Preliminary Numerical Study of a Rectilinear Blade Cascade Flow for a Determination of Aerodynamic Characteristics

Abstract

In the design process of blade arrangements in axial flow machines, it is extremely important to have the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoils in a rectilinear blade cascade arrangement. However, the source of these characteristics is often difficult to access. This paper presents a methodology for the numerical determination of the characteristics of the lift coefficient, drag coefficient and flow turning angle of the airflow as a function of the angle of attack, by using the example of a blade cascade formed by NACA 65-010 airfoils for the flow intake angle β1=30° and the cascade solidity σ=1. A numerical analysis of the impact of the numerical mesh parameters and the applied turbulence model on the obtained values of the lift coefficient, drag coefficient and flow turning angle of the airfoil in a rectilinear blade cascade has been performed. The numerical values obtained have been compared to experimental results. In this respect, satisfactory agreement has been obtained between experimental and numerical results, confirming the feasibility of numerical determination of the aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils in a rectilinear blade cascade.