Investigations of Shock/Boundary-Layer Interaction in a Highly Loaded Compressor Cascade

Abstract

Experimental investigations of the shock/boundary-layer interaction were carried out in a highly loaded compressor cascade under realistic turbomachinery conditions in order to improve the accuracy of semi-empirical flow and loss prediction methods. Different shock positions and strengths were obtained by variations of inlet flow angle and inlet Mach number. The free stream turbulence intensity, depending on the inlet Mach number, changed between 4% and 8%. The influence of the inlet Reynolds number based on blade chord is also examined for two different values (Re1=450000, 900000). Schlieren pictures of the transonic cascade flow reveal an unsteady flow behavior with different shock configurations, depending on the pre-shock Mach number. Wake distributions and boundary-layer measurements with the Laser two-focus velocimetry show that the increase of total pressure loss with increasing inlet Mach number is mainly due to the shock/boundary-layer interaction. The shock interaction with a laminar/transitional boundary-layer causes a wide streamwise pressure diffusion, clearly shown by profile pressure distributions. This has a strong influence on the flow outside of the boundary-layer presented by a quantitative Schlieren image. The transition process, investigated with the analysis of thin-film signals, is induced by the shock-wave and occurs above a separated-flow region. At the higher Reynolds number a shock-induced transition takes place without separation.