Highly Loaded Turbines for Space Applications: Rotor Flow Analysis and Performance Evaluation

Abstract

The flow field in a supersonic rotor cascade has been analyzed for different operating conditions. Cascade performance, i.e., losses, blade pressure distribution, and inlet and outlet flow angles, are obtained by testing the cascade in a supersonic wind tunnel. A numerical investigation is performed by means of a Navier-Stokes code and a shock-fitting inviscid code. The computed results are discussed and compared to the experimental data so as to determine the degree of accuracy now achieveable in the prediction of flows characterized by high Mach numbers and large viscous effects. An analysis of the unique incidence angle for different inlet Mach numbers is carried out by numerical codes and simplified methods. The predicted incidence angles are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental data.