DESIGN METHOD FOR TURBOMACHINE BLADES WITH FINITE THICKNESS BY THE CIRCULATION METHOD

This paper presents a procedure to extend a, recently developed three- dimensional inverse method for infinitely thin. blades to handle blade s with finite thickness. In this inverse method, the prescribed quanti ties are the blade pressure lending and the blade thickness distributi ons, and the calculated quantity is the blade mean camber line. The me thod is formulated in the fully inverse mode whereby the blade shape i s determined iteratively using the flow-tangency condition along the b lade surfaces. Design calculations are presented for an inlet guide va ne, an impulse turbine blade, and a compressor blade in the two-dimens ional inviscid- and incompressible-flow limit. Consistency checks are carried out for these design calculations using a panel analysis metho d and the analytical solution for the Gostelow profile.