In the steady operation condition, the experiments and the numerical simulations are used to investigate the tip leakage flow fields in three low pressure axial flow fans with three kinds of circumferential skewed rotors, including the radial rotor, the forward-skewed rotor and the back- ward-skewed rotor. The three-dimensional viscous flow fields of the fans are computed. In the experiments, the two-dimensional plane particle image velocimetry （PIV） system is used to measure the flow fields in the tip region of three different pitchwise positions of each fan. The results show that the computational results agree well with the experimental data in the flow field of the tip region of each fan. The tip leakage vortex core segments based on method of the eigenmode analysis can display clearly some characteristics of the tip leakage vortex, such as the origination position of tip leak- age vortex, the development of vortex strength, and so on. Compared with the radial rotor, the other two skewed rotors can increase the stability of the tip leakage vortex and the increment in the forward-skewed rotor is more than that in the backward-skewed one. Among the tip leakage vortices of the three rotors, the velocity of the vortex in the forward-skewed rotor is th6 highest in the circumferential direction and the lowest in the axial direction.
Numerical simulation of three-dimensional flow field and film cooling effectiveness in film-cooled turbine rotor and stationary turbine cascade were carried out by using the k- ε turbulence model, and the predictions of the three-dimensional velocities were compared with the measured results by Laser-Doppler Velocimetry （LDV）. Results reveal the secondary flow near the blade surface in the wake region behind the jet hole. Compared with the stationary cascade, there are the centrifugal force and Coriolis force existing in the flow field of the turbine rotor, and these forces make the three-dimensional flow field change in the turbine rotor, especially for the radial velocity. The effect of rotation on the flow field and the film cooling effectiveness on the pressure side is more apparent than that on the suction side as is shown in the computational and measured results, and the low film cooling effectiveness appears on the pressure surface of the turbine rotor blade compared with that of the stationary cascade.
This article presents the flow mechanism analysis and experimental study of a forward-skewed impeller and a radial impeller in low pressure axial fan. The forward-skewed blade was obtained by the optimization design of the radial blade and CFD technique. Measurement of the two blades was carried out in aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance. Compared to the radial blade, the forward-skewed blade has demonstrated the improvements in efficiency, total pressure ratio, Stable Operating Range （SOR） and less aerodynamic noise. Detailed flow measurement and computation were performed for outlet flow field for investigating the responsible flow mechanisms. The results show the forward-skewed blade can cause a spanwise redistribution of flow toward the blade mid-span and reduce tip loading. This results in reduced significantly total pressure loss near hub and shroud endwall region, despite the slight increase of total pressure loss at mid-span.
