A New Approach to the Experimental Study of Turbomachinery Flow Phenomena

Abstract

Measurements of the unsteady flow field over a rotor and within its wake are needed in the development of most turbomachines. The technique advocated is that of data acquisition by on-line computer, using the periodic passing of a blade as a phase reference. The phase-lock averaging process is described as is its use in reducing the noise of raw data traces. Measurements of the unsteady flow over a cascade and of the resulting boundary layer behavior are presented. The approach was used in interpreting the unsteady flow field of an axial-flow compressor rotor and the static pressure distribution over the rotor tip. Finally the application to centrifugal pumps is discussed, enabling the designer to obtain information on the suction pressures and the extent of any separated region.