Flow Regime Identification in Micro-thermal Systems

Liping Xu

Whittle Laboratory

Department of Engineering

University of Cambridge

Cambridge CB3 0DY

E Mail: lpx1@cam.ac.uk

ABSTRACT

Flow in turbomachinery of modern aero-engines constitutes some of the most challenges in flow predictions using either empirical methods or first principle based   methods, namely CFD, primarily due to the complexities of the turbulence involved in  the flow and lack of general understanding of them. 

This talk will focus on typical problems normally encountered in the compressors and   turbines of a modern aero-engine, discuss the problem areas from physics point of view. 

This series of talks will present the understanding of the turbulence in modern aero-engines and the modelling of turbulence as the key issues for CFD and
experiment alike. And finally try to explain how the problems could be tackled with well organised and coordinated fundamental research efforts, through general discussions and an example of a case study. 

Part 1.  Flow in Modern Civil Aero-engines - Challenges and Opportunities for 

Understanding and Modelling of Complex Engineering Turbulence;

Part 2.  Large Scale Low Speed Model Experiments for High Speed Flows in Turbomachinery;

Part 3.  Loss Mechanisms in Turbomachinery;

Part 4.  Route to Rotating Stall and the Role of Turbulence Mixing in Predicting Stall Inception - A Case Study.

The Speaker:  Dr. Liping Xu is University Lecturer in Turbomachinery at Cambridge University.  His main research area is turbomachinery for various applications but primarily those in aero-engines and steam turbines for power generations.