Three-dimensional unsteady calculations were performed to explore the unsteady nature of tip clearance flow and its possible linking with the spike stall inception. It was found that the interaction of the broken-down leakage vortex with the tip clearance flow formed another distinctive vortex, denoted as the tip separation vortex. It formed below the rotor blade tip section and propagated diagonally inward. This vortex propagated across the rotor passage from the pressure side to the suction side with its vortex core filled with low-energy fluid. The spike emergence during stall inception included the breakdown of the tip leakage vortex and the formation and movement of the tip separation vortex.
InoueM.KuroumaruM.FukuharaM., ‘Behavior of tip leakage flow behind an axial flow compressor rotor’ASME J. Gas Turbine Power1081 (1986): 7–14.
2.
InoueM.KuroumaruM., ‘Structure of tip clearance flow in an isolated axial flow compressor rotor’ASME J. Turbomach.1113 (1989): 250–256.
3.
StorerJ. A.CumpstyN. A., ‘Tip leakage flow in axial compressors’ASME J. Turbomach.113 (1991): 252–259.
4.
StauterR. C., ‘Measurement of the three-dimensional tip region flow field in an axial compressor’ASME J. Turbomach.115 (1993): 468–476.
5.
LakshminarayanaB.ZaccariaM.MaratheB., ‘The structure of tip clearance flow in axial flow compressors’ASME J. Turbomach.117 (1995): 336–347.
6.
FoleyA. C.IveyP. C., ‘Measurement of tip clearance flow in a multistage axial compressor’ASME J. Turbomach.118 (1996): 211–217.
7.
SuderK. L.CelestinaM. L., ‘Experimental and computational investigations of the tip clearance flow in a transonic axial compressor rotor’ASME J. Turbomach.118 (1996): 218–229.
8.
KangS.HirschC., ‘Numerical simulation of three-dimensional viscous flow in a linear compressor cascade with tip clearance’ASME J. Turbomach.118 (1996): 492–505.
9.
SchlechtriemS.LotzerichM., ‘Breakdown of tip leakage vortices in compressors at flow conditions close to stall’ (1997): ASME paper no. 97-GT-41.
10.
FurukawaM.InoueM.SaikiK.YamadaK., ‘The role of tip leakage vortex breakdown in compressor rotor aerodynamics’ASME J. Turbomach.1213 (1999): 469–480.
11.
FurukawaM.SaikiK.YamadaK.InoueM., ‘Unsteady flow behavior due to breakdown of tip leakage vortex in an axial compressor rotor at near-stall condition’ (2000): ASME paper no. 2000-GT-666.
12.
YamadaK.FurukawaM.NakanoK., ‘Unsteady three-dimensional flow phenomena due to breakdown of tip leakage vortex in a transonic axial compressor rotor’ (2004): ASME paper no. 2004-GT-53745.
13.
HoyingD. A.TanC. S.VoH. D.GreitzerE. M., ‘Role of blade passage flow structures in axial compressor rotating stall inception’ASME J. Turbomach.1214 (1999): 735–742.
14.
VoH. D.TanC. S.GreitzerE. M., ‘Criteria for spike initiated rotating stall’ (2005): ASME paper no. GT2005-68374.
15.
WuY.ChuW., ‘Behavior of tip leakage flow in an axial flow compressor rotor’Proc. IMechE, Part A: J. Power and Energy221A1 (2007): 99–110. DOI: 10.1243/09576509JPE329.
