Modern turbomachines are designed towards thinner, lighter and highly loaded blades. This gives rise to increased sensitivity to flow induced vibrations such as flutter, which leads to structure failure in a short period of time if not sufficiently damped. Although numerical tools are more and more reliable, flutter prediction still depends on a large degree on simplified models. In addition, the critical nature of flutter, resulting in poor well-documented real cases in the open literature, and the lack of experimental database typical of engine flows make its apprehension even more challenging.  In that context, the present thesis is dedicated to study flutter in recent turbines through aerodynamic analysis of subsonic or supersonic flows in response to a prescribed vibratory mode of the structure. The objective is to highlight some mechanisms potentially responsible for flutter in order to be in better position when designing blades. The strategy consists in leading both experimental and numerical investigations.  The experimental part is based on a worldwide unique annular turbine sector cascade employed for measuring the aeroelastic response by means of the aerodynamic influence coefficient technique. The cascade comprises seven low pressure gas turbine blades one of which can oscillate in a controlled way as a rigid body. Aeroelastic responses are measured at various mechanical and aerodynamic parameters: pure and combined modeshapes, reduced frequency, Mach number, incidence angle. In addition to turbulence level measurements, the database aims at assessing the influence of these parameters on the aerodynamic damping, at validating the linear combination principle and at providing input for numerical tools. The numerical part is based on unsteady computations linearized in the frequency domain and performed in the traveling wave mode. The focus is put on two industrial space turbines: 2D computations are performed on an integrally bladed disk, also called blisk; its very low viscous material damping results in complex motions with combined modes and extremely high reduced frequency. The blisk operates at low subsonic conditions without strong non-linearities. Although the blades have been predicted aeroelastically stable, an original methodology based on elementary decompositions of the blade motion is presented to identify the destabilizing movements. The results suggest that the so-called classical flutter is surprisingly prone to occur. Moreover, the aerodynamic damping has been found extremely sensitive to the interblade phase angle and cut-on/cut-off conditions. 3D computations are then performed on a supersonic turbine, which features shock waves and boundary layer separation. In contrast, the blade motion is of elementary nature, i.e. purely axial. The blades have been predicted aeroelastically unstable for backward traveling waves and stable for forward traveling waves. The low reduced frequencies allow quasi-steady analysis, which still account for flutter mechanisms: the shock wave motion establishes the boundary between stable and unstable configurations. / <p>QC 20111209</p>

A pulsed-plasma jet (called a "spark-jet" by other researchers), is a high-speed synthetic jet that is generated by striking an electrical discharge in a small cavity. The gas in the cavity pressurizes owing to the heating and is allowed to escape through a small orifice. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the characteristics of the pulsed-plasma jet issuing into stagnant air at a pressure of 45 Torr. These results show that typical jet exit velocities of about 250 m/s can be induced with discharge energies of about 30 mJ per jet. Furthermore, the maximum pulsing frequency was found to be about 5 kHz, because above this frequency the jet begins to misfire. The misfiring appears to be due to the finite time it takes for the cavity to be recharged with ambient air between discharge pulses. The velocity at the exit of the jet is found to be primarily dependent on the discharge current and independent of other discharge parameters such as cavity volume and orifice diameter. Temperature measurements are made using optical emission spectroscopy and reveal the presence of considerable non-equilibrium between rotational and vibrational modes. The gas heating efficiency was found to be 10% and this parameter is shown to have a direct effect on the plasma jet velocity. These results indicate that the pulsed-plasma jet creates a sufficiently strong flow perturbation that is holds great promise as a supersonic flow actuator. An experimental study is conducted to characterize the performance of a pulsed-plasma jet for potential use in supersonic flow control applications. To obtain an estimate of the relative strength of the pulsed-plasma jet, the jet is injected normally into a Mach 3 cross-flow and the penetration distance is measured by using schlieren imaging. These measurements show that the jet penetrates 1.5 [delta], where [delta] is the boundary layer thickness, into the cross-flow and the jet-to-crossflow momentum flux ratio is estimated to be 0.6. An array of pulsed-plasma jets was issued from different locations upstream of a 30-degree compression ramp in a Mach 3 flow. Furthermore, two different jet configurations were used: normal injection and pitched and skewed