A Numerical Study of the Effects of Blade Tip Clearance on the Performance of a Multi-Stage Transonic Axial Compressor

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran 15875-4413, Iran

Abstract

Compressors are integral components in various industrial systems, ranging from standalone units in process plants to essential parts of gas turbines. Given the widespread application of compressors, improving their performance and expanding their operating range are of great importance, leading to extensive studies on this subject and the factors affecting it. In this study, the effect of blade tip clearance on the performance of a transonic multistage compressor was investigated using numerical simulation. First, a baseline NASA compressor was simulated and validated using available data. Additionally, a single-stage simulation of each compressor stage was conducted and validated by comparison with the multi-stage simulation results. Subsequently, the impact of increasing rotor clearances to 1.5 and 2 times the baseline level was examined in three different scenarios: increasing clearance for all rotors, only the first rotor, or only the second rotor. The results indicate that among these two rotors, the one with the larger clearance is the primary source of instability. Furthermore, the operating range of the compressor remains almost unchanged compared to the scenario where the clearance of all rotors is increased uniformly.

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References

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Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 57, Issue 2
2025
Pages 187-214

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