Application of particle image velocimetry to a transonic centrifugal compressor

As part of an ongoing research project the performance and internal flow field of a high-pressure ratio centrifugal compressor is being investigated. Based on previous, primarily, point-wise laser-optical measurements the compressor was redesigned and resulted in an improved impeller and diffuser with a single-stage pressure ratio of 6:1 at 50,000 rpm. Current research activities involve the use of particle image velocimetry (PIV) to analyze and further improve the understanding of the complex flow phenomena inside the vaned diffuser given the capability of PIV of capturing spatial structures. The study includes phase-resolved measurements of the flow inside a diffuser vane passage with respect to the impeller blade position. Both, instantaneous and phase-averaged velocity fields are presented. The flow field results obtained by PIV are to be used for future validation of the related CFD calculations, which in turn are expected to lead to further improvements in compressor performance. In addition, the potential of stereo PIV for this type of turbomachinery application could be successfully demonstrated.     

A DPIV study of a starting flow downstream of a backward-facing step

 In this paper an experimental investigation of a starting water flow downstream of a backward-facing step is described. The Reynolds number of the asymptotic steady flow is Re≈4300 based on the step height of s=2 cm and the free stream velocity of U=21.4 cm/s. Velocity measurements were performed with video-based DPIV (Digital Particle Image Velocimetry) at a sampling frequency of 25 Hz. The main purpose of this study is to reveal the temporal development of global structures which could not be analyzed with single-point probes. It was found that at initialization of the flow a regular vorticity street is formed, which collapses at a normalized time t ^* =U t/s≈17 due to vorticity interactions. After this the flow is dominated by complicated vorticity roll-up and shedding dynamics in the recirculation region. The starting phase is terminated for t ^* >40. Prior to the collapse of the vorticity street values of 9 times the steady state asymptotic wall normal stress and of twice the steady state negative wall shear stress were observed. The early increasing slope of the reattachment length is constant over a time of approximately t ^* =8. The collapse of the vorticity street and the vorticity interactions thereafter cause fluctuations both in the velocity in the free shear layer and in the reattachment length. The fully developed flow has a dominant frequency corresponding to a Strouhal number St=fs/U≈0.04. Received: 20 September 1996/Accepted: 1 April 1997     

PIV study on a shock-induced separation in a transonic flow

A transonic interaction between a steady shock wave and a turbulent boundary layer in a Mach 1.4 channel flow is experimentally investigated by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV). In the test section, the lower wall is equipped with a contour profile shaped as a bump allowing flow separation. The transonic interaction, characterized by the existence in the outer flow of a lambda shock pattern, causes the separation of the boundary layer, and a low-speed recirculating bubble is observed downstream of the shock foot. Two-component PIV velocity measurements have been performed using an iterative gradient-based cross-correlation algorithm, providing high-speed and flexible calculations, instead of the classic multi-pass processing with FFT-based cross-correlation. The experiments are performed discussing all the hypotheses linked to the experimental set-up and the technique of investigation such as the two-dimensionality assumption of the flow, the particle response assessment, the seeding system, and the PIV correlation uncertainty. Mean velocity fields are presented for the whole interaction with particular attention for the recirculating bubble downstream of the detachment, especially in the mixing layer zone where the effects of the shear stress are most relevant. Turbulence is discussed in details, the results are compared to previous study, and new results are given for the turbulent production term and the return to isotropy mechanism. Finally, using different camera lens, a zoom in the vicinity of the wall presents mean and turbulent velocity fields for the incoming boundary layer.     

