Control of separations in a highly loaded diffusion cascade by tailored boundary layer suction

In order to explore the control mechanism of boundary layer suction on the separated flows of highly loaded diffusion cascades, a linear compressor cascade, which has separated flows on the whole span and three-dimensional separations over the suction surface/endwall corner, was investigated by tailored boundary layer suction. Three suction surface-slotted schemes and two combined suction surface/endwall-slotted schemes were designed. The original cascade and the cascade with part blade span suction were experimentally investigated on a high-subsonic cascade wind tunnel. In addition, numerical simulation was employed to study the flow fields of different suction schemes in detail. The results shows that while tailored boundary layer suction at part blade span can effectively remove the separations at the suction span, the flow fields of other spans deteriorated. The reasons are the ‘C’ shape or reverse ‘C’ shape spanwise distribution of static pressure after part blade span boundary layer suction. Suction surface boundary layer suction over the whole span can obviously eliminate the separation at the suction surface. However, because of the endwall boundary layer, suction surface boundary layer suction cannot effectively remove the corner three-dimensional separation. The separation over the whole span and the three-dimensional separation at the corner are completely eliminated by combined suction surface/endwall boundary layer suction. After combined boundary layer suction, the static pressure distribution over the blade span just like the shape of ‘C’ is good for the transport of the low-energy fluid near the endwall to the midspan.