Numerical Research on Inlet Total Pressure Distortion in a Transonic Compressor with Non-Axisymmetric Stator Clearance

• Published in: Journal of thermal science Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 893 - 905
• Main Authors: Xu, Wenfeng, Sun, Peng, Yang, Guogang, Huang, Longsheng, Fu, Wenguang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Science Press 01.08.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Axisymmetric flow; Classical and Continuum Physics; Compressor efficiency; Distortion; Engineering Fluid Dynamics; Engineering Thermodynamics; Heat and Mass Transfer; Nonuniform flow; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Stators; Tip clearance; Transonic compressors; non-axisymmetric stator clearance; transonic compressor; total pressure distortion; numerical simulation
• ISSN: 1003-2169; 1993-033X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11630-020-1289-z

Inlet total pressure distortion has great adverse effects on the aero-engine performance. The distorted flow passes through the compressor and becomes non-uniform in the downstream blade rows. Different from previous studies based on the assumption of circumferential uniformity, this study aims to improve circumferential non-uniform flow with the non-axisymmetric structure. Non-axisymmetric stator clearance was adopted to resolve the effects of non-uniform flow caused by inlet total pressure distortion in this paper. The 9 stators with tip clearance were installed in the distorted region and the flow field structure and performance under different operating conditions was studied. The study finds that the non-axisymmetric compressor with 9 tip clearance stators can ensure compressor efficiency while improving compressor stability margin. What’s more, the separation range and strength in the distorted region can be reduced significantly and the anti-distortion capability of compressor can be enhanced.