This thesis deals with the numerical investigation (CFD) of the stability-limiting flow mechanisms close to surge in highly loaded transonic compressor rotor stages and their manipulation by passive casing treatments. Detailed flow simulations of the NASA Rotor 37 and a recently designed modern compressor stage, both with smooth casing and with a newly developed casing treatment configuration were carried out for direct comparison. With a smooth casing, the analyses show that different flow mechanisms near the blade tip region may responsible for the loss of flow stability, depending on inlet flow conditions, blade and casing design. Besides a purely aerodynamical overloading of the rotor airfoils also the tip leakage flow, its resulting vortex and the blade tip shock system play an essential role. For these mechanisms different blockage factors can be introduced in order to estimate their individual impact on compressor flow. The simulations revealed that the flow phenomena of the two examined compressor systems differentiate clearly with regard to these blockage factors. This difference is also clearly reflected by the simulations using the newly developed casing treatment. While the surge limit could be increased by over 25 percent in the case of the compressor with a dominating tip leakage impact without any loss in maximum efficiency, the application of casing treatment on the second compressor (dominating shock system) only resulted in a stability increase of 8 percent, however, with a simultaneous clear loss in efficiency. Based on these results, the conclusion can be drawn that the rotor blade tip’s aerodynamics is the key to an efficient application of casing treatments. Optimum results can only be achieved if the compressor’s flow stability is mainly limited by the mechanisms of tip leackage flow.
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This thesis deals with the numerical investigation (CFD) of the stability-limiting flow mechanisms close to surge in highly loaded transonic compressor rotor stages and their manipulation by passive casing treatments. Detailed flow simulations of the NASA Rotor 37 and a recently designed modern compressor stage, both with smooth casing and with a newly developed casing treatment configuration were carried out for direct comparison. With a smooth casing, the analyses show that different flow mech...
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