On the Development and Application of the Fast-Response Aerodynamic Probe System in Turbomachines—Part 2: Flow, Surge, and Stall in a Centrifugal Compressor

Abstract

The present paper, Part 2 of a trilogy, is primarily focussed on demonstrating the capabilities of a fast-response aerodynamic probe system configuration based on the simplest type of fast-response probe. A single cylindrical probe equipped with a single pressure sensor is used to measure absolute pressure and both velocity components in an essentially two-dimensional flow field. The probe is used in the pseudo-three-sensor mode (see Part 1). It is demonstrated that such a one-sensor probe is able to measure high-frequency rotor-governed systematic fluctuations (like blade-to-blade phenomena) alone or in combination with flow-governed low-frequency fluctuations as rotating stall (RS) and mild surge (MS). However, three-sensor probes would be needed to measure stochastic (turbulence-related) or other aperiodic velocity transients. The data shown refer to the impeller exit and the vaned diffuser of a single-stage high-subsonic centrifugal compressor. Wall-to-wall probe traverses were performed at the impeller exit and different positions along the vaned diffuser for different running conditions. The centrifugal compressor was operated under stable as well as unstable (pulsating or stalled) running conditions. The turbomachinery-oriented interpretation of these unsteady flow data is a second focus of the paper. A refined analysis of the time-resolved data will be performed in Part 3, where different spatial/temporal averaging methods are compared. Two different averaging methods were used for the data evaluation: impeller-based ensemble-averaging for blade-to-blade systematic fluctuations (with constant period length at a constant shaft speed), and flow-based class averaging for the relatively slow MS and RS with slightly variable period length. Due to the ability of fast-response probes to simultaneously measure velocity components and total and static pressure, interesting insights can be obtained into impeller and diffuser channel flow structures as well as into the time behavior of such large-domain phenomena as RS and MS. [S0889-504X(00)01103-X]