Enhancing transonic compressor rotor efficiency by flow analysis-driven blade section modification

Hengtao Shi; Bo Song; Jiao Wang

doi:10.1515/tjj-2024-0023

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Enhancing transonic compressor rotor efficiency by flow analysis-driven blade section modification

Hengtao Shi , Bo Song and Jiao Wang

Published/Copyright: July 30, 2024

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From the journal International Journal of Turbo & Jet-Engines Volume 42 Issue 1

Abstract

Transonic axial compressors are widely used in aero-engines and gas turbines, and their efficiency has a significant influence on the equipment energy utilization rate and fuel cost. In this research, blade section modification based on flow analysis is carried out on the Rotor 67 for improving efficiency. First, the numerical calculation method used is verified with experimental data to ensure the accuracy of the simulation. Then, according to the analysis of simulated flow field and shock structure, the blade section shapes are altered to optimize the blade passage wide distribution for the sections from hub to mid-span. In addition, the blade surface angle is altered to reduce the supersonic flow expansion angle for decreasing shock strength. With these optimizations, the efficiency of modified transonic rotor increases by 0.9 percentage at the design point and 1.0 percentage at near stall point (N = 1.0), respectively. Slightly higher efficiency at off-design speeds (N = 0.9 and 0.8) are also obtained, with maintaining the stall margin.

Keywords: transonic compressor; blade section optimization; shock structure; hub corner separation; loss reduction

Corresponding author: Hengtao Shi, School of Energy and Power, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, 212100, China, E-mail: HengtaoS@just.edu.cn

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: This research was supported by the Doctoral Research Fund of Jiangsu University of Science and Technology Nos. 1142932310.
Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.

Nomenclature (SI units)

m ˙: Mass flow rate (kg/s)
k: Specific heat ratio, k = 1.4
p: Static pressure (Pa)
p _r: Static pressure ratio
t _m: Section maximum relative thickness
t _LE: Leading edge relative thickness
t _TE: Trailing edge relative thickness
x: Normalized coordinates in the axial direction
C: Chord (mm)
LE: Leading edge
Ma: Mach number
N: Relative rotating speed, the ratio of the actual rotating speed to the design value
P: Total pressure (Pa)
P _m: Maximum thickness chord-wise location
R: Blade span, R=(r−r _hub)/(r _tip−r _hub)
T: Total temperature (K)
TE: Trailing edge
β: Flow angle measured from axial direction (degree)
β _m: Blade metal angle measured from axial direction (degree)
ε: Blade surface angle, the angle between the surface tangential line and the axial direction (degree)
η: Adiabatic efficiency, η=(π ^(k−1)/k−1)/(T ₂/T ₁−1)
θ: Camber angle (degree)
ξ: Coordinates in chord-wise direction (mm)
π: Total pressure ratio
σ: Solidity, σ = C/S

Subscripts
1: Inlet
2: Outlet
ax: Axial direction
c: Chocked
is: Isentropic

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Received: 2024-03-22

Accepted: 2024-06-15

Published Online: 2024-07-30

Published in Print: 2025-03-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/tjj-2024-0023

Keywords for this article

transonic compressor; blade section optimization; shock structure; hub corner separation; loss reduction