LAUSR

Abstract In this paper, a high-order distortion model is proposed for analyzing the rotating stall inception process induced by inlet distortion in axial compressors. A distortion-generating screen in the compressor inlet is considered. By assuming a quadratic function for the local flow total pressure-drop, the existing Mansoux model is extended to include the effects of static inlet distortion, and a new high-order distortion model is derived. To illustrate the effectiveness of the distortion model, numerical simulations are performed on an eighteenth-order model. It is demonstrated that long length-scale disturbances emerge out of the distorted background flow, and further induce the onset of rotating stall in advance. In addition, the circumferential non-uniform distribution and time evolution of the axial flow are also shown to be consistent with the existing features. It is thus shown that the high-order distortion model is capable of describing the transient behavior of stall inception and will contribute further to stall detection under inlet distortion.