injection. The pitched and skewed configuration was used to see if the jets could act as high-bandwidth pulsed vortex generators. The interaction between the jets and the separation shock was studied using phase-locked schlieren imaging. Results show that the plasma jets cause a significant disturbance to the separation shock and clearly influence its unsteadiness. While all plasma jet configurations tested caused an upstream motion of the separation shock, pitched and skewed plasma jets caused an initial downstream shock motion before the upstream motion, demonstrating the potential use of these plasma jets as vortex generator jets. The effect of the plasma jet array on the separation shock unsteadiness is studied in a time-resolved manner by using 10 kHz schlieren imaging and fast-response wall pressure measurements. An array of three pulsed-plasma jets, in a pitched and skewed configuration, is used to force the unsteady motion of the interaction formed by a 24° compression ramp in a Mach 3 flow. The Reynolds number of the incoming boundary layer is Re[theta]=3300. Results show that when the pulsed jet array is placed upstream of the interaction, the jets cause the separation shock to move in a quasi-periodic manner, i.e., nearly in sync with the pulsing cycle. As the jet fluid convects across the separation shock, the shock responds by moving upstream, which is primarily due to the presence of hot gas and hence the lower effective Mach number of the incoming flow. Once the hot gases pass through the interaction, the separation shock recovers by moving downstream, and this recovery velocity is approximately 1% to 3% of the free stream velocity. With forcing, the low-frequency energy content of the pressure fluctuations at a given location under the intermittent region decreases significantly. This is believed to be a result of an increase in the mean scale of the interaction under forced conditions. Pulsed-jet injection are also employed within the separation bubble, but negligible changes to the separation shock motion were observed. These results indicate that influencing the dynamics of this compression ramp interaction is much more effective by placing the actuator in the upstream boundary layer. / text

Modern turbomachines are designed towards thinner, lighter and highly loaded blades. This gives rise to increased sensitivity to flow induced vibrations such as flutter, which leads to structure failure in a short period of time if not sufficiently damped. Although numerical tools are more and more reliable, flutter prediction still depends on a large degree on simplified models. In addition, the critical nature of flutter, resulting in poor welldocumented real cases in the open literature, and the lack of experimental database typical of engine flows make its apprehension even more challenging. In that context, the present thesis is dedicated to study flutter in recent turbines through aerodynamic analysis of subsonic or supersonic flows in response to a prescribed vibratory mode of the structure. The objective is to highlight some mechanisms potentially responsible for flutter in order to be in better position when designing blades. The strategy consists in leading both experimental and numerical investigations. The experimental part is based on a worldwide unique annular turbine sector cascade employed for measuring the aeroelastic response by means of the aerodynamic influence coefficient technique. The cascade comprises seven low pressure gas turbine blades one of which can oscillate in a controlled way as a rigid body. Aeroelastic responses are measured at various mechanical and aerodynamic parameters: pure and combined modeshapes, reduced frequency, Mach number, incidence angle. In addition to turbulence level measurements, the database aims at assessing the influence of these parameters on the aerodynamic damping, at validating the linear combination principle and at providing input for numerical tools. The numerical part is based on unsteady computations linearized in the frequency domain and performed in the traveling wave mode. The focus is put on two industrial space turbines: 2D computations are performed on an integrally bladed disk, also called blisk; its very low viscous material damping results in complex motions with combined modes and extremely high reduced frequency. The blisk operates at low subsonic conditions without strong non-linearities. Although the blades have been predicted aeroelastically stable, an original methodology based on elementary decompositions of the blade motion is presented to identify the destabilizing movements. The results suggest that the so-called classical flutter is surprisingly prone to occur. Moreover, the aerodynamic damping has been found extremely sensitive to the interblade phase angle and cut-on/cut-off conditions.* 3D computations are then performed on a supersonic turbine, which features shockwaves and boundary layer separation. In contrast, the blade motion is of elementary nature, i.e. purely axial. The blades have been predicted aeroelastically unstable for backward traveling waves and stable for forward traveling waves. The low reduced frequencies allow quasi-steady analysis, which still account for flutter mechanisms: the shock wave motion establishes the boundary between stable and unstable configurations.

