Numerical Investigation of the Aerodynamic Performance of Hybrid Aerofoils in a 1.5-Stage Low-Speed Compressor

This paper describes the numerical investigation of hybrid aerofoils in a 1.5-stage low-speed compressor, which in its baseline configuration features a conventional rotor and a tandem stator. Both of these are eventually replaced by hybrid aerofoils, using the initial tandem blade profile geometry around mid-span. In this course of design investigations a pure tandem rotor was also generated and analysed as the initial geometry of the hybrid rotor. The aerodynamic design and performance of the tandem rotor and the hybrid aerofoils will be discussed in this paper. The numerical analysis is aimed at understanding the secondary flow phenomena and limiting factors of the working range of the reference stage. Based on this knowledge, the advantages of the hybrid aerofoil design will be discussed. On one hand, the origin and development of three-dimensional flow structures near the endwall regions of the rear vane of the tandem stator are investigated in detail, as they appear to play a major role at de-throttled operating conditions. On the other hand, the tip vortex leakage of the single rotor and the pure tandem rotor are considered, showing the tip vortex taking a major role in loss generation and stall inception at throttled operating conditions, and interacting with the tandem stator secondary flow phenomena at the casing. Both these performance-limiting factors can be addressed by implementing hybrid aerofoils. The paper presents and discusses the improvement of secondary flow loses and aerodynamic performance based on steady-state RANS simulations.