• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.883-892
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• 2003

The experiment using three-dimensional laser Dopperr velocimetery (LDV) measurements and the computation using the Reynolds stress model of the commercial code, FLUENT, were conducted to give a clear understanding on the structure of tip leakage flow in a forward-swept axial-flow fan operating at the maximum efficiency condition. The tip leakage vortex was generated near the position of the minimum wall static pressure, which was located at approximately 12% chord downstream from the leading edge of blade suction side, and developed along the centerline of the pressure trough within the blade passages. A reverse flow between the blade tip region and the casing, induced by tip leakage vortex, acted as a blockage on the through-flow. As a result, high momentum flux was observed below the tip leakage vortex. As the tip leakage vortex proceeded to the aft part of the blade passage, the strength of tip leakage vortex decreased due to the strong interaction with the through-flow and casing boundary layer, and the diffusion of tip leakage vortex caused by high turbulence. In comparison with LDV measurement data, the computed results predicted the complex viscous flow patterns inside the tip region, including the locus of tip leakage vortex center, in a reliable level.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1106-1112
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• 1999

Substantial losses behind axial flow rotor are generated by the wake, various vortices in the hub region and the tip leakage vortex in the tip region. Particularly, the leakage vortex formed near blade tip is one of the main causes of the reduction of performance, generation of noise and aerodynamic vibration in downstream. In this study, the three-dimensional flow fields in an axial flow rotor were calculated with varying tip clearance under various flow rates, and the numerical results were compared with experimental ones. The numerical technique was based on SIMPLE algorithm using standard $k-{\varepsilon}$ model(WFM) and Launder & Sharma's Low Reynolds Number $k-{\varepsilon}$ model(LRN). Through calculations, the effects of tip clearance and attack angle on the 3-dimensional flow fileds behind a rotor and leakage flow/vortex were investigated. The presence of tip leakage vortex, loci of vortex center and its behavior behind the rotor for various tip clearances and attack angles was described well by calculation.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.1383-1388
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• 2004

The flow characteristics in the blade passage of a low speed axial flow fan have been investigated by experimental analysis using a rotating hot-wire sensor for design and off-design operating conditions. The results show that the tip leakage vortex is moved upstream when flow rate is decreased, thus disturbing the formation of wake flow near the rotor tip. The tip leakage vortex interfaces with blade pressure surface, and results in high velocity fluctuation near the pressure surface. From the relative velocity distributions near the rotor tip, large axial velocity decay is observed at near stall condition, which results in large blockage compared to that at the design condition. Througout the flow measurements using a quasi-orthogonal measuring points to the tip leakage vortex, it is noted that the radial position of the tip leakage vortex is distributed between 94 and 96 percent span for all flow conditions. High spectrum density due to the large fluctuation of the tip leakage vortex is observed near the blade suction surface below the frequency of 1000 Hz at near stall condition.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.404-411
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• 2003

Three-dimensional vortical flow and separated flow topology near the casing wall in an axial flow fan having two different tip clearances have been investigated by a Reynolds-averaged Wavier-Stokes (RANS) flow simulation. The simulation shows that the tip leakage vortex formed close to the leading edge of the blade tip on suction side grows in the streamwise direction. On the casing wall, a separation line is formed upstream of the leakage vortex center due to the interference between the leakage vortex and main flow. The reverse flow is observed between the separation line and the attachment line generated downstream of the trailing edge, and increased with enlarging tip clearance. The patterns of a leakage velocity vector including a leakage flow rate are also analyzed according to two tip clearances. It is noted that the understanding of the distribution of a limiting streamline on the casing wall is very important to grasp the characteristics of the vortical flow in the axial flow fan.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.131-136
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• 2002

A computational analysis using Reynolds stress model in FLUENT is conducted to give a clear understanding of the effect of blade loading on the structure of tip leakage flow in a forward-swept axial-flow fan at design condition ($\phi$=0.25) and off-design condition ($\phi$=0.21 and 0.30). The roll-up of tip leakage flow starts near the minimum static wall pressure position, and the tip leakage vortex developes along the centerline of the pressure trough within the blade passages. Near tip region, a reverse flow induced by tip leakage vortex has a blockage effect on the through-flow. As a result, high momentum region is observed below the tip leakage vortex. As the blade loading increases, the reverse flow region is more inclined toward circumferential direction and the onset position of the rolling-up of tip leakage flow moves upstream. Because the casing boundary layer becomes thicker, and the mixing between the through-flow and the leakage jet with the different flow direction is enforced, the streamwise vorticity decays more fast with blade loading increasing. The computational results show that a distinct tip leakage vortex is observed downstream of the blade trailing edge at $\phi$=0.30, but it is not observed at $\phi$=0.21 and 0.25.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.496-501
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• 2003