The challenge of stereo PIV measurements in the tip gap of a transonic compressor rotor with casing treatment

This contribution is aimed at summarizing the effort taken to apply stereoscopic PIV (SPIV) measurements in the tip clearance of a transonic compressor rotor equipped with a casing treatment. A light sheet probe was placed downstream of the stator and aligned to pass the light sheet through a stator passage into the blade tip clearance of the rotor. A setup with three cameras has been used in order to record the entire 2C velocity field and the smaller area of 3C field of view at the same time instance for comparison with earlier 2C PIV results. A homogeneous seeding distribution was achieved by means of a smoke generator. The main emphasis of the SPIV measurement was to establish a data set with high spatial resolution close to the compressor casing, where the aerodynamic effects of a CT are known to be strong. The paper will discuss some major aspects of the utilized PIV data processing and point out a variety of frequently underestimated error sources that influence the overall quality of the recovered data in spite of the fact that the individual PIV recordings seemed to be of very good quality. Thus, the authors will not focus on the PIV results and related interpretation of the flow field, but on the optimization and procedures applied during setup of the experiment and data processing, respectively.     

Study of modeling unsteady blade row interaction in a transonic compressor stage part 1: code development and deterministic correlation analysis

The average-passage equation system (APES) provides a rigorous mathematical framework for accounting for the unsteady blade row interaction through multistage compressors in steady state environment by introducing deterministic correlations (DC) that need to be modeled to close the equation system.The primary purpose of this study is to provide insight into the DC characteristics and the influence of DC on the time-averaged flow field of the APES.In Part 1 of this two-part paper,firstly a 3D viscous unsteady and time-averaging flow CFD solver is developed to investigate the APES technique.Then steady and unsteady simulations are conducted in a transonic compressor stage.The results from both simulations are compared to highlight the significance of the unsteady interactions.Furthermore,the distribution characteristics of DC are studied and the DC at the rotor/stator interface are compared with their spatial correlations (SC).Lastly,steady and time-averaging (employing APES with DC) simulations for the downstream stator alone are conducted employing DC derived from the unsteady results.The results from steady and time-averaging simulations are compared with the time-averaged unsteady results.The comparisons demonstrate that the simulation employing APES with DC can reproduce the time-averaged field and the 3D viscous time-averaging flow solver is validated.     

Study of modeling unsteady blade row interaction in a transonic compressor stage part 2: influence of deterministic correlations on time-averaged flow prediction

The average-passage equation system (APES) provides a rigorous mathematical framework for accounting for the unsteady blade row interaction through multistage compressors in steady state environment by introducing deterministic correlations (DC) that need to be modeled to close the equation system.The primary purpose of this study was to provide insight into the DC characteristics and the influence of DC on the time-averaged flow field of the APES.In Part 2 of this two-part paper,the influence of DC on the time-averaged flow field was systematically studied.Several time-averaging computations were conducted with various boundary conditions and DC for the downstream stator in a transonic compressor stage,by employing the CFD solver developed in Part 1 of this two-part paper.These results were compared with the time-averaged unsteady flow field and the steady one.The study indicated that the circumferentialaveraged DC can take into account major part of the unsteady effects on spanwise redistribution of flow fields in compressors.Furthermore,it demonstrated that both deterministic stresses and deterministic enthalpy fluxes are necessary to reproduce the time-averaged flow field.     

Numerical study of vortex-breakdown over a slender wing in transonic flow at high incidence

The transonic flowfields and vortex-breakdown over a slender wing with the angle of attack from 10° to 28° are studied numerically, and the emphasis is on the secondary separation and the charateristics of vortex-breakdown. The results indicated that: (a) TVD schemes have strong capability for capturing vortices in three-dimensional transonic separated flow at large angle of attack. (b) The development of secondary vortices is more complex than that of leading-edge ones, and is affected by wing's configuration, angle of attack and compressibility simultaneously, and the effect of compressibility is more severe at low angle of attack. (c) The starting angle of attack for vortex-breakdown (when vortex bursting point crosses trailing-edge) is about 18° forM∞=0.85, then the bursting point moves upstream quickly with increasing angle of attack. (d) At α=24°, breakdown occurs over most part of upper side, and the wing begins to stall. Therefore, there is a large lag of angle of attack between the beginning of vortex-breakdown and the stall of the wing. (e) This lag increase with the decreasing of Mach number.     

