Axial compressor systems are essential in gas-turbine engines for aviation and power generation. An issue related to compressor operation is non-uniformity in the fluid properties in the approach flow to the compressor. These non-uniformities may include temperature or pressure variations around the compressor’s annulus. These can be caused by crosswinds or interactions between an engine and the airframe, for example. Further, the non-uniformities are known to lead to decreased performance and efficiency of the compressor.
The present investigation sought to experimentally observe performance changes in a transonic axial compressor with a 120-degree, circumferential inlet distortion pattern. The experiment involved slowly rotating a blockage screen upstream of the compressor. Instrumentation simultaneously monitored the relative conditions of the gas upstream and downstream of the compressor stage. The results showed that the distorted and undistorted rotor performance differed significantly from the uniform-inlet rotor performance. The figure below shows an example of the measured compressor performance change. The investigators hypothesized that upstream swirl distribution, caused by the interaction between the distorted inflow and the compressor, was the underlying cause.
Additional details can be found in the forthcoming IGTI conference paper: “EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF INLET STAGNATION PRESSURE DISTORTION EFFECTS ON A TRANSONIC AXIAL COMPRESSOR ROTOR”, in Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, expected Summer 2022 (GT2022-83452). Please send inquiries to ndturbo@nd.edu.
By Andrew Oliva
Published by Jasmin Avila-Sacco
Originally published by at turbo.nd.edu on May 12, 2022.