Prestall Behavior of a Transonic Axial Compressor Stage via Time-Accurate Numerical Simulation

Abstract

CFD calculations using high-performance parallel computing were conducted to simulate the pre-stall flow of a transonic compressor stage, NASA compressor Stage 35. The simulations were run with a full-annulus grid that models the 3D, viscous, unsteady blade row interaction without the need for an artificial inlet distortion to induce stall. The simulation demonstrates the development of the rotating stall from the growth of instabilities. Pressure-rise performance and pressure traces are compared with published experimental data before the study of flow evolution prior to the rotating stall. Spatial FFT analysis of the flow indicates a rotating long-length disturbance of one rotor circumference, which is followed by a spike-type breakdown. The analysis also links the long-length wave disturbance with the initiation of the spike inception. The spike instabilities occur when the trajectory of the tip clearance flow becomes perpendicular to the axial direction. When approaching stall, the passage shock changes from a single oblique shock to a dual-shock, which distorts the perpendicular trajectory of the tip clearance vortex but shows no evidence of flow separation that may contribute to stall.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA500494

Entities

People

  • Gregory P. Herrick
  • Jen-ping Chen
  • Michael D. Hathaway

Organizations

  • Ohio State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Compressors
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Experimental Data
  • Flow Fields
  • Flow Separation
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Gas Turbines
  • Geometry
  • High Pressure
  • Static Pressure
  • Test Facilities
  • Three Dimensional
  • Turbines
  • Turbomachinery

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)