L’interaction onde de choc/couche limite en écoulement transsonique autour de profils aérodynamiques est étudiée numériquement utilisant différentes classes de modélisation de la turbulence. Les approches utilisées sont celles de modèles URANS et de méthodes hybrides RANS-LES. L’emploi d’une correction de compressibilité pour les fermetures à une équation est aussi évalué. Premièrement, la séparation intermittente induite par le choc sur un profil supercritique en conditions d’incidence proches de l’angle critique d’apparition du tremblement est analysée. Suite à des simulations URANS, la modélisation statistique la mieux adaptée est étudiée et utilisée dans l’approche DDES (Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation). L’étude de la topologie de l’écoulement, des pressions pariétales et champs de vitesse statistiques montrent que les principales caractéristiques de l’oscillation auto-entretenue du choc sont capturées par les simulations. De plus, la DDES prédit des fluctuations secondaires de l’écoulement qui n’apparaissent pas en URANS. L’étude de l’interface instationnaire RANS-LES montre que la DDES évite le MSD (modeled stress depletion) pour les phases de l’écoulement attaché ou séparé. Le problème de la ‘zone grise’ et de son influence sur les résultats est considéré. Les conclusions de l’étude sur le profil supercritique est ensuite appliquées à l’étude numérique d’un profil transsonique laminaire. Dans ce contexte, l’effet de la position de la transition de la couche limite sur les caractéristiques de deux régimes d’interaction choc/couche limite sélectionnés est étudié. En conditions de tremblement, les simulations montrent une forte influence du point de transition sur l’amplitude du mouvement du choc et sur l’instationnarité globale de l’écoulement. / Shock wave/boundary layer interactions arising in the transonic flow over airfoils are studied numerically using different levels of turbulence modeling. The simulations employ standard URANS models suitable for aerodynamics and hybrid RANS-LES methods. The use of a compressibility correction for one-equation closures is also considered. First, the intermittent shock-induced separation occurring over a supercritical airfoil at an angle of attack close to the buffet onset boundary is investigated. After a set of URANS computations, a scale-resolving simulation is performed using the best statistical approach in the context of a Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation (DDES). The analysis of the flow topology and of the statistical wall-pressure distributions and velocity fields show that the main features of the self-sustained shock-wave oscillation are predicted by the simulations. The DDES also captures secondary flow fluctuations which are not predicted by URANS. An examination of the unsteady RANS-LES interface shows that the DDES successfully prevents modeled-stress depletion whether the flow is attached or separated. The gray area issue and its impact on the results are also addressed. The conclusions from the supercritical airfoil simulations are then applied to the numerical study of a laminar transonic profile. Following a preliminary characterization of the airfoil aerodynamics, the effect of the boundary layer transition location on the properties of two selected shock wave/boundary layer interaction regimes is assessed. In transonic buffet conditions, the simulations indicate a strong dependence of the shock-wave motion amplitude and of the global flow unsteadiness on the tripping location.

