Unsteady Flow Variability Driven by Rotor-stator Interaction at Rotor Exit

Numerical investigation of the unsteady flow variability driven by rotorstator interaction in a transonic axial compressor is performed. Two models with close and far axial gap between rotor and stator rows are studied in the simulation. Particular attention is attached to the analysis of mechanisms involved in driving rotor wake oscillation, rotor wake skewing and flow angle fluctuation at rotor exit. The results show that smaller axial gap is favorable to enhance the interaction in the region between two adjacent rows, and the fluctuation of the static pressure difference between two sides of rotor wake is improved by potential field from down stator, which is the driving force for rotor wake oscillation. The interaction between rotor and stator is weakened by increasing axial distance, rotor wake shifts to suction side of rotor blade with 5%-10% of rotor pitch, the absolute value of flow angle at rotor exit is less than that in the case of close interspace for every time step, and the fluctuation amplitude is also decreased.

The influence of the wake of a flapping wing on the production of aerodynamic forces

The effect of the wake of previous strokes on the aerodynamic forces of a flapping model insect wing is studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The wake effect is isolated by comparing the forces and flows of the starting stroke （when the wake has not developed） with those of a later stroke （when the wake has developed）. The following has been shown. （1） The wake effect may increase or decrease the lift and drag at the beginning of a half-stroke （downstroke or upstroke）, depending on the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the half-stroke, the wing “impinges” on the spanwise vorticity generated by the wing during stroke reversal and the distribution of the vorticity is sensitive to the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. （2） The wake effect decreases the lift and increases the drag in the rest part of the half-stroke. This is because the wing moves in a downwash field induced by previous half-stroke＇s starting vortex, tip vortices and attached leading edge vortex （these vortices form a downwash producing vortex ring）. （3） The wake effect decreases the mean lift by 6%-18% （depending on wing kinematics at stroke reversal） and slightly increases the mean drag. Therefore, it is detrimental to the aerodynamic performance of the flapping wing.

Numerical Investigation of Influence of Rotor/Stator Interaction on Blade Boundary Layer Flow in a Low Speed Compressor

Numerical method was applied to the unsteady flow simulation at the mid span of a two-stage low speed compressor,and the blade boundary layer flow under rotor/stator interaction was investigated.By the model of wake/boundary layer interaction provided in this paper,the simulated blade frictional force and the boundary layer turbulent kinetic energy,the influence of wake/potential flow interaction on the blade boundary layer flow was analyzed in detail.The results show that under the condition of rotor/stator interaction,the wake is able to induce the stator laminar boundary layer flow to develop into turbulent flow within a certain range of wake interaction.In the stator suction boundary layer,an undisturbed region occurs behind the rotor wake,which extends the laminar flow range,and the wake with high turbulent intensity has the capability to control the boundary layer separation under adverse pressure gradient.

Unsteady Inflow Effects on the Wake Shed from a High-Lift LPT Blade Subjected to Boundary Layer Laminar Separation

An experimental investigation on the near and far wake of a cascade of high-lift low-pressure turbine blades subjected to boundary layer separation over the suction side surface has been carried out, under steady and unsteady inflows. Two Reynolds number conditions, representative of take-off/landing and cruise operating conditions of the real engine, have been tested. The effect of upstream wake-boundary layer interaction on the wake shed from the profile has been investigated in a three-blade large-scale linear turbine cascade. The comparison between the wakes shed under steady and unsteady inflows has been performed through the analysis of mean velocity and Reynolds stress components measured at midspan of the central blade by means of a two-component crossed miniature hot-wire probe. The wake development has been analyzed in the region between 2% and 100% of the blade chord from the central blade trailing edge, aligned with the blade exit direction. Wake integral parameters, half-width and maximum velocity defects have been evaluated from the mean velocity distributions to quantify the modifications induced on the vane wake by the upstream wake. Moreover the thicknesses of the two wake shear layers have been considered separately in order to identify the effects of Reynolds number and incoming flow on the wake shape. The self-preserving state of the wake has been looked at, taking into account the different thicknesses of the two shear layers. The evaluation of the power density spectra of the velocity fluctuations allowed the study of the wake unsteady behavior, and the detection of the effects induced by the different operating conditions on the trailing edge vortex shedding.