Design strategy and relevant flow mechanisms of highly loaded 3D compressor tandem cascades

To investigate the design strategy of highly loaded tandem cascades at both the midspan and endwall, the overall performance and flow mechanisms of four typical tandem cascades based on the optimization were analyzed from multiple perspectives numerically. The results show that the interference effects on the Front Blade (FB) and Rear Blade (RB) should not be overlooked during the design phase, and the design strategies at the midspan and endwall are completely different. At the midspan, the optimization aims to increase the interference effects and the strength of the gap jet while maintaining the same load on the FB and RB. However, the endwall optimal airfoil exhibits weakening interference effects, advancement of the gap jet location, and load transfer from the FB to RB. Through further analysis of flow characteristics, the midspan optimal airfoil is beneficial for inhibiting the low-energy fluid from interacting with the suction surface of RB under the design condition, but results in earlier occurrence of corner stall. The endwall optimal airfoil helps suppress the development of the secondary flow and delay the onset of corner stall. Furthermore, by combining the benefits of these two design approaches, additional forward sweep effects are achieved, further enhancing the performance of the tandem cascade.