Investigation of the internal flow field for a subsonic stage of high pressure compressor through model testing

Abstract

A large-scale four-stage low-speed research compressor was designed to represent the flow field structure in a subsonic stage, which is the seventh stage of a high pressure compressor. The aim of the design work was to undertake a careful high-to-low speed transformation. The low-speed compressor was designed as an “approximate repeating-stage” configuration, in which the third stage is the model stage and is slightly different from the other stages, while the first two stages and the last stage set up inlet and outlet conditions for it, respectively. The tip–hub ratio, solidity, and aspect ratio of the low-speed research compressor were restricted to be as close as possible to those of high pressure compressor. The blade sections along the span were designed to match the distributions of high-speed surface static pressure coefficient; furthermore, stacking rules of high pressure compressor apply to low-speed blades. The low-speed blades have been tested at the 4-Stage Research Compressor Facility of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Detailed traverse flow measurements were conducted in the stator blade passages of the third stage and between blade rows, along with static pressure measurements on stator blade surface and particle image velocimetry measurements in the rotor passage. Experiment results show that due to the boundary layer separated below the mid-span of the rotor blade, the total pressure loss increases at the hub region of both the rotor and stator. In addition, the experimental results in the stator blade passage reflect the characteristics of the flow field in the bowed stator passage. The results indicated that the seventh stage of high pressure compressor needs to be optimized by inhibiting the boundary layer separation mainly on the rotor blade surface below the mid-span, which is our further work.

Keywords

Axial flow compressors compressor design model testing flow field measurement

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Chen

. Some issues in the research and development of aeroengine HP compressor in China. Aeroengine 2006; 32: 5–37. in Chinese).

Wisler

. Loss reduction in axial-flow compressor through low-speed model testing. ASME J Eng Gas Turb Power 1985; 107: 354–363.

Wisler DC, Halstead DE and Beacher BF. Improving compressor and turbine performance through cost-effective low-speed testing. In: International Society for Air Breathing Engines- ISOABE, ISABE- International Symposium on Air Breathing Engines, Florence, Italy, 5–10 September 1999.

Lyes PA and Ginder RB. Experimental evaluation of the high-to-low speed transformation process for a highly loaded core compressor stage. In: International Gas Turbine & Aeroengine Congress & Exhibition, Stockholn, Sweden, 2–5 June 1998, paper 98-GT-334. New York: ASME.

Lyes P. Low-speed compressor tests of swept and bowed blade designs. In: International Society for Air Breathing Engines- ISOABE, ISABE- International Symposium on Air Breathing Engines, Florence, Italy, 5–10 September 1999.

Gallimore

Bolger

Cumpsty

. The use of sweep and dihedral in multistage axial flow compressor blading part I: university research and methods development. ASME J Turbomach 2002; 124: 521–532.

Gallimore

Bolger

Cumpsty

. The use of sweep and dihedral in multistage axial flow compressor blading part II: low and high-speed designs and test verification. ASME J Turbomach 2002; 124: 533–541.

Wang

. Low speed model testing for high pressure compressor. Acta Aeronaut Astronaut Sin 2012; 33: 828–838. in Chinese).

Wang ZQ. Research on the Method of Low-Speed Model Testing for High Pressure Compressor. PhD Thesis, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China, 2010. (in Chinese).

10.

Horlock

. Flow through a repeating stage in an axial compressor: a reconsideration. J Turbomach 2004; 126: 677–679.

11.

Johnsen IA and Bullock RO. Aerodynamic design of axial-flow compressors. NASA SP-36. Washington, DC, USA: NASA Special Publication, 1965, p.36.

12.

Gilarranz

Ranz

Kopko

. On the use of five-hole probes in the testing of industrial centrifugal compressors. ASME J Turbomach 2005; 127: 91–106.

13.

Morrison

Schobeiri

Pappu

. Five-hole pressure probe analysis technique. Flow Measur Instrument 1998; 9: 153–158.

14.

Wernet

. Development of digital particle imaging velocimetry for use in turbomachinery. Exp Fluids 2000; 28: 97–115.

15.

Sanders

Papalia

Fleeter

. Multi-blade row interactions in a transonic axial compressor: part I-stator particle image velocimetry (PIV) investigation. J Turbomach 2002; 124: 10–18.