Design of a multi-stage research compressor for cantilevered stator hub clearance flow investigations

This research focused on designing a multi-stage axial compressor capable of emulating several embedded stages of a Siemens industrial compressor for the purpose of studying hub clearance flows associated with cantilevered stators. The design process utilized mature one-dimensional meanline, two-dimensional throughflow, and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics techniques to match pertinent flow parameters including, but not limited to, total pressure ratio, flow coefficient, loading coefficient, and stage reaction. The results show the evolution of the compressor design through the techniques of increasing fidelity, and the data from each phase of the design process have been compared with the intended results. Ultimately, a three-stage axial compressor has been designed, with a constant inner hub radius of 286 millimeters, to produce an overall total pressure ratio of 1.5126 at a rotational speed of 6501 revolutions per minute