• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.979-989
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• 2004

Numerical simulations have been performed to investigate tip clearance effect on through-flow and performance of a centrifugal compressor which has the same configuration of impeller with six different tip clearances. Secondary flow and loss distribution have been surveyed to understand the flow mechanism due to the tip clearance. Tip leakage flow strongly interacts with mainstream flow and considerably changes the secondary flow and the loss distribution inside the impeller passage. A method has been described to quantitatively estimate the tip clearance effect on the performance drop and the efficiency drop. The tip clearance has caused specific work reduction and additional entropy generation. The former, which is called inviscid loss, is independent of any internal loss and the latter, which is called viscous loss, is dependent on every loss in the flow passage. Two components equally affected the performance drop as the tip clearances were small, while the efficiency drop was influenced by the viscous component alone. The additional entropy generation was modeled with all the kinetic energy of the tip leakage flow. Therefore, the present paper can provide how to quantitatively estimate the tip clearance effect on the performance and efficiency.

• 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.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1998.12a
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• pp.240-247
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• 1998

Leakage vortices formed near blade tip causes an increase of total pressure loss near casing endwall region and as a result, the efficiency of rotor decreases. The reduction of rotor efficiency is related to the size of tip clearance. In this study, the three-dimensional flowfields 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 effects of tip clearance and attack angle on the leakage vortex and overall performance, and the less distributions were investigated through numerical calculations. In this study, tip leakage flow rate and total pressure loss by tip clearance were evaluated using numerical results and aprroximate equations were presented to evaluate the reduction of rotor efficiency by tip leakage flow.

• 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.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.735-745
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• 2004

A linear cascade of NACA 65-1810 profiles are investigated for tip leakage flow characteristics. and calculation results are compared with experimental result. STAR-CD commercial code was used to solve the three dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equation that was adopted for steady flow and high Reynolds $\kappa$- $\varepsilon$turbulent model. Numerical calculation of a linear cascade is carried out to investigate effect of tip clearance on pitchwise variations of velocity Profiles. and static pressure distributions on the blade surface at spanwise positions. In case of evolution of tip vortex core location. tip vortex geometry and static pressure at the center of the tip vortex core compared with experimental results. Calculation results are agreed well with the experimental data, and validated. The static pressure losses by tip leakage flow at 2% tip clearance were more than those at 1% tip clearance.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.187-192
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• 2003

The heat (mass) transfer characteristics in the tip-leakage flow region of a high-turning first-stage turbine rotor blade has been investigated by employing the naphthalene sublimation technique. The heat transfer data in the tip-leakage flow area for the tip clearance-to-span ratio, h/s, of 2.0% are compared with those in endwall three-dimensional flow region without tip clearance (h/s = 0.0 %). The result shows that the thermal load in the tip-leakage flow region for h/s = 2.0% is more severe than that in the endwall flow region for h/s = 0.0%. The thermal loads even at the leading and trailing edges for h/s = 2.0% are found larger than those for h/s = 0.0%. The tip-leakage flow results in heat transfer augmentations near the tip on both pressure and suction sides in comparison with the mid-span results.

• 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.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1113-1120
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• 1999

Leakage vortices fonned near the blade tip cause an increase of total pressure loss near the casing endwall region and as a result, the efficiency of rotor decreases. The reduction of rotor efficiency is related to the size of tip clearance. 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 effects of tip clearance and the of attack on the leakage vortex and overall performance, and the los9 distributions were investigated through numerical calculations. In this study, tip leakage flow rate and total pressure loss due to the tip clearance were evaluated using numerical results and approximate equations were presented to evaluate the reduction of rotor efficiency due to the tip leakage flow.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2012

Three dimensional unsteady numerical calculations were performed to investigate unsteadiness of the tip leakage flow in an axial compressor. The first stage of the four-stage low-speed research axial compressor was examined. Since this compressor has a relatively large tip clearance, the unsteadiness of the tip leakage flow is induced. Through the results from the unsteady calculations, the process of the induced unsteady tip leakage flow was investigated. It was shown that the leakage flow that occurred at a rotor blade tip clearance affected the pressure distribution on the pressure side near the tip of the adjacent blade, thus caused the fluctuation of the pressure difference between the pressure side and suction side. Consequently, the unsteady tip leakage flow was induced at the adjacent rotor blade. The unsteady feature of the tip leakage flow was changed as the operating point was moved. The interface between the tip leakage flow and the main flow only affected the trailing edge region at the design point whereas the interface influenced up to the leading edge at the low flow rate point. As the flow rate decreased, additionally, it was seen that the vortex size of the tip leakage flow increased and the relatively large length scale disturbance occurred. On the other hand, using frequency analysis, it was shown that the unsteadiness was not associated with the rotor speed and was about 40% of the blade passing frequency. This feature was explained in the rotor relative frame of reference, and the frequency decreased as the flow rate decreased.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.244-249
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• 2002

It is known that tip clearance flows reduce the pressure rin, flow range and efficiency of the turbomachinery. So, the clear understanding about flow fields in the tip region is needed to efficiently design the turbomachinery. The Navier-Stokes code with the proper treatment of the boundary conditions has been developed to analyze the three-dimensional steady viscous flow fields in the transonic rotating blades and a numerical study has been conducted to investigate the detail flow physics in the tip region of transonic rotor, NASA Rotor 67. The computational results in the tip region of transonic rotors show the leakage vortices, leakage flow from pressure side to suction side and their interaction with a shock Depending on the operating conditions, the position of shock-wave on the blade surface are v8y different close to the blade tip of the transonic compressor rotor. The shock-wave position dose to the blade tip had the dose relationship with the starting position of leakage vortex and the direction of leakage flow.