Study on secondary flow losses modellig in compressor cascades using Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes techniques

Abstract

The present study explores the feasibility of using the GEKO turbulence model in Ansys Fluent software to analyze secondary flow losses in turbomachinery compressors. This turbulence model includes free parameters that can be adjusted to enhance simulation accuracy. The model was calibrated to match reference data obtained from a Large Eddy Simulation (LES), by focusing on two dimensional simulations at the midspan of the compressor blade. Subsequently, the obtained calibrated values were used to perform three dimensional simulations. The calibrated GEKO model showed similar results to the default GEKO model, indicating limited improvement. However, both GEKO models outperformed the standard k − ω model in predicting pressure losses. Vortical structures, such as the tip leakage vortex, were captured by all simulations. The positioning of the vortex in the GEKO simulations was consistent with the reference data. However, the k −ω model showed displacements with respect to the LES simulation. These findings highlight the potential of the GEKO model for practical applications in turbomachinery compressor analysis.