Advanced High-Turning Compressor Airfoils for Low Reynolds Number Condition—Part II: Experimental and Numerical Analysis

Abstract

Part I of this paper describes the design and optimization of two high turning subsonic compressor cascades operating as an outlet guide vane (OGV) behind a single stage low pressure turbine at low Reynolds number condition (Re=1.3×105). In the numerical optimization algorithm, the design point and off-design performance has been considered in an objective function to achieve a wide low loss incidence range. The objective of the present paper is to examine some of the characteristics describing the new airfoils as well as to prove the reliability of the design process and the applied flow solver. Some aerodynamic characteristics for the two new airfoils and a conventional controlled diffusion airfoil (CDA), have been extensively investigated in the cascade wind tunnel of DLR Cologne. For an inlet Mach number of 0.6 the effect of Reynolds number and incidence angle on each airfoil performance is discussed, based on experimental and numerical results. For an interpretation of the airfoil boundary layer behavior, results of some boundary layer calculations are compared to oil flow visualization pictures. The design goal of an increased low loss incidence range at low Reynolds number condition could be confirmed without having a negative effect on the high Reynolds number region.