Aerodynamic Damping Predictions Using a Linearized Navier-Stokes Analysis

Abstract

A recently developed two dimensional, linearized Navier-Stokes algorithm, capable of modeling the unsteady flows encountered in turbomachinery applications, has been benchmarked and validated for use in the prediction of the aerodynamic damping. Benchmarking was accomplished by comparing numerical simulations with experimental data for two geometries. The first geometry investigated is a high turning turbine cascade. For this configuration, two different steady operating conditions were considered. The exit flow for one operating condition is subsonic whereas the exit flow for the other operating condition is supersonic. The second geometry investigated is a tip section from a high speed fan. Again, two separate steady operating conditions were examined. For this fan geometry, one operating condition falls within an experimentally observed flutter region whereas the other operating condition was observed experimentally to be flutter free. For both geometries considered, experimental measurements of the unsteady blade surface pressures were acquired for a linear cascade subjected to small amplitude torsional vibrations. Comparisons between the numerical calculations and the experimental data demonstrate the ability of the present computational model to predict accurately the steady and unsteady blade loading, and hence the aerodynamic damping, for each configuration presented.