probes are compared with results from a three-dimensional viscous flow analysis. A steady multiple blade row approach is used in the numerical technique to examine the detailed flow structure inside the rotor and the stator passages. The comparisons indicate that many flow field features are correctly captured by viscous flow analysis, and therefore unmeasured phenomena can be studied with some level of confidence.
Validation of a three-dimensional computational algorithm for viscous flow analysis has been conducted for two types of Francis turbine runner geometry, one low head and one high head, using experimental measurement. Assessment has been made for both qualitative features of flow behavior, as well as quantitative distribution of blade pressure and head loss. The influence of the grid size on the accuracy of the numerical solution is also discussed. Effort has been made to address some of the design issues, and to demonstrate that the present computational algorithm can make useful contributions to help improve the current design practices.
A detailed aerodynamic study of a transonic, high-throughflow, single-stage compressor is presented. The compressor stage was comprised of a low-aspect-ratio rotor combined alternately with two different stator designs. Both experimental and numerical studies are conducted to understand the details of the complex flow field present in this stage. Aerodynamic measurements using high-frequency, Kulite pressure transducers and conventional probes are compared with results from a three-dimensional viscous flow analysis. A steady multiple blade row approach is used in the numerical technique to examine the detailed flow structure inside the rotor and the stator passages. The comparisons indicate that many flow field features are correctly captured by viscous flow analysis, and therefore unmeasured phenomena can be studied with some level of confidence.
A viscous flow analysis of the tip vortex generation process