The validation of rapid CFD modelling for turbomachinery

Good CFD calculations can be made to guide advanced turbomachinery design and development. The computing time and storage requirements, however, differ greatly from one computational approach to another and the resultant accuracy may well be debated. One specialist has suggested that most of the important effects in a turbomachinery blade row might be resolved using a coarse grid of only 30 000 nodes, while others insist on grids with ten times this node count. Arguments abound concerning the use of a wall law function as an engineering expedient. The present study draws on a set of seven (7) different stages, for which much measured data is available, and provides answers to these issues of sufficient depth to sensibly guide engineers in the economical and accurate utilization of their CFD tools. A base for rapid calculations is established; it is expected that the design future will focus intensely on agile, easy-to-use CFD as a base for advanced design development.