Unsteady Navier-Stokes Simulation of a Transonic Flutter Cascade Near-Stall Conditions Applying Algebraic Transition Models

Abstract

Due to the trend in the design of modern aeroengines to reduce weight and to realize high pressure ratios, fan and first-stage compressor blades are highly susceptible to flutter. At operating points with transonic flow velocities and high incidences, stall flutter might occur involving strong shock-boundary layer interactions, flow separation, and oscillating shocks. In this paper, results of unsteady Navier-Stokes flow calculations around an oscillating blade in a linear transonic compressor cascade at different operating points including near-stall conditions are presented. The nonlinear unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved time accurately using implicit time integration. Different low-Reynolds-number turbulence models are used for closure. Furthermore, empirical algebraic transition models are applied to enhance the accuracy of prediction. Computations are performed two dimensionally as well as three dimensionally. It is shown that, for the steady calculations, the prediction of the boundary layer development and the blade loading can be substantially improved compared with fully turbulent computations when algebraic transition models are applied. Furthermore, it is shown that the prediction of the aerodynamic damping in the case of oscillating blades at near-stall conditions can be dependent on the applied transition models.