A Three-Dimensional Model for the Prediction of Shock Losses in Compressor Blade Rows

A design trend evident in newly evolving aircraft turbine engines is a reduction in the aspect ratio of blading employed in fans, compressors, and turbines. As aspect ratio is reduced, various three-dimensional flow effects become significant which at higher aspect ratios could safely be neglected. This paper presents a new model for predicting the shock loss through a transonic or supersonic compressor blade row operating at peak efficiency. It differs from the classical Miller-Lewis-Hartmann normal shock model by taking into account the spanwise obliquity of the shock surface due to leading-edge sweep, blade twist, and solidity variation. The model is evaluated in combination with three test cases. Each was a low-aspect-ratio transonic stage which had exceeded its efficiency goals. Use of the revised shock loss model contributed 2.11 points to the efficiency of the first test case, 1.08 points to the efficiency of the second, and 1.38 points to the efficiency of the third.