An experimental and analytical investigation was conducted to gain insight and ultimately predict the dynamic flow response of a fan rotor with inlet flow distortion. Rotor exit total pressure circumferential profiles were accurately predicted using frequency response functions derived from experimental rotor response data. Using these predicted profiles, an initial attempt was made at predicting the dynamic (distorted) stage characteristics of the test machine with promising results. The first step of this research was an experimental investigation to gather unsteady rotor response data. The steady three-dimensional inlet flow of an isolated rotor subjected to inlet distortion was obtained using a five-hole pneumatic prism probe. Exit flow dynamic wake data were obtained using a piggyback steady/unsteady total pressure probe in non-nulling mode. Inlet and exit data were collected for eighteen different combinations of distortion level, operating point, and measurement span. Frequency response functions were generated and then averaged for each operating regime, span, and distortion intensity, assuming the data to be stationary and ergodic. These 'generalized' FRF's were used to predict the rotor exit total pressure profile. These pressure profiles were then used in an initial attempt to predict the dynamic stage (distorted) characteristics of the test machine. Best predictions resulted when an FRF was used for individual operating regimes, defined with respect to rotor blade mean aerodynamic loading. / Master of Science

This thesis involves the development and study of a finite element model of a hermetic, single-vane compressor and a single-phase alternating current induction motor assembled in a common housing. The manufacturer of this unit is experiencing a high scrap rate due to interference during operation between the stator and rotor of the motor. The rotor shaft of the motor is non-typical because of its cantilever design. The finite element model was first subjected to eigenvalue analysis. This revealed that the interference producing displacements were not the result of torque application to the rotor at a frequency close to an eigenvalue of the mechanical system. After a review of the literature and discussions with Electrical Engineering Department faculty possessing extensive motor experience, it was surmised that the physical phenomenon causing the rotor displacement was unbalanced magnetic pull. This phenomenon occurs in the air gap of rotating electric machines due to eccentricity in the air gap. The model was then subjected to simultaneous harmonic force inputs with magnitudes of unity on the rotor and stator surfaces to simulate the presence of unbalanced magnetic pull. It was found that the rotor shaft acts as a cantilever beam while the stator and housing are essentially rigid. The displacements due to these forces were examined and then scaled to develop the motor parameters necessary to produce the radial forces required for stator/rotor interference. Several recommendations were then made regarding possible solutions to the interference problem. / Master of Science

A parametric study was performed to observe and quantify the effect of varying turbulence intensities on separation and performance in a compressor cascade at low Reynolds numbers. Tests were performed at 25° and 37.5° stagger angle, negative and positive angles of incidence up until the point of full stall, Reynolds numbers from 6 x 104 to 12.5 x 104, and turbulence intensities from approximately 0.7% – 8%. Additionally, oil flow techniques were combined with static tap data to visualize the boundary layer characteristics at various test conditions. The overall performance of the cascade was presented and evaluated through mass-averaged total pressure loss coefficients. The results of the study showed that the best efficiency (lowest pressure loss coefficient) was determined by separation characteristics for any angle of attack. While adding turbulence generally delayed separation, in some cases, adding turbulence to a separated airfoil resulted in decreased performance. Very similar separation characteristics were observed for the full range of Reynolds numbers and stagger, with the higher stagger setting giving slightly better performance. It was shown that a large percentage of total pressure losses can be recovered by applying the appropriate turbulence intensity at any angle of attack, which is relevant to possibilities for active control of such flows. / Master of Science

An investigation of ion flow control was performed to determine the effect of a positive, DC corona discharge on the boundary layer profile along a flat plate and to examine its ability to prevent separated flow in a low-speed compressor cascade. Flat plate tests were performed for two electrode configurations at free-stream velocity magnitudes of 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 m/s. Boundary layer velocity profile data was taken to measure the performance of the electrode pairs. Ion flow control was also tested in the compressor cascade for a stagger angle of 25° at angles of attack equal to 6° and 12°. The cascade tests were performed at free-stream velocities of 5 and 10 m/s. Static tap data was used to characterize separated flow behavior and the effect of ion flow control on flow reattachment. A computational model was developed using the commercial CFD software Fluent. This model simulates ion flow control as a body force applied to the flow through user-defined functions. The study showed that the corona discharge has the ability to increase near-wall velocities and reduce the thickness of the boundary layer for flow over a flat plate. Ion flow control successfully prevented trailing edge separation in a compressor cascade for angles of attack of 6° and 12°; however, the flow control scheme was not able to prevent leading edge separation for angle of attack equal to 12°. The ion flow control CFD model accurately predicted flow behavior for both the flat plate and cascade experiments. The numerical model was able to simulate the boundary layer velocity profiles for flat plate tests with good accuracy, and was also able to predict the flow behavior over a compressor blade. The model was able to show the trends of separated and reattached flow over the blade surface. / Master of Science