Les objectifs de cette thèse sont d'étudier les capacité prédictive des méthodes statistiques URANS et hybrides RANS-LES à modéliser des écoulements complexes à haut nombre de Reynolds et de réaliser l'analyse physique de la turbulence et des structures cohérentes en proche paroi. Ces travaux traitent de configurations étudiées dans le cadre des projets européens ATAAC (Advanced Turbulent Simulation for Aerodynamics Application Challenges) et TFAST (Transition Location Effect on Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interaction). Premièrement, l'écoulement décollé autour d’une configuration de cylindre en tandem, positionnés l'un derrière l’autre, est étudiée à un nombre de Reynolds de 166000. Un cas statique, correspondant schématique aux support de train d'atterrissage, est d’abord considéré. L’interaction fluide-structure est ensuite étudiée dans le cas dynamique, dans lequel le cylindre aval possède un degré de liberté en translation dans la direction perpendiculaire à l'écoulement. Une étude paramétrique est menée afin d'identifier les différents régimes d'interaction en fonction des paramètres structuraux. Dans un deuxième temps, la physique du tremblement transsonique est étudiée au moyen d’une analyse temps-fréquence et d’une décomposition orthogonale en modes propres (POD), dans l’intervalle de nombre de Mach 0.70–0.75. Les interactions entre le choc principal, la couche limite décollée par intermittence et les tourbillons se développant dans le sillage, sont analysées. Un forçage stochastique, basée sur une réinjection de turbulence synthétique dans les équations de transport de l’énergie cinétique et du taux de dissipation générée à partir de la reconstruction POD, a été introduit dans l’approche OES (organised-eddy simulation). Cette méthode introduit une modélisation de la turbulence “upscale" agissant comme un mécanisme de blocage par tourbillons capable de prendre en compte les interfaces turbulent/non-turbulent et de couches de cisaillement autour des géométries. Cette méthode améliore grandement la prédiction des forces aérodynamiques et ouvre de nouvelles perspectives quant aux approches de type moyennes d’ensemble pour modéliser les processus cohérents et aléatoires à haut nombre de Reynolds. Enfin, l'interaction onde de choc/couche limite (SWBLI) est traitée, dans le cas d’un choc oblique à nombre de Mach 1.7, contribuant aux études de "design d'ailes laminaires" au niveau européen. Les performances des modèles URANS et hybrides RANS-LES ont été analysées en comparant, avec les résultats expérimentaux, les valeurs intégrales de la couche limite (épaisseurs de déplacement et de quantité de mouvement) et les valeurs à la paroi (coefficient de frottement). Les effets de la transition dans la couche limite sur l’interaction choc/couche limite sont caractérisés. / This thesis aims at analysing the predictive capabilities of statistical URANS and hybrid RANS-LES methods to model complex flows at high Reynolds numbers and carrying out a physical analysis of the near-region turbulence and coherent structures. This study handles configurations included in the European research programmes ATAAC (Advanced Turbulent Simulation for Aerodynamics Application Challenges) and TFAST (Transition Location Effect on Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interaction). First, the detached flow in a configuration of a tandem of cylinders, positionned behind one another, is investigated at Reynolds number 166000. A static case, corresponding to the layout of the support of a landing gear, is initially considered. The fluid-structure interaction is then studied in a dynamic case where the downstream cylinder, situated in the wake of the upstream one, is given one degree of freedom in translation in the crosswise direction. A parametric study of the structural parameters is carried out to identify the various regimes of interaction. Secondly, the physics of the transonic buffet is studied by means of time-frequency analysis and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), in the Mach number range 0.70–0.75. The interactions between the main shock wave, the alternately detached boundary layer and the vortices developing in the wake are analysed. A stochastic forcing, based on reinjection of synthetic turbulence in the transport equations of kinetic energy and dissipation rate by using POD reconstruction, has been introduced in the so-called organised-eddy simulation (OES) approach. This method introduces an upscale turbulence modelling, acting as an eddy-blocking mechanism able to capture thin shear-layer and turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces around the body. This method highly improves the aerodynamic forces prediction and opens new ensemble-averaged approaches able to model the coherent and random processes at high Reynolds number. Finally, the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI) is investigated in the case of an oblique shock wave at Mach number 1.7 in order to contribute to the so-called "laminar wing design" studies at European level. The performance of statistical URANS and hybrid RANS-LES models is analysed with comparison, with experimental results, of integral boundary-layer values (displacement and momentum thicknesses) and wall quantities (friction coefficient). The influence of a transitional boundary layer on the SWBLI is featured.

