A 3D-Navier-Stokes solver was used to analyse the complete flow field of the 15-stage axial compressor of Siemens model V84.3A advanced gas turbine.
The paper presents the flow simulation including modelling of rotor tip clearances and bleeds for turbine cooling air supply. All computations were performed for coupled blade rows to account for the time averaged impact of interaction effects arising from adjacent airfoil rows. The evaluation of such two-blade-row calculations allows the update of the inlet boundary conditions for the following downstream two-blade-row combination. Successive computations from inlet guide vanes to exit stator thus yield the flow field of the whole compressor.
The main objective is the analysis of the numerical results. Special attention is given to the front stage, stage matching, endwall flow effects, tip leakage and the cooling air extractions. The comparison to experimental data of the full load gas turbine test facility generally shows a good agreement. The results demonstrate the reliability and power of a modern CFD tool to perform advanced design studies, geometry modifications and calibration of fast 2D-Codes more efficiently and less expensively than performing any physical experiments.
