Turbomachinery component design by means of CFD

A short overview of the main techniques for turbomachinery blade design based on CFD is followed by a more detailed description on an Optimisation- and Inverse Design method, developed at the von Karman Institute. The optimisation method uses an Artificial Neural Network to extract knowledge from a Database containing the results of previous designs and a Genetic Algorithm to define the optimum blade. The inverse design method makes use of the Euler or Navier-Stokes equations to predict how a given 3D blade shape should be modified to reach a prescribed pressure or Mach number distribution along the blade surface. Examples of transonic compressor and turbine blades, designed by both methods, illustrate the potential of these modern aero-design systems. Special attention is given to the problems related to existence and uniqueness and to those features that facilitate the practical use of these methods

Correction for Streamline Curvature and Coriolis Force in a Boundary Layer Integral Method

Abstract The influence of Coriolis forces and streamwise curvature on boundary layers has been introduced into an integral method by adding a correction term to the dissipation factor. This correction term is related to Coriolis forces and streamline curvature in terms of a parameter β which was determined using existing experimental data. Theoretical calculations using this value of show good agreement with experimental results for a wide range of curvature and rotation numbers representing realistic conditions for turbomachinery applications.</jats:p