Valentina Motta, Leonie Malzacher, Dieter Peitsch
DOI Number: N/A
Conference number: IFASD-2017-137
Virtual control surfaces are assessed numerically as a means to enhance the aeroelastic response of a compressor cascade. Virtual surfaces are realized with plasma actuators placed on the pressure and on the suction side of the blade trailing edge. Advantages of plasma actuators over mechanical control surfaces are the absence of failure risks when operating under centrifugal and temperature fields typical of compressors used in aero engines. The plasmainduced flow is meant to be against the direction of the freestream. This allows for generating controlled recirculating flow areas and in turn modifying the effective blade camber and enlarging the actual chord. Computational fluid dynamic analyses with the blades at constant angle of attack show that the effects of pressure side actuation on flow field, pressure distribution and integral loads are comparable to those of flap-like devices. On the contrary suction side actuation yields effects which are analogous to those of wing spoilers. Traveling wave simulations for the torsion mode show that properly triggering an alternate pressure/suction side actuation during the pitching cycle improves significantly the blade aeroelastic stability. At the same time an effective reduction in the peaks of the oscillating airloads is achieved, with potential benefits for the alleviation of fatigue.