Validation of Numerical Simulation for Rotating Stall in a Transonic Fan

Abstract

This paper addresses a comparison of numerical stall simulations with experimental data at 60% (subsonic) and 95% (supersonic) of the design speed in a modern transonic fan rig. The unsteady static pressures were obtained with high frequency Kulite transducers mounted on the casing upstream and downstream of the fan. The casing pressure variation was clearly visible in the measurements when a stall cell passed below the transducers. Numerical stall simulations were conducted using an implicit, time-accurate, 3D compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver. The comparisons between the experiment and simulation mainly cover performance curves and time-domain pressure traces of Kulites during rotating stall. At two different fan speeds, the stall characteristics such as the number and rotating speed of the stall cells were well-matched to the experimental values. The mass flow rate and the loading parameter under the fully-developed rotating stall also showed good agreement with the experiment. In both the numerical and experimental results, a large stall cell was eventually formed after stall inception regardless of the fan speed. Based on the validation, the detailed flow has been evaluated to understand rotating stall in a transonic fan. In addition, it was found that the mass flow measurement using casing static pressure might be wrong during transient flow if the Kulites were mounted too close to the fan blade.