Influence of Clearances in Variable Guide Vanes and Stators on the Performance of a Multi-stage Compressor and Its Flow Control

Huang, L.; Chu, W.; Zhang, H.; Guo, Z.

doi:10.47176/jafm.18.6.3135

Influence of Clearances in Variable Guide Vanes and Stators on the Performance of a Multi-stage Compressor and Its Flow Control

Document Type : Regular Article

Authors

¹ School of Power and Energy, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710129, China

² AECC Sichuan Gas Turbine Establishment, Chengdu 610500, China

³ Test Center, National University of Defense Technology, Xi’an 710106, China

10.47176/jafm.18.6.3135

Abstract

In pursuit of enhanced accuracy in the performance prediction and optimization of high-load compressors, this study emphasizes the significance of empirically measured clearance values associated with variable guide vanes and stators in engineering applications. Utilizing these empirical data, we conduct a refined modeling approach for the variable guide vanes and stators. A comprehensive three-dimensional numerical simulation methodology is employed to examine the impact and underlying flow mechanisms of the adjustable blades with clearances in a nine-stage compressor, concurrently optimizing the positional parameters of the clearances to augment the aerodynamic performance of the compressor. The findings of this investigation reveal that the omission of clearances and platform geometry of adjustable blades in numerical simulations can lead to an overestimation of both maximum flow rates and the overall stability margins. Driven by the pressure differential between the suction and pressure sides, clearance leakage flow is generated at the leading edge of the end wall of adjustable blades, exacerbating flow separation in the end wall corner region and potentially resulting in corner stall phenomena. By adjusting the platform of the adjustable stators, which experience corner stall predominantly, the leading edge separation resulting from the interaction of the flow near the end wall and the leakage flow from the leading edge clearance is mitigated. Consequently, the maximum flow rate of the compressor is increased by approximately 0.48 kg/s, the overall stability margin is enhanced by approximately 7.52%, and the peak efficiency experiences an improvement of about 0.4%.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Complex Fluids

References

Adamczyk, J. J., Celestina, M. L., & Greitzer E. M. (1993). The role of tip clearance in high-speed fan stall. Journal of Turbomachinery, 155(1), 28-39. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2929212

Baghdadi, S. (1996). Modeling tip clearance effects in multistage axial compressors. Journal of Turbomachinery, 118(4), 697-705. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2840925

Cao, C., & Zhai, Z. (2019). Influence of tip clearance on civil high-bypass-ratio transonic compressor aerodynamic performance. Science Technology and Engineering, 19(10), 230-236. http://stae.com.cn/jsygc/article/abstract/1809897?st=search

Chen, Y., Gao, C., & Chu, W. (2022). Effect and mechanism of roughness on the performance of a five-stage axial flow compressor. Aerospace, 9(8), 428. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9080428

Cheng, H., Lu, X., Zhao, S, Huang, S., & Zhu, J. (2022). Effect of tip clearance variation in the transonic axial compressor of a miniature gas turbine at different Reynolds numbers. Aerospace Science and Technology, 128, 107793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2022.107793

Guo, Z., Chu, W., Yan, S., Shen, Z., & Wang, G. (2022). Data mining on effects of manufacturing error on aerodynamic performance and stability of compressor cascade. Journal of Propulsion Technology, 43(3), 200576. https://doi.org/10.13675/j.cnki.tjjs.200576

Guo, Z., Chu, W., Zhang, H., Liang, C., & Meng, D. (2023). Statistical evaluation of stability margin of a multi-stage compressor with geometric variability using adaptive polynomial chaos-Kriging model. Physics of Fluids, 35(7), 076114. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0158821

Jiang, C., Wang, Z., Le, Z., & Hu, J. (2023). Numerical simulation of the effect of circumferential non-uniform tip clearance on rotating instability in a rotor. Journal of Aerospace Power. https://doi.org/10.13224/j.cnki.jasp.20220973

Lange, M., Rolfes, M., Mailach, R., & Schrapp, H. (2018). Periodic unsteady tip clearance vortex development in low-speed axial research compressor at different tip clearances. Journal of Turbomachinery, 140(3), 031005. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4038319

Lei, V. M., Spakovszky, Z. S., & Greitzer, E. M. (2008). A Criterion for axial compressor hub-corner stall. Journal of Turbomachinery, 130(3), 031006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2775492

Li, X., Chu, W., & Zhang, H. (2014). Investigation on relation between secondary flow and loss on a high loaded axial-flow compressor cascade. Journal of Propulsion Technology, 35(7), 914-925. https://doi.org/10.13675/j.cnki.tjjs.2014.07.007

Ma, S., Chu, W., Zhang, H., Kuang, H., & Li, X. (2017). Numerical investigation on secondary flow control in cascade with micro-vortex generator. Journal of Propulsion Technology, 38(12), 2641-2651. https://doi.org/10.13675/j.cnki.tjjs.2017.12.001

Pham, H., Singh, A., Caillat J. (2002). Adaptive control for a refrigeration system using pulse width modulated duty cycle scroll compressor. America Patent: US20020178737A1, 2002-12-05.

Rannou, C., Dazin, A., Marty, J., Tanguy, G., Castillon, L., & Moubogha, J. (2022). Effect of the axial compressor tip clearance size: performance and transition to rotating stall. ASME Turbo Expo 2018: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, No. GT2022-80914. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1115/GT2022-80914

Suder, K. L., & Celestina, M. L. (1996). Experimental and computational investigation of the tip clearance flow in a transonic axial compressor rotor. Journal of Turbomachinery, 118(2), 218-229. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2836629

Teng, X., Chu, W., & Zhang, H. (2018). The influence of geometry deformation on a multistage compressor. ASME Turbo Expo 2018: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, No. GT2018-75935. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1115/GT2018-75935

Zhang, B., Liu, B., & Wang, H. (2020a). Impact of incidence angle on tip leakage flow control by endwall suction in a compressor cascade. Journal of Aerospace Power, 35(11), 2400-2412. https://doi.org/10.13224/j.cnki.jasp.2020.11.017

Zhang, B., Liu, B., & Zhao, H. (2020b). Effects of blade tip suction on cascade gap leakage flow. Journal of Propulsion Technology, 41(8), 1701-1709. https://doi.org/10.13675/j.cnki.tjjs.190585

Zhang, C., Zhang, G. Xu Z., Sun, D., & Liu, P. (2023). Analysis of effect mechanism of rotor tip clearance shapes on transonic axial compressor. Aeroengine, 49(3), 66-74. https://doi.org/10.13477/j.cnki.aeroengine.2023.03.009

Zheng, X., & Yang, H. (2016). Influence of tip clearance on the performance and matching of multistage axial compressors. SME Turbo Expo 2016: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, pages V02AT37A008- V02AT37A008. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1115/GT2016-56232