Experimental and Numerical Study on the Effect of OGV Clocking on ICD Performance

This paper presents a numerical and experimental investigation into the effects of compressor clocking and stage interaction on the performance of multi-stage axial compressors. The study focuses on the aerodynamic impact of the interaction between the intermediate compressor duct (ICD) and low-pressure compressor (LPC) outlet guide vanes (OGV). Experiments were conducted in Chalmers 2.5 stage low-pressure compressor facility, and numerical simulations were performed using a commercial CFD solver with a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence model. The results show that the clocking position can impact the OGV-ICD performance up to 3% compared to baseline with the dominant effects in the ICD where wake interaction impact transition and the secondary flow structures such as the radial traverse of the hub corner separation. This research provides valuable insights into the role of clocking in ICD design and performance, highlighting its importance as a design parameter. The study is the first to implement IR-thermography for flow visualization in a ICD under engine representative operational conditions.