Study on the Tip Leakage Loss Mechanism of a Compressor Cascade Using the Enhanced Delay Detached Eddy Simulation Method

Abstract

The leakage flow has a significant impact on the aerodynamic losses and efficiency of the compressor. This paper investigates the loss mechanism in the tip region based on a high-load cantilevered stator cascade. Firstly, a high-fidelity flow field structure was obtained based on the Enhanced Delay Detached Eddy Simulation (EDDES) method. Subsequently, the Liutex method was employed to study the vortex structures in the tip region. The results indicate the presence of a tip leakage vortex (TLV), passage vortex (PV), and induced vortex (IV) in the tip region. At i=4°,8°, the induced vortex interacts with the PV and low-energy fluid, forming a “three-shape” mixed vortex. Finally, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the loss sources in the tip flow field was conducted based on the entropy generation rate, and the impact of the incidence on the losses was explored. The loss sources in the tip flow field included endwall loss, blade profile loss, wake loss, and secondary flow loss. At i=0°, the loss primarily originated from the endwall and blade profile, accounting for 40% and 39%, respectively. As the incidence increased, the absolute value of losses increased, and the proportion of loss caused by secondary flow significantly increased. At i=8°, the proportion of secondary flow loss reached 47%, indicating the most significant impact.