• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2014

In order to research the relationship between the tip clearance and leakage flow of centrifugal compressor, a high speed centrifugal compressor was investigated by using CFD. A numerical study on the effect of four different rotor tip clearance sizes of centrifugal compressor, which were 0.5times, 1 times, 1.5times and 2.0times of the design tip clearance, was carried out. Efficiency and pressure ratio curves were obtained under different mass flow. The reasons of the clearance vortex and the factors of vortex size were analyzed. The result indicated that with the increase of tip clearance size, the performance of the compressor changed obviously, the performance parameters such as efficiency and pressure ratio tended to decrease obviously. While, the leakage flow does not always lead to leak vortex. The strength of the vortex increased with the tip clearance. The size of leak vortex was affected by the pressure difference between the suction side and the pressure side of blade tip.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1986-1991
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• 2003

To research on change of blade row flow field with tip clearance caused by upstream periodic wake, an apparatus that generate periodic wake through traversing cylinders were installed. Then how movement of upstream wake affect cascade flow and tip leakage flow were measured. Cylinder was installed in front of 50% of chord length, and traversing velocity was calculated at approximately 11.7m/s regarding inlet velocity and chord length. To measure three-dimensional velocity of flow inside blade row, single slanted hot-wire was used. From the results, when the periodic wake is inserted, the flow inside of cascade is dominantly affected by vortex that is generated from cylinder. This periodic wake affects passage vortex and tip leakage vortex.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.50-60
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• 2004

An experimental analysis using three-dimensional Laser Doppler Velocimetry(LDV) measurement and computational analysis using the Reynolds stress model in FLUENT are 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 operating at the maximum efficiency condition ($\Phi$=0.25) and two off-design conditions ($\Phi$=0.21 and 0.30). As the blade loading increases, the onset position of the rolling-up of tip leakage flow moves upstream and the trajectory of tip leakage vortex center is more inclined toward the circumferential direction. 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 the blade loading increasing. 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.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.294-304
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• 2003

An experimental analysis using three-dimensional laser Doppler velocimetry(LDV) measurement and computational analysis using the Reynolds stress model in FLUENT are 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 operating at the maximum efficiency condition ($\Phi$=0.25) and two off-design conditions ($\Phi$=0.21 and 0.30). As the blade loading increases, the onset position of the rolling-up of tip leakage flow moves upstream and the trajectory of tip leakage vortex center is more inclined toward the circumferential direction. 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 the blade loading increasing. 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.

• 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.12 no.2
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• pp.39-45
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• 2009

Leakage flow through turbine blade tip gap causes strong leakage vortex near the blade suction side and induces large aerodynamic losses. In this study, the conventional plane tip and various squealer tip blades were tested in a linear cascade in order to measure the effect of the tip shape on the total pressure loss. Three tip gap clearances of 0.6%, 1.3%, and 2.0% of blade span were tested. Flow measurement was conducted at one chord downstream from the trailing edge with a five-hole probe. Results showed that the leakage vortex was stronger than passage vortex and the mass averaged overall total pressure loss through the cascade was the lowest for suction side blade tip case. For all tested cases, the area averaged overall total pressure loss was increased as the tip clearance increased.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.102-108
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• 2002

Numerical analysis has been conducted in order to simulate the flow characteristics by tip clearance of turbine cascades. A 3-D Navier-Stokes CFD code based on body-fitted coordinate system, pressure-correction and finite volume method has been used along with a commercial CFD code. The present results have showed that the development and generation of leakage vortex, vortex within tip clearance, etc. are clearly simulated, consistent with the generally known tendency. The leakage vortex occurs mainly by a separation of leakage flow that arises due to a pressure difference between two surfaces of the blade at the tip.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1750-1757
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• 2003

This paper describes the flow measurements inside the blade passage of an axial flow fan by using a rotating hot-wire probe sensor from a relative flame of reference fixed to the rotor blades. The validity of fan rotor designed by a streamline curvature equation was performed by the measurement of the three-dimensional flow upstream and downstream of the fan rotor using a 5-hole pitot tube. The vortical flow structure near the rotor tip can be clearly observed by the measurements of a relative velocity and its fluctuation on quasi-orthogonal planes to a tip leakage vortex. Larger vortical flow, which results in higher blockage in the main flow, is formed according to decrease a flow rate. The vortical flow spreads out to the 30 percent span from the rotor tip at near stall condition. In the design operating condition, the tip leakage vortex is moved downstream while the center of the vortex keeps constant in the spanwise direction. Detailed characteristics of a velocity fluctuation with relation to the vortex were also analyzed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.84-94
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• 2003

It is known that tip clearance flows reduce the pressure rise, 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. Depen ding on the operating conditions, toad distributions and the position of shock-wave on the blade surface are very different close to the blade tip of the transonic compressor rotor. The load distribution and the shock-wave position close to the blade tip had the close relationship with the starting position of leakage vortex and the direction of leakage flow.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.160-167
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• 2008

The effects of squealer rim height on three-dimensional flows and aerodynamic losses downstream of a high-turning turbine rotor blade have been investigated for a typical tip gap-to-chord ratio of h/c=2.0%. The squealer rim height-to-chord ratio is changed to be $h_{st}/c$=0.00(plane tip), 1.37, 2.75, 5.51, and 8.26%. Results show that as $h_{st}/c$ increases, the tip leakage vortex tends to be weakened and the interaction between the tip leakage vortex and the passage vortex becomes less severe. The squealer rim height plays an important role in the reduction of aerodynamic loss when $h_{st}/c{\leq}2.75%$. In the case of $h_{st}/c{\geq}5.51%$, higher squealer rim cannot provide an effective reduction in aerodynamic loss. The aerodynamic loss reduction by increasing $h_{st}/c$ is limited only to the near-tip region within a quarter of the span from the casing wall.