A Computational Model for Short-Wavelength Stall Inception and Development in Multistage Compressors

This paper presents a computational model for simulating axial compressor stall inception and development via disturbances with length scales on the order of several (typically about three) blade pitches. The model was designed for multistage compressors in which stall is initiated by these “short-wavelength” disturbances, also referred to as spikes. The inception process described is fundamentally nonlinear, in contrast to the essentially linear behavior seen in so-called “modal stall inception”. The model was able to capture the following experimentally observed phenomena: (1) development of rotating stall via short-wavelength disturbances, (2) formation and evolution of localized short-wavelength stall cells in the first-stage of a mismatched compressor, (3) the switch from long to short-wavelength stall inception resulting from the re-staggering of the inlet guide vane, (4) the occurrence of rotating stall inception on the negatively sloped portion of the compressor characteristic. Parametric investigations indicated that: (1) short-wavelength disturbances were supported by the rotor blade row, (2) the disturbance strength was attenuated within the stators, and (3) the reduction of inter-blade row gaps can suppress the growth of short-wavelength disturbances. It is argued that each local component group (rotor plus neighboring stators) has its own instability point (i.e., conditions at which disturbances are sustained) for short-wavelength disturbances, with the instability point for the compressor set by the most unstable component group.