Analysis of the particle motion dynamics in the compressor to accompany erosion resistance testing of blade material

Article is dedicated to numerical simulation of the solid dust particles movement dynamics in the flow part of an axial compressor and to use of research results for testing the newly created materials and coatings of gas turbine engine (GTE) blades for erosion resistance. Aim of this work is to develop a methodology, which allows to relate the particles incidence angles onto the blades surface of a particular compressor with the sample installation angles in the experimental stand under test. This solves the problem of particles motion dynamics calculation in compressor interblade channel and particles incidence angles onto the blades surface are determined. Samples for testing in the experimental stand are installed at the found angles, that allows to reproduce actual working conditions of compressor in a dusty atmosphere. This approach allows to more accurately determine the erosion resistance of newly designed coatings for compressor blades. Task was implemented numerically in the ANSYS CFX software package in the Euler statement for the main flow and in the Lagrange statement for mean diameter of the solid particles ensemble, characterizing the group as a function of mass distribution. The Euler formulation of continuous phase flow includes mass and energy conservation equations, a complete system of Navier-Stokes equations in the Reynolds approximation and trailing equations of the turbulence model k-e. To determine the particles incidence angles onto the blades surface, a special subroutine has been compiled that is used for the CFX solver. Impact angles for various particle diameters are determined and from angles average values for each particle, a curve that describes dependence of particles incidence angles with the blades on the particles size was constructed.