Les aubes des turbomachines modernes sont de plus en plus fines, légères et chargées aérodynamiquement. Cette tendance accroît l'apparition de phénomènes aéroélastiques tel que le flottement qui conduit à la rupture si l'amortissement est insuffisant. Bien que les outils numériques soient de plus en plus robustes, la fiabilité de sa prédiction demeure insuffisante. La nature critique du phénomène et le manque de données expérimentales pour des écoulements typiques de l'industrie encouragent des travaux de recherche. Dans ce contexte, la présente thèse est dédiée à l'étude du flottement dans des configurations récentes de turbine à travers l'analyse aérodynamique des écoulements subsoniques ou supersoniques soumis à un mode de structure vibratoire imposé. L'objectif est de fournir des éléments de compréhension des mécanismes potentiellement générateurs de flottement pour une meilleure intégration lors de la conception des aubes. L’approche consiste à mener des travaux expérimentaux et numériques. La partie expérimentale s'appuie sur un secteur de grille annulaire constitué de sept aubes dont une peut osciller de manière contrôlée. Les fluctuations de pressions instationnaires générées sont mesurées avec la technique dite des coefficients d'influence pour différents paramètres mécaniques et aérodynamiques : déformées modales pures et combinées, fréquence réduite, nombre de Mach, angle d'incidence. Complétée par des mesures de niveau de turbulence, la base de données vise à évaluer l'influence de ces paramètres sur la réponse aéroélastique, à valider le principe de superposition linéaire et à soutenir les codes numériques. La partie numérique se base sur des calculs instationnaires linéarisés dans le domaine fréquentiel en utilisant la technique dite des "ondes propagatives" (traveling wave mode).Deux cas de turbines spatiales industrielles sont étudiés.• Des calculs 2D sont réalisés sur une turbine monobloc ou blisk. L'amortissement mécanique quasi-nul entraîne des déformées complexes avec couplage de modes et des fréquences réduites très élevées. Bien que les aubes soient prédites stables, une méthodologie basée sur des décompositions géométriques élémentaires est présentée afin d'identifier les contributions déstabilisantes. Les résultats aboutissent étonnamment aux conclusions de la théorie du flottement classique : la torsion est une source potentielle d'instabilité. De plus, le coefficient d'amortissement aérodynamique a été trouvé extrêmement sensible au déphasage interaube et aux fréquences de coupure (modes cut-on/cut-off).• Des calculs 3D sont ensuite réalisés sur une turbine supersonique. L'écoulement présente des ondes de chocs avec décollement de la couche limite et le mouvement de l'aube est de nature élémentaire, i.e. purement axial. Les aubes ont été prédites instables pour les modes rétrogrades et stables pour les modes propagatifs. En dépit des fortes hypothèses, des analyses quasi-stationnaires rendent compte des mécanismes de flottement : la phase entre le mouvement du choc et l'excitation établit la frontière entre configurations stable et instable. / Modern turbomachines are designed towards thinner, lighter and highly loaded blades. This gives rise to increased sensitivity to flow induced vibrations such as flutter, which leads to structure failure in a short period of time if not sufficiently damped. Although numerical tools are more and more reliable, flutter prediction still depends on a large degree on simplified models. In addition, the critical nature of flutter, resulting in poor welldocumented real cases in the open literature, and the lack of experimental database typical of engine flows make its apprehension even more challenging. In that context, the present thesis is dedicated to study flutter in recent turbines through aerodynamic analysis of subsonic or supersonic flows in response to a prescribed vibratory mode of the structure. The objective is to highlight some mechanisms potentially responsible for flutter in order to be in better position when designing blades. The strategy consists in leading both experimental and numerical investigations. The experimental part is based on a worldwide unique annular turbine sector cascade employed for measuring the aeroelastic response by means of the aerodynamic influence coefficient technique. The cascade comprises seven low pressure gas turbine blades one of which can oscillate in a controlled way as a rigid body. Aeroelastic responses are measured at various mechanical and aerodynamic parameters: pure and combined modeshapes, reduced frequency, Mach number, incidence angle. In addition to turbulence level measurements, the database aims at assessing the influence of these parameters on the aerodynamic damping, at validating the linear combination principle and at providing input for numerical tools. The numerical part is based on unsteady computations linearized in the frequency domain and performed in the traveling wave mode. The focus is put on two industrial space turbines: 2D computations are performed on an integrally bladed disk, also called blisk; its very low viscous material damping results in complex motions with combined modes and extremely high reduced frequency. The blisk operates at low subsonic conditions without strong non-linearities. Although the blades have been predicted aeroelastically stable, an original methodology based on elementary decompositions of the blade motion is presented to identify the destabilizing movements. The results suggest that the so-called classical flutter is surprisingly prone to occur. Moreover, the aerodynamic damping has been found extremely sensitive to the interblade phase angle and cut-on/cut-off conditions.• 3D computations are then performed on a supersonic turbine, which features shockwaves and boundary layer separation. In contrast, the blade motion is of elementary nature, i.e. purely axial. The blades have been predicted aeroelastically unstable for backward traveling waves and stable for forward traveling waves. The low reduced frequencies allow quasi-steady analysis, which still account for flutter mechanisms: the shock wave motion establishes the boundary between stable and unstable configurations.

