The Influence of Wake–Wake Interactions on Loss Fluctuations of a Downstream Axial Compressor Blade Row

Abstract

The interaction between wakes of an adjacent rotor–stator or stator–rotor blade row pair in an axial turbomachine is known to produce regular spatial variations in both the time-mean and unsteady flow fields in a frame relative to the upstream member of the pair. This paper examines the influence of such changes in the free-stream disturbance field on the viscous losses of a following blade row. Hot-wire measurements are carried out downstream of the outlet stator in a 1.5-stage axial compressor having equal blade numbers in the inlet guide vane (IGV) and stator rows. Clocking of the IGV row is used to vary the disturbance field experienced by the stator blades; the influence on stator wake properties is evaluated. The magnitude of periodic fluctuations in ensemble-averaged stator wake thickness is significantly influenced by IGV wake-rotor wake interaction effects. The changes in time-mean stator losses appear marginal.