The Unsteady Shock-Boundary Layer Interaction in a Compressor Cascade – Part 3: Mechanisms of Shock Oscillation

Abstract The shock-boundary layer interaction in transonic flows is known to cause strong unsteady flow effects that negatively affect the performance and operability of blade and cascade designs. Despite decades of research on the subject, little is still known about the physical mechanisms that drive the different oscillation frequencies observed with different designs. In the conclusion of this three-part series, the experimental and numerical data obtained with the Transonic Cascade TEAMAero are analyzed together in detail in order to test the main theories of continuous shock oscillation. This analysis exposes a main mechanism of shock oscillation, where pressure waves generated inside the passage of the cascade propagate upstream and interact strongly with the main shock when the latter is also in the passage. The interaction of these features causes a breakdown of the flow that is shown to propagate upstream, inevitably causing strong variations in the inflow angle and therefore on the operating conditions of the cascade. The high frequency content of these pressure waves is also shown to be responsible for weaker high-frequency variations of the shock movement throughout the cycle. Parallels are also drawn with previous experimental campaigns in order to search for a global understanding of the different observations made. Although various parts of the described interaction are not fully understood yet, and the dataset of experimental measurements compiled is still rather small, a good basis is provided on which to further study the underlying mechanisms of unsteady flows in transonic cascades.