Design Optimization of Axial Flow Compressor Blades With Three-Dimensional Navier-Stokes Solver

Abstract

Numerical optimization techniques combined with a three-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes solver are presented. The techniques are used to find an optimum shape of a stator blade in an axial compressor through calculations of single stage rotor-stator flow. The Baldwin-Lomax model is chosen to describe turbulence. For the numerical optimization, search direction is calculated using the steepest decent method and the conjugate direction method. The golden section method is used to determine optimum moving distance along the search direction. The object of the present optimization is to maximize the efficiency. An optimum stacking line is found which produces a custom-tailored three-dimensional blade design.