Effect of Unsteady Wakes on Boundary Layer Separation on a Very High Lift Low Pressure Turbine Airfoil

Boundary layer separation has been studied on a very high lift, low-pressure turbine airfoil in the presence of unsteady wakes. Experiments were done under low (0.6%) and high (4%) freestream turbulence conditions on a linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel. Wakes were produced from moving rods upstream of the cascade. Flow coefficients were varied from 0.35 to 1.4 and wake spacing was varied from 1 to 2 blade spacings, resulting in dimensionless wake passing frequencies F = fL_j-te/U_ave (f is the frequency, L_j-te is the length of the adverse pressure gradient region on the suction surface of the airfoils, and U_ave is the average freestream velocity) ranging from 0.14 to 0.56. Pressure surveys on the airfoil surface and downstream total pressure loss surveys were documented. Instantaneous velocity profile measurements were acquired in the suction surface boundary layer and downstream of the cascade. Cases were considered at Reynolds numbers (based on the suction surface length and the nominal exit velocity from the cascade) of 25,000 and 50,000. In cases without wakes, the boundary layer separated and did not reattach. With wakes, separation was largely suppressed, particularly if the wake passing frequency was sufficiently high. At lower frequencies the boundary layer separated between wakes. Background freestream turbulence had some effect on separation, but its role was secondary to the wake effect.