Experimental and numerical study on the mechanism of leakage flow influence on the performance of high-speed diffuser cascade

For the purpose of further enhancing the performance of the cascade, this study takes the high-load diffuser cascade as the research object. By simplifying the design of the cascade with leakage flow in experiments, tests and numerical simulation were conducted at design incidence angle of 0° and the minimum loss incidence angle of -4° for different leakage flow rates and leakage inflow angles. The results show that changes in leakage flow rates and inflow angles will lead to variations in the momentum thickness of the boundary layer at the leading edge of the cascade, thereby affecting the cascade performance. Increasing the leakage flow rate results in an increase in the spanwise and tangential momentum of the leakage flow, a thickening in the axial momentum thickness of the boundary layer at the cascade leading edge, a reduction in the static pressure on the endwall within the cascade passage, a decrease in the expansion capability, and a raising in losses. Increasing the leakage inflow angle results in no change in the spanwise momentum of the leakage flow, an increase in the tangential momentum, a thickening in the tangential momentum thickness of the boundary layer at the cascade leading edge, a gradual increase in the static pressure at the leading edge, but a decrease in the static pressure within the cascade passage, leading to a decrease in the expansion capability. Changes in the tangential momentum of the leakage flow mainly affect the passage vortex, the trailing shedding vortex and the concentrated shedding vortex within the cascade passage.