The Use of Surface Static Pressure Data as a Diagnostic Tool in Multistage Compressor Development

Abstract

A technique has been developed to analyze static pressure distributions obtained from the surfaces of stators in a multistage compressor to determine incident Mach number and flow angle and the turning and streamtube contraction for the individual stator sections. This data analysis technique permits this nonintrusive type of pressure measurement to be used to optimize the design of stator airfoils during the development phase of a multistage compressor and, in the development of analytic compressor representations, to segregate rotor and stator performance and to improve the modeling of endwall blockage. The value of this technique has been demonstrated in cascade testing of compressor airfoils, in single-stage and three-stage rig testing, and in engine testing.