Investigation of the Impact of Realistic Inlet Distortions on a 1.5-Stage Transonic Compressor

Abstract In this study the aerodynamic impacts of inlet distortions caused by a gas turbine inlet manifold are analyzed experimentally. The investigation is performed at the new transonic compressor test rig at Technical University of Darmstadt, that features high modularity and extensive instrumentation. The existing axial air inlet system of the test rig is replaced by a scaled inlet manifold. Analog to the design of a real gas turbine intake, bearing support struts are integrated in the experimental setup to investigate their interaction with the inlet distortions. For the detailed analysis of compressor performance, the measurement systems were extended to resolve the flow over the whole circumference at three different axial positions. At the stage inlet a traversable rake with radially distributed five hole probes allows the quantification of the inflow conditions. To determine global compressor characteristics and analyze the propagation of inlet distortions through the compressor, a fully traversable instrumentation at the stage exit is installed. Additionally, a 360°-traversable rotor casing ring, instrumented with unsteady measurement systems, enables the analysis of the effects of non-uniform inflow conditions on the unsteady flow field of the rotor.