Investigation of Water Rivulets Formation on the Pressure Side of a Linear Compressor Cascade Under Wet Compression

Abstract

The interactivity of the droplets with the surface of the blade is of paramount importance for understanding the physical mechanism of wet compression. Investigation of the formation of water rivulets over the compressor blades at various incidence angles is discussed in this paper. By injecting fine water droplets into a compressor cascade, numerical and experimental investigations have been carried out to study the formation of water rivulet and its propagation. The study has been carried out at various incidence angles. Through flow visualization, the wall rivulet formation over the blade surface is analyzed. Accumulation of water droplets over the blade surface is found to be less at a higher impact angle where the droplets disintegration is more. Shear forces arising from the neighboring flow drive the wall film toward the trailing edge, forming small rivulets. The amount of deposited water decreases with the increase in water droplet velocity. © The Institution of Engineers (India) 2022.