Numerical simulation of the influence of a fillet and a bulb on the secondary flow in a compressor cascade

Large fillet radii are typically found on highly loaded compressor rotors to ensure structural integrity. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of such real geometry effects on the flow at the hub section. Investigations were performed numerically for the idealised case of a plane compressor cascade with the 3D Navier-Stokes code TRACE_S. Realistic inlet boundary layer displacement thickness and typical loading levels close to stall are considered at low inlet Mach numbers Ma1 = 0.23. A large fillet with a relative radius of 16% chord length is considered as well as a 3D leading edge bulb-configuration designed at TU Dresden. The results are discussed in terms of iso-Mach surfaces, secondary flow patterns and spanwise incidence and turning. A complex 3D vortex system rises from the fillet radius, which improves the aerodynamic behaviour of the cascade at the end-wall section. With the bulb configuration the suction surface horse-shoe vortex leg was demonstrated to weaken the undesirable cross flow and by that to reduce the hazard of corner stall.