Effects of bird feather-like convergent–divergent-riblet surfaces on the total pressure loss and wake turbulence of a transonic compressor cascade

Abstract

The flow loss caused by the fan blades in a turbofan engine with a large bypass ratio is significant, and the wake considerably affects the inlet flow of downstream components. Surfaces with bird feather-like convergent–divergent (C–D) riblets have been proven to modulate the boundary layer flow by inducing counter-rotating rolling modes; however, the effects of these surfaces on the total pressure loss and wake turbulence of transonic compressor cascades remain unexplored. In this study, the effects of C–D-riblet surfaces on the total pressure loss and wake turbulence of a transonic compressor cascade were experimentally investigated using a five-hole probe and hot-wire measurements. The flow-loss-control effects of C–D-riblet surfaces with different characteristic lengths were also analyzed. The most significant reduction in the area-averaged total pressure loss (11.23%) was achieved using a C–D-riblet surface with a characteristic length of 30 μm at a Mach number of 0.94; this total pressure loss reduction corresponded to an increase in the mean velocity and a decrease in the turbulence intensity of the wake profile. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the loss control varied significantly with the spreading position of the C–D riblets. The optimal control effect was observed in the divergence-line region, and the control was slightly less effective as the measurement position neared the convergence line. This paper demonstrates the promising potential of using C–D riblets to achieve flow loss control in transonic compressor cascades.