Novel Optimization Design Methods of Highly Loaded Compressor Cascades Considering Endwall Effect.

The endwall effect has a great impact on the aerodynamic performance of compressor blades. Based on three conventional near-endwall blade modeling methods of bowed blade, endbend blade and leading-edge strake blade (LESB), two combined optimization design methods of highly loaded blades have been developed considering the endwall effect in the current study, i.e., the bowed blade combined with the LESB (bowed LESB blade) and the endbend blade combined with the LESB (endbend LESB blade). Optimization designs were conducted for a compressor cascade with low solidity by using the two combined modeling methods and the three conventional modeling methods, and the optimization results were compared and analyzed in detail. The results showed that the five optimization modelling methods could all improve the performance for the original cascade, and the optimized cascade with the bowed LESB modeling method has the best aerodynamic performance. The total pressure loss of the optimal bowed LESB cascade was only 40.3% of that in the original cascade while reducing the solidity of the original cascade from 1.53 to 1.25 and keeping the static pressure rise and diffusion factor at the same level as the original one. Among the optimal cascades, the radial migration height of the low-energy fluid and the corresponding vortex have great effects on the aerodynamic performance, and the optimal bowed LESB cascade is superior to the other optimal cascades in this aspect.

Combined Flow Control Strategy Investigation for Corner Separation and Mid-Span Boundary Layer Separation in a High-Turning Compressor Cascade.

To comprehensively control the corner separation and mid-span boundary layer (BL) separation, this study proposed and evaluated two new flow control configurations. One is a slotted configuration composed of blade-end and whole-span slots, and the other is a combined configuration with end-wall BL suction and whole-span slot. Additionally, the adaptability of the combined configuration to the lower blade solidity (c/t) condition was verified. The results indicate that both the slotted configuration and combined configuration can eliminate the mid-span BL separation, but a better reduction in the corner separation can be observed in the combined configuration. The two configurations can remove the concentrated shedding vortex and reduce the passage vortex (PV) for the datum cascade, but the wall vortex (WV) will be generated. By contrast, the combined configuration has weaker WV and PV than the slotted configuration, which contributes to further reducing the corner separation. In the combined configuration with a c/t of 1.66 and 1.36, the total pressure loss is reduced by 38.4% and 42.1%, respectively, on average, while the averaged static pressure rise coefficient is increased by 16.2% and 17.6%, respectively. This is advantageous for enhancing the working stability and pressure diffusion capacity for compressors. Besides this, the combined configuration with lower c/t can achieve a stronger pressure diffusion capacity and smaller loss than the higher c/t datum cascade. Therefore, the combined configuration is advantageous to the improvement of the aero-engine thrust-to-weight ratio through decreasing the compressor single-stage blade number.

Dynamics of delay-coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo neural rings.

This paper studies the dynamical behaviors of a pair of FitzHugh-Nagumo neural networks with bidirectional delayed couplings. It presents a detailed analysis of delay-independent and delay-dependent stabilities and the existence of bifurcated oscillations. Illustrative examples are performed to validate the analytical results and to discover interesting phenomena. It is shown that the network exhibits a variety of complicated activities, such as multiple stability switches, the coexistence of periodic and quasi-periodic oscillations, the coexistence of periodic and chaotic orbits, and the coexisting chaotic attractors.

Dynamics of a multiplex neural network with delayed couplings.

Multiplex networks have drawn much attention since they have been observed in many systems, e.g., brain, transport, and social relationships. In this paper, the nonlinear dynamics of a multiplex network with three neural groups and delayed interactions is studied. The stability and bifurcation of the network equilibrium are discussed, and interesting neural activities of the network are explored. Based on the neuron circuit, transfer function circuit, and time delay circuit, a circuit platform of the network is constructed. It is shown that delayed couplings play crucial roles in the network dynamics, e.g., the enhancement and suppression of the stability, the patterns of the synchronization between networks, and the generation of complicated attractors and multi-stability coexistence.