Total pressure non-uniformities in an axial flow compressor can contribute to losses in aerodynamic operability through a reduction in stall margin, pressure rise and mass flow, and to loss of structural integrity through means of high cycle fatigue (HCF). HCF is a primary mechanism of blade failure caused by vibrations at levels exceeding material endurance limits. Previous research has shown total pressure distortions to be the dominant HCF driver in aero engines, and has demonstrated the damaging results of total pressure distortion induced HCF on first stage fan and compressor blade rows [Manwaring et al., 1997]. It is, however, also of interest to know how these distortion patterns propagate through a rotor stage and impact subsequent downstream stages and engine components. With current modeling techniques, total pressure distortion magnitudes can be directly correlated to induced blade vibratory levels and modes. The ability to predict downstream distortion patterns then allows for the inference of blade vibratory response of downstream blades to inlet distortion patterns. Given a total pressure distortion excitation entering a blade row, the nonlinear Volterra series can serve as a predictor of the downstream total pressure profile and therefore provide insight into the potential for HCF in downstream blade rows. This report presents the adaption of nonlinear Volterra theory to the prediction of the transport of non-uniform total pressure distortions through an axial flow compressor. The use of Volterra theory in nonlinear system modeling relies on the knowledge of Volterra kernels, which capture the behavior of a system's response characteristics. Here an empirical method is illustrated for identifying these kernels based on total pressure distortion patterns measured both upstream and downstream of a transonic rotor of modern design. A Volterra model based on these kernels has been applied to the prediction of distortion transfer at new operating points of the same rotor with promising results. Methods for improving Volterra predictions by training Volterra kernels along individual streamlines and normalizing total pressure data sets by physics-based parameters are also investigated. / Master of Science

This master thesis project consisted of three parts that all were performed through CFD simulations with the purpose to develop Scania's methods in the subject of CFD. All parts included simulations on Scania's SC92T70 centrifugal compressor. Part one consisted of performing a mesh study for the purpose of reliability, to investigate the convergence of different parameters by refining the boundary layer. The method used is an inflation option called First layer thickness. Five different meshes were generated where the Richardson extrapolation method was used to examine the parameters between the mesh renements. From the result from the examined parameters, an approximate relative error could be calculated to be less than 0.52 %, and a numerical uncertainty of less than 0.35 %, between Mesh3 and Mesh4. In addition to that, Mesh3 had a simulation time of one hour less than for Mesh4. These results motivated the use of mesh3 to be refined enough for further work in this thesis project. This mesh ended at 37, 915, 257 number of elements. The second part consisted of performing steady state CFD simulations, to examine different parameters in order to find indications of the phenomena surge. Here, experimental data was used as reliance to perform CFD simulations on the compressor. Design points from experimental data was used, that ranged from low mass flow rates where surge arises, to high mass flow rates where another phenomena called choke occur. Except for the design points taken from experimental data, a few extra design points where included at low mass flow rates (in the region of surge). The goal was that the analysis of the different parameters would generate fluctuations on the result for the design points in surge region. Four different rotational speeds on the compressor were examined, 56k, 69k, 87k and 110k revolutions per minute. A total of 140 different parameters were examined, where 10 of these indicated on surge. All of these parameters that indicated on surge where found in regions of vicinity to the compressor wheel, which are the regions subjected to the phenomena.The parameters indicating on surge where mass flow, pressure coefficient, static pressure and temperature. Indications where found at the wheel inlet, ported shroud, and wheel outlet interfaces. The indications were only found for the two lower rotational speeds of the compressor wheel. To capture the behaviour on higher rotational speeds, more design points in the region of surge are needed, or transient simulations. Part three of the thesis project consisted of investigating the methodology of performing a Conjugate Heat Transfer model (CHT) with the CFD code CFX. This part has not been performed by Scania before, so a big part of the problem was to investigate if it actually was achievable. The goal was to use this model to calculate the heat transfer between fluid and solid parts, as well as between the solid parts and the ambient. One question Scania wanted to answer was if the CHT model could generate aerodynamic performance that corresponds to Scania's traditional adiabatic model, as well as to experimental data of the compressor. In this part, both solid and fluid domains were included in the geometryto calculate heat transport, in contrast to the traditional adiabatic model that only uses the fluid domains. Because of that, a big part of the work consisted of defining all interfaces connecting together surfaces between all domains. This is needed to model heat transport between the domains. In the set up part in CFX, the CHT model differed a lot from the traditional adiabatic model in that way that the outer walls was not set up as adiabatic anymore. In the CHT model, instead heat transfer is allowed between the outer walls of the fluids and the solids. From the result simulations, one could see that the CHT model was able to compute the heat transfer between fluids and solids. It also managed to export thermal data such as heat flux and wall heat transfer coefficient to be used for mechanical analysis, which is an important part in Scania's work. From the analysis of aerodynamic performance, a conclusion was drawn that the CHT model was able to compute efficiency and pressure ratio that followed the behaviour ofthe traditional adiabatic model as well as experimental data. However, for lowermass flows, the CHT model started to underpredict which could be explained by the geometrical differences between the CHT and adiabatic model. By analysis of temperature, one could see quantitative differences compared to the traditional adiabatic model. For other parameters (static and total pressure), there were no experimental data to be used for comparison. Because of that, an important part in future work of this CHT method development is to perform more experimental test for CFD data to be compared against. Another important part to compare the models is to have an identical geometry. Without an identical geometry, deviations in result will occur that depends on geometry.

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