Reynolds averaged Wavier-Stokes simulations based on the Reynolds stress model was performed to investigated the effect of inlet flow angle on the distributions of the Reynolds stress tensor inside tip leakage vortex of a linear compressor cascade. Two different inlet flow angles ${\beta}=29.3^{\circ}$(design condition) and $36.5^{\circ}$(off-design condition) were considered. Stress tensor analysis, which transforms the Reynolds stress into the principal direction, was applied to show an anisotropy of the normal stresses. Whereas the anisotropy was highest in the region where the tip leakage vortex collides the suction side of the blade and tip leakage flow enters between blade tip of the pressure side and the endwall, it had the lowest value at the center of tip leakage vortex. It was also found that the magnitude of maximum shear stress at design condition was greater than that of off-design condition.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.606-616
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• 2003

A numerical analysis has been conducted in order to simulate the characteristics of complex flow through linear cascades of high performance turbine blade with/without tip clearance by using a pressure-correction based, generalized 3D incompressible Wavier-Stokes CFD code. The development and generation of horseshoe vortex, passage vortex, leakage vortex, tip vortex within tip clearance, etc. are clearly identified through the present simulation which uses the RNG k-$\varepsilon$ turbulent model with wall function method and a second-order linear upwind scheme for convective terms. The present simulation results are consistent with the generally known tendency that occurs in the blade passage and tip clearance. A 3D model for secondary and leakage flows through turbine cascades with/without tip clearance is also suggested from the present simulation results, including the effects of tip clearance height.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.845-850
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• 2003

Unsteady nature of a tip leakage vortex in an axial flow fan operating at a design and off-design operating conditions has been investigated by measuring the velocity fluctuation in a blade passage with a rotating hotwire probe sensor. Two hot-wire probe sensors rotating with the fan rotor were also introduced to obtain the cross-correlation coefficient between the two sensors located in the vortical flow as well as the fluctuating velocity. The results show that the vortical flow structure near the rotor tip can be clearly observed at the quasi-orthogonal planes to a tip leakage vortex. The leakage vortex is enlarged as the flow rate is decreased, thus resulting in the high blockage to main flow. The spectral peaks due to the fluctuating velocity near the rotor tip are mainly observed in the reverse flow region at higher flow rates than the peak pressure operating condition. However, no peak frequency presents near the rotor tip for near stall condition.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.28 no.8 s.227
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• pp.902-909
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• 2004

A steady-state Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes simulation was conducted to investigate the distribution of the Reynolds stress tensor inside tip leakage vortex of a linear compressor cascade. Two different inlet flow angles ${\beta}=29.3^{\circ}$(design condition) and $36.5^{\circ}$(off-design condition) at a constant tip clearance size of $1\%$ blade span were considered. Classical methods of solid mechanics, applied to view the Reynolds stress tensor in the principal direction system, clearly showed that the high anisotropic feature of turbulent flow field was dominant at the outer part of tip leakage vortex near the suction side of the blade and endwall flow separation region, whereas a nearly isotropic turbulence was found at the center of tip leakage vortex. There was no significant difference in the anisotropy of the Reynolds normal stresses inside tip leakage vortex between the design and off-design condition.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.336-345
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• 1998

The substantial loss behind axial flow rotor was generated by wake, various vortices in the hub region and the leakage vortex in the tip region. Particularly, the leakage vortex formed near blade tip was one of the main causes of the reduction of performance, the generation of noise and the aerodynamic vibration in rotor downstream. In this study, the three-dimensional flowfields in an axial flow rotor for various tip clearances were calculated, and the numerical results were compared with the experimental ones. The numerical technique was based on SIMPLE algorithm using standard k-.epsilon. model (WFM). Through calculations, the effects of the tip clearance on the overall performance of rotor and the loss distributions, and the increase in the displacement, momentum, and blade-force-deficit thickness of the casing wall boundary layer were investigated. The mass-averaged flow variables behind rotor agreed well with the experimental results. The presence of the tip leakage vortex behind rotor was described well. Although the loci of leakage vortex by calculation showed some differences compared with the experimental results, its behavior for various tip clearances was clarified by examining the loci of vortex center.