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Experimental investigation on the effects of wake passing frequency on boundary layer transition in high-lift low-pressure turbines

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Abstract

Detailed experimental investigation was carried out to investigate the interaction of unsteady wakes with boundary layer in a high-lift low-pressure turbine. Extensive measurements about boundary layer character were conducted using hot-film and hot-wire methods. In-depth analysis of the effect of wake passing frequency on boundary layer transition was carried out. The strength of separation control and profile loss variation at two wake passing frequencies were also studied. The results show that wake-induced transition can be detected in the separating shear layer, and complex vortex structures are induced by the interaction between the negative jet of wake and separation bubble. The proportions of laminar, separation and turbulence friction loss in the total loss vary with wake passing frequency, which leads to the change in the total boundary layer loss. In particular, as the wake passing frequency changes, the laminar and turbulent friction loss show opposite trends, and this indicates that the best frequency can be achieved by balancing these two types of losses. For a given high-lift profile, an optimum wake passing frequency that will lead to the minimum loss exists.

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Abbreviations

C :

Chord

C d :

Bar drag coefficient

C p :

Pressure coefficient

C x :

Axial chord

E :

Hot-film output voltage

E 0 :

Hot-film output voltage under zero flow condition

f :

Bar passing frequency

f r :

Reduced frequency

H :

Shape factor

P :

Pressure

Re :

Reynolds number based on exit velocity and blade chord

RMS:

Root mean square

s :

Pitch

S 0 :

Total surface length

T :

Temperature, wake passing period

V :

Velocity

U :

Freestream velocity

u :

Local velocity

Y p :

Total pressure loss

y :

Streamwise normal coordinate

ϕ :

Flow coefficient

β :

Relative flow angle against axial (in frame of moving bars)

\(\tau\) :

Wall shear stress

\(\tau_{w}\) :

Quasi-wall shear stress

υ :

Kinetic viscosity

δ :

Nominal boundary layer thickness

θ :

Momentum thickness

0:

Stagnation quantity

1:

Inlet

2:

Exit

x :

Axial

is:

Isotropic

bubble:

Separation bubble

lam:

Laminar flow

TE:

Trailing edge

tur:

Turbulent flow

—:

Time average

~:

Ensemble average

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank DITDP for funding the research project. The support is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Aero-Engine, National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engines, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, XueYuan Road No. 37, HaiDian District, Bei**g, 100191, People’s Republic of China

    Yun Liang, Zheng-** Zou, Hou-**ng Liu & Wei-Hao Zhang

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  1. Yun Liang
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  2. Zheng-** Zou
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  3. Hou-**ng Liu
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  4. Wei-Hao Zhang
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Correspondence to Zheng-** Zou.

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Liang, Y., Zou, ZP., Liu, HX. et al. Experimental investigation on the effects of wake passing frequency on boundary layer transition in high-lift low-pressure turbines. Exp Fluids 56, 81 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-015-1947-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-015-1947-1

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