An Integrated Quasi-3D Finite Element Calculation Program for Turbomachinery Flows

A quasi-3D calculation program based on finite elements is presented in the spirit of Wu’s approach. In this work, however, the flow along the S2 surface is replaced by the calculation of the exact mass averaged-pitch averaged flow in a meridional plane. Extra terms appear in this equation which result from the deviations from axisymmetry and which can be calculated from the knowledge of the blade-to-blade flows. Due to the mass-averaging, these terms represent the only interaction from blade-to-blade S1 surfaces to the meridional flow. The complete program is integrated in a single package requiring only ten percent more computer storage than each of the composing S1 or S2 codes taken alone. The various parts of the program are described as well as the interaction process and specific approximations. Example of calculations compared with experimental data are given, showing good agreement with experimental data.