Les recherches sur les instationnarités des Interactions Ondes de Choc Couches Limites (IOCCL) turbulentes ont permis une description détaillée de celles-ci tant expérimentalement que numériquement . Ceci a conduit à plusieurs schémas susceptibles d'expliquer les respirations à basses fréquences observées dans de tels écoulements. Les configurations avec des conditions amont laminaires ou transitionnelles ont été moins étudiées.Dans le cadre du programme Européen TFAST, un important effort a été mené afin de développer des dispositifs expérimentaux, conjointement à des simulations numériques, permettant une étude détaillée de ces configurations. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, on a mis en place une configuration de réflexion d'onde de choc sur une couche limite laminaire pour un nombre de Mach de 1.68. L'utilisation des métrologies classiques (Anémométrie Laser Doppler, Anémométrie Fil Chaud), adaptées à ces conditions expérimentales particulières, a permis de décrire les propriétés spatio-temporelles de ces écoulements. Le champ moyen a été caractérisé et comparé aux théories classique et aux résultats obtenus dans différentes souffleries.Un schéma décrivant le mécanisme de transition à la turbulence au sein de l'interaction a été développé. Sa sensibilité aux conditions amont a été étudiée en plaçant des perturbations en amont de l'interaction. Dans tous les cas, des instationnarités convectives (haute fréquence) et stationnaires (basse fréquence) ont été observées et comparées à celles existantes pour les configurations amont turbulentes. Une gamme intermédiaire d'instationnarités convectives (moyenne fréquence) a été mise en évidence et caractérisée. / Research dedicated to the study of the unsteadiness of turbulent Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interaction (SWBLI) has allowed a detailed description of this kind of interaction both experimentally and numerically. Several scenario were proposed to explain the low frequency unsteadiness observed in separated SWBLI. Nevertheless, the literature on this kind of flow involving either upstream laminar or transitional conditions is quite reduce. Within the framework of the European TFAST program, an important effort was made to develop experimental devices, in conjunction with numerical simulations, allowing a detailed study of these laminar or transitional configurations. In particular, within the framework of this thesis, a shock wave reflection configuration on a laminar boundary layer was set-up, with a nominal free stream Mach number of 1.68. Using classical metrology (Laser Doppler Anemometry, Hot WireAnemometry) that have been adapted to these particular experimental conditions, we have been able to describe the spatio-temporal properties of the interaction. The mean field has been characterized and compared with the classical theories and the results obtained in other configurations.A model describing the transition mechanisms to turbulence within the interaction has been developed. Its sensitivity to upstream conditions was studied by placing perturbations upstream of the interaction. In all cases, convective (high frequency) and stationary (low frequency) unsteadiness were observed and compared with those existing for upstream turbulent configurations. An intermediate range of convective unsteadiness (medium frequency) has been demonstrated and characterized.