Analyses of non-clean surface compressor blade cascades’ aerodynamic performance deterioration

Abstract The efficiency and dependability of the engine are directly impacted by the compressor’s performance, which is a crucial part of gas turbines. The blade cascade is significantly influenced by surface roughness in terms of flow characteristics and aerodynamic performance. In this study, the NACA65-410 airfoil is selected as the research object to investigate the variations in blade cascade performance and flow characteristics under different inflow and roughness conditions. The results show that the smooth surface blade cascade performs optimally when the Reynolds number increases from 120,000 to 200,000. As the angle of attack increases from -5° to 8°, the blade cascade performance deteriorates, and the degree of performance degradation increases with the increase in angle of attack. For the roughened blade cascade surface, the performance initially improves and then decreases as the equivalent sand grain density increases, and there exists a critical equivalent sand grain density that maximizes the blade cascade performance. When the Reynolds number is 120,000, the critical equivalent sand grain density is 225 μm, and when the Reynolds number is 160,000, the critical equivalent sand grain density is 111 μm. Based on the findings of this study, the degradation pattern of blade cascade performance can be predicted, and it can be utilized to enhance the overall performance of the compressor.