[en] High-bypass ratio engines are currently among the most investigated solutions to achieve efficiency benefits and noise reduction in gas turbine engines. When equipped with a gearbox, these engines enable an optimized operation of the fan and of the low-pressure core, resulting in reduced weight and fuel consumption. The higher spool speed allows higher pressure ratios per stage, and consequently a reduced stage count. However, all this contributes to an enhanced sensitivity of the engine components to the development of secondary flow structures and separations, with a consequent impact on the aerodynamic performance and stability. In this context, an experimental campaign was conducted at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics on a highly loaded axial compressor representative of the first stage of a modern booster. The aim was to identify the flow features responsible of the performance loss at the operating points and speeds considered more critical in terms of rotor inlet incidence. To this end, time-averaged instrumentation was employed to characterize the performance and to retrieve the distribution of flow quantities at different axial positions within the stage, while fast-response probes allowed for the detailed characterization of the rotor outlet flow field. Unsteady 3D simulations complemented the experimental results and supported this interpretation, especially in regions with limited instrumentation access. The experimental and numerical results emphasized the role of the secondary flow structures developing near the hub wall as the main drivers for aerodynamic stall, due to the enhanced loading in this blade region.
Toracchio, Riccardo ; Turbomachinery and Propulsion Department, von Karman Institute, 1640 Rhode-St-Genese, Belgium ; Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Liège, 4000 Liege, Belgium
Hillewaert, Koen ✱; Université de Liège - ULiège > Aérospatiale et Mécanique (A&M)
Fontaneto, Fabrizio ✱; Turbomachinery and Propulsion Department, von Karman Institute, 1640 Rhode-St-Genese, Belgium
✱ These authors have contributed equally to this work.
Language :
English
Title :
Experimental and Numerical Characterization of the Stable Operating Range of a Highly Loaded Axial Compressor Stage
Publication date :
03 February 2026
Journal title :
International Journal of Turbomachinery, Propulsion and Power
Hughes C. Van Zante D. Heidmann J. Aircraft engine technology for green aviation to reduce fuel burn Proceedings of the 3rd AIAA Atmospheric Space Environments Conference Honolulu, HI, USA 27–30 June 2011 3531
Owens R. Hasel K. Mapes D. Ultra high bypass turbofan technologies for the twenty-first century Proceedings of the 26th Joint Propulsion Conference Orlando, FL, USA 16–18 July 1990 2397
Grönstedt T. Xisto C. Sethi V. Rolt A. García Rosa N. Seitz A. Yakinthos K. Donnerhack S. Newton P. Tantot N. et al. Ultra low emission technology innovations for mid-century aircraft turbine engines Proceedings of the Turbo Expo: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Seoul, Republic of Korea 13–17 June 2016 Volume 49743 V003T06A001
Dickens T. Day I. The design of highly loaded axial compressors Proceedings of the Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air Orlando, FL, USA 8–12 June 2009 Volume 48883 57 67
Wang R. Yu X. Liu B. An G. Effects of loading level on the variation of flow losses in subsonic axial compressors Energies 2022 15 6251 10.3390/en15176251
Cruz G.G. Babin C. Fontaneto F. Axial Compressor Loss Sensitivity Analysis to Blade Row Design Parameters Proceedings of the Turbo Expo: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boston, MA, USA 26–30 June 2023 Volume 87080 V13AT29A012
Lewin E. Kožulović D. Stark U. Experimental and numerical analysis of hub-corner stall in compressor cascades Proceedings of the Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air Glasgow, UK 14–18 June 2010 Volume 44021 289 299
Yocum A.M. O’Brien W.F. Separated Flow in a Low Speed Two-Dimensional Cascade: Part I—Flow Visualization and Time-Mean Velocity Measurements Proceedings of the ASME International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exposition, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Cologne, Germany 1–4 June 1992 Volume 78934 V001T01A121
Ma W. Ottavy X. Lu L. Leboeuf F. Gao F. Experimental Investigations of Corner Stall in a Linear Compressor Cascade Proceedings of the Turbo Expo: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Vancouver, BC, Canada 6–10 June 2011 Volume 54679
Gao F. Ma W. Zambonini G. Boudet J. Ottavy X. Lu L. Shao L. Large-eddy simulation of 3-D corner separation in a linear compressor cascade Phys. Fluids 2015 27 085105 10.1063/1.4928246
Zambonini G. Ottavy X. Kriegseis J. Corner separation dynamics in a linear compressor cascade J. Fluids Eng. 2017 139 061101 10.1115/1.4035876
Choi M. Baek J.H. Oh S.H. Ki D.J. Role of hub-corner-separation on rotating stall in an axial compressor Trans. Jpn. Soc. Aeronaut. Space Sci. 2008 51 93 100 10.2322/tjsass.51.93
Dodds J. Vahdati M. Rotating stall observations in a high speed compressor—Part I: Experimental study J. Turbomach. 2015 137 051002 10.1115/1.4028557
Dodds J. Vahdati M. Rotating stall observations in a high speed compressor—Part II: Numerical study J. Turbomach. 2015 137 051003 10.1115/1.4028558
Toracchio R. Hillewaert K. Fontaneto F. Experimental and numerical characterization of the stable operating range of a highly-loaded axial compressor stage Proceedings of the 16th European Turbomachinery Conference, ETC2025-288 Hannover, Germany 24–28 March 2025 Available online: https://www.euroturbo.eu/publications/conference-proceedings-repository/ (accessed on 3 July 2025)
ANSI/ASME PTC 19.1-2005 Measurement Uncertainty American Society of Mechanical Engineers New York, NY, USA 2006
Gaetani P. Persico G. Technology development of fast-response aerodynamic pressure probes Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2020 5 6 10.3390/ijtpp5020006
Toracchio R. Fontaneto F. Hillewaert K. On the Impact of the Turbulence Model on the Secondary Flow Structure of a Highly-Loaded Compressor Stage Proceedings of the Turbo Expo: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Rotterdam, The Netherlands 13–17 June 2022 Volume 86113 V10CT32A041
Hadavandi R. Experimental Investigation of the Inlet Flow Field on a Highly Loaded Single Stage Low Pressure Axial Compressor. VKI Project Report 2016
Toracchio R. Fontaneto F. Hillewaert K. Steady and Unsteady Numerical Characterization of the Secondary Flow Structures of a Highly Loaded Low-Pressure Compressor Stage Int. J. Turbomach. Propuls. Power 2023 8 44 10.3390/ijtpp8040044
Babin C. Dumas M. Ottavy X. Fontaneto F. Numerical characterization of a HP compressor stage equipped with a closed shrouded stator cavity Proceedings of the Turbo Expo: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Virtual Event 21–25 September 2020 Volume 84065 V02AT32A036
Babin C. Ottavy X. Fontaneto F. Leakage flow impact on shrouded stator cavity flow topology and associated high-speed axial compressor stage performance J. Turbomach. 2023 145 051016 10.1115/1.4056698
Hadavandi R. Fontaneto F. Desset J. Complete characterization of a highly loaded low pressure compressor at different reynolds numbers for computational fluid dynamics simulations J. Turbomach. 2018 140 061008 10.1115/1.4039727
