A Computational Study of Axial Compressor Rotor Casing Treatments and Stator Land Seals

As fuel prices soar ever higher, aircraft manufacturers and their airline customers demand that the next generation of engines used on their aircraft push the limits of efficiency and capability. This study consists of a computational examination of two currently accepted methods of axial compressor performance improvement in terms of surge margin and efficiency, rotor casing treatments and stator land seals.ADPAC and Fluent CFD solvers were used in the analysis of circumferential groove casing treatments and two types of stator seals, one typical of a front stage stator and one typical of a rear stage stator. The computational solutions and visualizations allowed for greater understanding of the complex flows inherent in each of these features. It was found that rotor tip vortex control plays a large part in the surge margin gains from a circumferential groove casing treatment. The efficiency gains of knife seals were dependent primarily on the gap size of the seals.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2006

Author dc:creator

• Cates, Charles C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. James T McLeskey Jr.

• airplane
• surge margin
• efficiency
• turbomachinery
• Engineering

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/920

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1919