Analysis of Hub Corner Flow of a Compressor Cascade Using Dye Injection and Limiting Streamlines

A three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation based flow solver has been modified to accommodate multi-block computational domain and applied to investigate the flow features of a compressor cascade. Experimental investigation at different flow conditions conducted by Schulz [1] on the same cascade showed that the compressor was dominated by flow separation, hub and suction side flow stall and reverse flow around the trailing edge of the cascade. Extensive pressure distribution on all surfaces and qualitative analysis of the flow patterns using dye injection on all flow passage have been conducted by Schulz with the aim of providing a benchmark database for a comparison with computational codes. The purpose of this paper is thus to compare these results with that of computational results. The qualitative flow patterns obtained by dye injection have also been compared with that of computational limiting streamlines on the surface of the hub and suction surface corner. Finally, the flow patterns are analyzed using the critical point theory.