EVALUATION OF FLOW-FIELD APPROXIMATIONS FOR TRANSONIC COMPRESSOR STAGES

The flow through gas turbine compressors is often characterized by uns teady, transonic, and viscous phenomena. Accurately predicting the beh avior of these complex multi-blade-row flow with unsteady rotor-stator interacting Navier-Stokes analyses can require enormous computer reso urces. In this investigation, several methods for predicting the low f ield, losses, and performance quantities associated with axial compres sor stages are presented The methods studied include: (1) the unsteady fully coupled blade row technique, (2) the steady coupled blade row m ethod (3) the steady single blade row technique, and (4) the loosely c oupled blade row method. The analyses have been evaluated in terms of accuracy and efficiency.