Numerical identification of mechanisms triggering 2D choke flutter in transonic fan

Blade vibration may trigger a self-induced aeroelastic instability (flutter). In turbomachinery choke flutter appears when a strong shock-wave chokes the blade passage. The aim of this study is to identify mechanisms responsible for the instability. An innovative methodology relying on the splitting of the emitter and receiver role of the blade is presented. It is successfully applied to 2D linearized RANS computations of choke flutter. The emission splitting shows that the vibration of the blades downstream of the shock-wave generates a backward traveling pressure wave triggering the aeroelastic instability. The reception splitting demonstrates the destabilising contribution of the shock-wave / separated boundary layer interaction. The source of flutter is finally a combination of inviscid (regressive waves) and viscous (unsteady separation) mechanisms.