Detached eddy simulation of the rotor-stator interaction phenomenon in a moving cascade of airfoils

Abstract

Flow inside turbomachinery is fairly complex in general, due to the geometry complexity and the intrinsic structure of the flow. Rotor-Stator Interaction (RSI) has a strong influence on the machine behavior, especially when the machine is operating in off-design conditions, where flow complexity increases due to the presence of boundary layer detachment influencing the general flow pattern and creating pressure pulses that can enhance the RSI behavior. These interactions can have a significant impact on the vibrational and acoustical characteristics of the machine. For gaining insight in the RSI characteristics and the behavior of a turbomachinery under this kind of flow interaction, in this work the RSI generated between a moving cascade of airfoils and fixed flat plate located downstream was studied by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using Detached Eddy Simulation (DES). The upstream boundary layer influence on the wake of the moving cascade, and the subsequent wake-boundary layer interaction between the cascade and a fixed flat plate downstream were obtained and compared against experimental and previous numerical results (obtained with Eddy Viscosity Models). Design and off-design conditions were modeled and a detailed comparison between them has been made. To analyze in detail the flow pattern, mean and fluctuating velocities were obtained and compared against experimental results. Furthermore, results concerning to turbulence intensity were compared against an experimental database.