A Review of Turbine and Compressor Aerodynamic Forces in Turbomachinery

Aerodynamic forces due to blade-tip clearance eccentricity are a known destabilizing source in rotating machinery with unshrouded impellers. Dynamic forces also appear in shrouded impellers, due to changes in the pressure in the gap between the impeller casing and its shroud. These are load-dependent forces typically characterized by a cross-coupled stiffness coefficient (k > 0). This paper reviews the archival literature for quantification of blade-tip clearance induced forces and impeller-casing forces in both unshrouded and shrouded turbines and compressors. Most distinctive are the lack of experimental results and the indiscriminate application of simple formulas to predict k, including Alford's and Wachel's equations. The disparity in estimations of the destabilizing k extends to recent CFD models and results. Hence, rotordynamic predictions vary widely. This review reveals that engineering practice ignores accurate physical models that could bridge the gap between practice and theory. As the energy market shifts toward carbon capture and hydrogen compression, accurate knowledge of aerodynamic forces from unshrouded compressors and open impellers will become necessary in multi-stage rotors.