Shape optimization of multi-stage axial compressor blades using adjoint method with static pressure constraint at blade row interface

Adjoint method is an important tool for design refinement of multistage compressors. However, the radial static pressure distribution deviates during the optimization procedure and deteriorates the overall performance, producing final designs that are not well suited for realistic engineering applications. In previous development work on multistage turbomachinery blade optimization using adjoint method and thin shear-layer N-S equations, the entropy production is selected as the objective function with given mass flow rate and total pressure ratio as imposed constraints. The radial static pressure distribution at the interfaces between rows is introduced as a new constraint in the present paper. The approach is applied to the redesign of a five-stage axial compressor, and the results obtained with and without the constraint on the radial static pressure distribution at the interfaces between rows are discussed in detail. The results show that the redesign without radial static pressure distribution constraint (RSPDC) gives an optimal solution that shows deviations on radial static pressure distribution, especially at rotor exit tip region. On the other hand, the redesign with the RSPDC successfully keeps the radial static pressure distribution at the interfaces between rows and make sure that the optimization results are applicable in a practical engineering design.