Effects of the Steady Wake-Tip Clearance Vortex Interaction in a Compressor Cascade: Part II — Numerical Investigations

Abstract

An important aspect of the aerodynamic flow field in the tip region of axial compressor rotors is the unsteady interaction between the tip clearance vortex and the incoming stator wakes. In order to gain an improved understanding of the mechanics involved, systematic studies need to be performed. As a first step towards the characterisation of the dynamic effects caused by the relative movement of the blade rows, the impact of a stationary wake-induced inlet disturbance on a linear compressor cascade with tip clearance will be analyzed. The wakes were generated by a fixed grid of cylindrical bars with variable pitch being placed at discrete pitchwise positions. Part II of this two-part paper focuses on the numerical studies conducted with the scientific flow solver TRACE. Selected measurements, which are discussed in detail in the first part of this paper, are compared with steady state RANS simulation data to determine the validity of the computational model. For this purpose, the flow field obtained in the passage (PIV), at the cascade exit (five-hole probes) and the endwall pressure distributions were used. The presented numerical results show potentials and limitations of the steady state CFD for the prediction of the investigated flow phenomena. The computations provide the initial conditions for future unsteady calculations, and enable a separate depiction of potential effects of steady and unsteady wake-tip clearance vortex interaction.