Transition Effect on the Flow Dynamics in a Compressor Blade Passage

Abstract

An experimental investigation was carried out to study the effect of the boundary layer transition on the flow dynamics in the blade passage of a compressor cascade. A model of a turbine compressor passage was designed and assembled in a transonic wind tunnel for this purpose. Two different flow control methods were used in the experiment to induce the transition upstream of the shock wave, one concerning the microstep application and the other using distributed roughness strips. Two locations of spanwise microsteps for the transition trigger were chosen, one at the leading edge and the other closer to the shock wave position. The distributed roughness in the form of standard sandpaper strips with different heights was applied in three various locations on the blade upstream of the shock. The main objective of investigations is to present the influence of the laminar and turbulent shock wave-boundary layer interaction on the flow dynamics in a compressor fan passage, and the specific objective is to show how the parameters of particular transition control methods affect the flow dynamics in the investigated channel. The major challenge for this research was to minimize the disturbance caused by the microstep or roughness to the laminar boundary layer, while still ensuring a successful transition. Very interesting results were obtained in the flow control application for the boundary layer transition control, demonstrating a positive effect on the flow unsteadiness in changing the nature of the interaction.