Review of evolution of compressor design process and future perspectives

Abstract

Having virtually reached the asymptote of the technology development in turbomachinery design, the challenge is now to find and implement new design methodologies and tools, capable of applying the current technology more quickly and reliably. This article first reviews the different approaches historically used in turbomachinery design, with the aim of understanding what has triggered improvements in the design up to the present day and how the trend can be maintained and accelerated. By recognizing the problems encountered in turbomachinery design, the aim is to identify the features of a new design process, which designers should follow to meet the objectives set by the Advisory Council of Aeronautical Research in Europe - to generate innovative and affordable solutions and, fundamentally, to break the asymptote for the current generation of large civil jet engines. In particular, it is believed that computational fluid dynamic tools should be more highly integrated in the design process by making them fully available from the preliminary analysis.