The tip leakage flow between a blade and a casing wall has a strong impact on compressor pressure rise capability, efficiency, and stability. Consequently, there is a strong motivation to look for means to minimize its impact on performance. This paper presents the potential of passive tip leakage flow control to increase the aerodynamic performance of highly loaded compressor blades. Experimental investigations on a linear compressor cascade equipped with blade winglets mounted to the blade tips have been carried out. Results for a variation of the tip clearance and the winglet geometry are presented. Current results indicate that the use of proper tip winglets in a compressor cascade can positively affect the local aerodynamic field by weakening the tip leakage vortex. Results also show that the suction-side winglets are aerodynamically superior to the pressure-side or combined winglets. The suction-side winglets are capable of reducing the exit total pressure loss associated with the tip leakage flow and the passage secondary flow to a significant degree.

Nowadays, high aerodynamic load has made blade separation an issue for compact axial compressors under high-altitude low-Reynolds-number conditions. In this study, herringbone grooves inspired by bird feathers were applied to suppress the suction side separation and reduce loss. To study the effect of bio-inspired herringbone grooves on the aerodynamic performance of compressor cascades, a high subsonic compressor cascade was taken as the research object. Under the conditions of different Reynolds numbers, the effects of herringbone grooves of different depths on the flow separation were numerically studied. The research results show that at a high-Reynolds-number condition (Re = 5.6 × 10⁵), the sawtooth-shaped wake induced by herringbone grooves increases the turbulent mixing loss near the suction surface, and the blade performance deteriorates. At a low-Reynolds-number condition (Re = 1.3 × 10⁵), the span-wise secondary flow and micro-vortex structure induced by the herringbone grooves effectively suppress the laminar separation on the suction surface of the blade, and there is an optimal depth for the herringbone grooves that reduces the profile loss by 8.33% and increases the static pressure ratio by 0.55%. The selection principle of the optimal groove depth with the Re is discussed based on the research results under six low-Reynolds-number conditions.