Experimental investigation of shock-induced separation and flow control in a transonic compressor cascade

Abstract

 The influence of transition control on shock-induced flow separation was investigated in a highly loaded transonic compressor cascade at an inlet Mach number of 1.21 and a chord-based Reynolds number of $1.4 \times 10^6$. Transition was influenced by raising the free-stream turbulence from 0.5 to 2.5%. Two further cases employed either air-jet vortex generators (AJVG) or a surface roughness patch as transition control devices. Velocity fields in the vicinity of the unsteady transonic separation were captured by particle image velocimetry (PIV). Blade flexure induced by the unsteady aerodynamic loading was tracked for each image and compensated individually prior to PIV processing. The captured flow fields indicate shape variations of the separation region, while the shock foot moves within a range of up to 20% of chord. The frequency of separation for each investigated case was assessed on the number of vectors with negative velocity in each PIV sample. To further quantify the size of the separation region, the statistically independent PIV samples were conditionally averaged for various passage shock positions at a resolution of 1% chord length. Insight to the dynamics and frequency of the passage shock motion was further provided by high-speed shadowgraphy. Large bubble separation occurs if the turbulence of the incoming flow is low. The size of separation region decreases when AJVGs are applied but still exhibits bubble separation as the passage shock moves downstream. The size of the separation region is significantly reduced either if a roughness patch is applied or if the turbulence level of the incoming flow is high. The flow conditions showing bubble separation in the mean flow also exhibit distinct spectral peaks indicating periodic shock oscillations.

Graphical abstract