Development of a 3D Navier Stokes solver for application to all types of turbomachinery

Abstract

This paper describes the current stage of development of a code aimed at solving the 3D Navier-Stokes equations in any type of turbomachinery geometry. The basic algorithm time marches the fully 3D unsteady equations of motion expressed in finite volume form with a two step explicit/one step implicit method. Full multigrid acceleration is used to reduce solution time and maintain code performance on fine meshes. Turbulence modelling is via mixing-length closure and the widely used Baldwin-Lomax model. The generality and robustness of the code is demonstrated by application to five different test cases, three axial and two radial configurations. Also included is a grid independence study which demonstrates near grid independent solutions for transonic compressor cascade flow (albeit with the actual result subject to transition modelling constraints). For two of the axial cases (transonic compressor in cascade, secondary flow in a high speed compressor) and one radial case (Eckardt high speed impellor) sufficient mesh is employed for the predictions to be essentially quantitative. The other two cases (radial inflow turbine with clearance and compressor stator with hub clearance) are really simulations rather than predictions, but are included as the flows are novel and provide much physical insight.