Numerical study about the effect of the low Reynolds number on the performance in an axial compressor

A three-dimensional computation was conducted to understand effects of the low Reynolds number on the performance in a low-speed axial compressor at the design condition. The low Reynolds number can originates from the change of the air density because it decreases along the altitude in the troposphere. The performance of the axial compressor such as the static pressure rise was diminished by the separation on the suction surface with full span and the boundary layer on the hub, which were caused by the low Reynolds number. The total pressure loss at the low Reynolds number was found to be greater than that at the reference Reynolds number at the region from the hub to 85% span. Total pressure loss was scrutinized through three major loss categories in a subsonic axial compressor such as the profile loss, the tip leakage loss and the endwall loss using Denton's loss model, and the effects of the low Reynolds number on the performance were analyzed in detail