A Numerical Method for the Analysis of 3D Viscous Compressible Flow in Turbine Cascades: Application to Secondary Flow Development in a Cascade With and Without Dihedral

Abstract

The present paper describes a computer code, currently under development, aimed at solving the equations of three-dimensional viscous compressible flow in turbomachinery goemetries. The code uses a simple, novel pre-processed implicit algorithm. An outline of the method is given and the current capabilities of the code are assessed. The code is applied to the study of the flowfield in a cascade of transonic gas turbine rotor blades. The geometry and the presence of inlet end-wall boundary layers lead to significant three-dimensional effects. The pattern of secondary flow development, including the details of the leading edge horseshoe vortex and associated saddle point, are clearly resolved and correspond to experimental experience. A computation is also presented to show the influence of dihedral (non-linear stacking) on the secondary flow development.