A flow field study of an elliptic jet in cross flow using DPIV technique

The digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) technique has been used to investigate the flow fields of an elliptic jet in cross flow (EJICF). Two different jet orientations are considered; one with the major axis of the ellipse aligned with the cross flow (henceforth referred to as a low aspect ratio (AR) jet), and the other with the major axis normal to the cross flow (henceforth referred to as a high aspect ratio jet). Results show that the vortex-pairing phenomenon is prevalent in the low aspect ratio jet when the velocity ratio (VR)3, and is absent in the high aspect ratio jet regardless of the velocity ratio. The presence of vortex pairing leads to a substantial increase in the leading-edge peak vorticity compared to the lee-side vorticity, which suggests that vortex pairing may play an important role in the entrainment of ambient fluid into the jet body, at least in the near-field region. In the absence of vortex pairing, both the leading-edge and the lee-side peak vorticity increase monotonically with velocity ratio regardless of the aspect ratio. Moreover, time-averaged velocity fields for both AR=0.5 and AR=2 jets reveal the existence of an unstable focus (UF) downstream of the jet, at least for VR2. The strength and the location of this focus is a function of both the velocity ratio and aspect ratio. In addition, time-averaged vorticity fields show a consistently higher peak-averaged vorticity in the low aspect ratio jet than in the high aspect ratio jet. This behavior could be due to a higher curvature of the vortex filament facing the cross flow in the low aspect ratio jet, which through mutual interaction may lead to higher vortex stretching, and therefore higher peak-averaged vorticity.Nomenclature A nozzle or jet cross-sectional area - AR aspect ratio, defined as the ratio of the nozzle cross-stream dimension to its streamwise dimension, =H/L - D characteristic jet diameter (for circular jet only) - D_h hydraulic diameter, =4A/P - D_major major axis of an elliptic nozzle - D_minor minor axis of an elliptic nozzle - H cross-stream dimension of the nozzle - L streamwise dimension of the nozzle - P perimeter of the nozzle - Re_j jet Reynolds number, =V_jD/ - VR velocity ratio, =V_j/V - V_j mean jet velocity - V mean cross-flow velocity - x downstream distance from jet center - X cross-plane vorticity - kinematic viscosity     

DPIV study of the effect of a gable roof on the flow structure around a surface-mounted cubic obstacle

The present paper reports a thorough comparison of the turbulent flow characteristics exhibited by a cubic surface-mounted obstacle and a simple geometric variant (gable roof of 30° roof pitch). The measurements supporting this study were obtained by the use of a 2D-DPIV system. Significant differences in the large-scale vortical structures and turbulent kinetic energy fields implied drastic consequences with respect to the advective and turbulent dispersive characteristics of the flow at roof and ground levels.

A DPIV study of the trailing vortex elements from the blades of a horizontal axis wind turbine in yaw

Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) has been used in a wind tunnel study to measure the velocity field of the trailing vortices from the blades of a horizontal axis wind-turbine (HWAT) in yaw. The creation of the trailing vortex circulation is shown to vary as a function of the phase angle of the rotor and the angle of yaw between the wind and turbine rotor. The strength of the convecting vorticity was also shown to vary with time. The initial formation of the vortex is shown determined by the flow expansion angle while in yawed flows the developing vortex is then influenced by the vortex sheet shed from the inboard blade trailing edge. This interaction is shown to significantly affect the roll up of the tip vortex. Received: 17 December 1997/Accepted: 16 June 1999     

Oscillations of a plate cascade in a transonic gas flow

The transonic unsteady flow of a gas through a cascade of thin, slightly curved plates is quite complex and has received little study. The main difficulties are associated with the nonlinear dependence of the aerodynamic characteristics on the plate thickness. In [1] it is shown that, for a single thin plate performing high-frequency oscillations in a transonic gas stream, the variation of the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics with plate thickness may be neglected. For a plate cascade, the flow pattern is complicated by the aerodynamic interference between the plates, which may depend significantly on their shape. A solution of the problem of transonic flow past a cascade without account for the plate thickness has been obtained by Hamamoto [2].The objective of the present study is the clarification of the dependence of the aerodynamic characteristics of a plate cascade on plate thickness in transonic unsteady flow regimes. The nonlinear equation for the velocity potential is linearized under the assumption that the motionless plate causes significantly greater disturbances in the stream than those due to the oscillations. A similar linearization was carried out for a single plate in [3]. The aerodynamic interference between the plates is determined by the method presented in [4]. As an example, the aerodynamic forces acting on a plate oscillating in a duct and in a free jet are calculated.     

某型机跨音速等幅振动研究

针对某型机定型试飞中遇到的跨音速等幅振动现象,对该机的颤振分析和试飞实测振动数据进行了研究.结果表明,该型飞机跨音速等幅振荡现象主要是由于外挂物连接间隙引起的,文中对采取的排故措施进行了描述,验证试飞结果表明该振动现象已被排除.从而保证了定型试飞的顺利进行.     

Turbulence measurements in a transonic two-passage turbine cascade

This paper presents detailed turbulence measurements in a two-dimensional, transonic, double passage turbine cascade. Particle image velocimetry was used to obtain mean velocity and turbulence measurements all around a single turbine blade within about 2 mm of the blade and wall surfaces. The passage walls were designed using an optimization procedure so that the blade surface pressure distribution matches that of the blade in an infinite cascade. The resulting experimental model captures much of the complexity of a real turbine stage (including high streamline curvature, strong accelerations, and shocks) in a passage with a continuous wall shape, allowing for high measurement resolution and well controlled boundary conditions for comparison to CFD. The measurements show that in the inviscid regions of the passage the absolute level of the turbulent fluctuations does not change significantly as the flow accelerates, while the local turbulence intensity drops rapidly as the flow accelerates. These results provide a benchmark data set that can be used to improve turbulence models.     

Formation of multiple shocklets in a transonic diffuser flow

Multiple shocklets are frequently generated in transonic diffuser flows. The present paper investigates the formation of these shocklets with a high-speed CCD camera combined with the schlieren method. It is observed that compression waves steepen while propagating upstream, and eventually become new shock waves. The ordinary shock wave is found to move upstream beyond the nozzle throat or to disappear while moving downstream depending on the pressure ratio across the nozzle. This phenomenon is also analyzed with the one-dimensional Euler equations by assuming a pressure disturbance given by the sine function at the channel exit. The calculated results are found to reproduce quite well the experimental behavior of the shocklets. The effect of the frequency of disturbance is also studied numerically, and it is shown that the multiple shocklet pattern appears when the amplitude of disturbance is not large and the diverging part of the channel downstream of the ordinary shock wave is long. Received 26 June 1998 / Accepted 15 March 1999     

Toward improved simulation tools for compressible turbomachinery: assessment of residual-based compact schemes for the transonic compressor NASA Rotor 37

Residual-based compact schemes of second- and third-order accuracy are applied to a challenging three-dimensional flow through a transonic compressor. The proposed schemes provide almost mesh-converged solutions in good agreement with experimental data on relatively coarse grids, which allow achieving a given accuracy level with computational cost reductions by a factor between 2 and 4 with respect to standard solvers.     

Bifurcations in the transonic flow past a symmetric airfoil

Transonic flow past an airfoil with a small curvature in its midchord region is numerically investigated. The branching of the stationary solutions of the Euler equations is established and attributed to flow instability at certain angles of attack and freestream Mach numbers. The dependence of the lift coefficient on these parameters is studied.     

跨音速湿空气非平衡凝结流动的数值研究

跨音速流动条件下湿空气中的水蒸气由于快速膨胀而发生非平衡凝结,凝结潜热对跨音速气流进行加热,会显著改变气流的流动特性。通过对商用计算流体动力学软件FLUENT进行二次开发,建立了湿空气非平衡凝结流动的数值求解方法。该方法可用于二维或三维、粘性或无粘、内流或外流的求解中。采用该方法分剐对缩放喷管、透平叶栅以及绕CA-0.1圆弧翼型的湿空气非平衡凝结流动进行了数值分析。计算结果表明：湿空气凝结手l起缩放喷管中的凝结激波、导致叶橱流动中总压降低;对于翼型周围的流动,在相对湿度分别为50％、57．1％、64.1％时,依次计算得到了单激波、五激波、双激波。