Redesign and Performance

Analysis of a Transonic Axial

Compressor Stator and Equivalent
R. Dunker Plane Cascades With Subsonic
H. Rechter Controlled Diffusion Blades
In order to verify a new controlled diffusion blade design concept, the stator of an
H. Starken existing transonic axial compressor stage was redesigned. Stator and equivalent
cascade tests revealed the potential of such blades for a considerably higher
aerodynamic loading than it has been applied up to now. The design procedure is
H. Weyer described, and the results of plane cascade and stage testing are submitted, in-
cluding performance analysis of both cascade and stator blade sections, at design
and off-design operating conditions. The blade profile shapes and cascade
Propulsion Institute, DFVLR,
5000 Koln 90,
geometries were calculated by means of an inverse, two-dimensional method taking
West Germany also into account the axial velocity density ratio (A VDR). This design concept is
essentially based on prescribed blade pressure distributions, which are optimized
with respect to the blade boundary layer development. The flow phenomena are
illustrated by means of loss and flow turning investigations, blade pressure
distributions, and laser velocimetry data. The test results reveal that the two-
dimensional approach applied is quite promising for the three-dimensional blade
design. Finally, overall and blade element performance comparisons between the
original NACA 65 profiled stator and the redesigned one demonstrate the favorable
flow behavior of the new stator, as well as the great potential of the controlled
diffusion blade concept.

Introduction
Future aircraft propulsion systems will require compressors
with higher pressure ratios and efficiencies than currently in
use in order to reduce fuel consumption as well as engine size
and weight. This implies compressor stages with transonic or
even supersonic relative inflow velocities to the rotors and
supercritical flow conditions for the stators. Conventional
blade design techniques may be called in question to meet the
corresponding blade loadings. Therefore, research and
development activities are concentrated on establishing new
blade design methods and investigating their capabilities by
means of cascade and stage experiments.
Within these research and development activities, it is
intended at the DFVLR Propulsion Institute to design an
advanced highly loaded compressor stage that could be
representative for the inlet stage of a multistage core com-
pressor. This program relies on experience with a single-stage
axial transonic compressor, which has been investigated
extensively in the past, and on cascade results obtained with a
Contributed by the Gas Turbine Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OP
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS and presented at the 28th International Gas Turbine
Conference and Exhibit, Phoenix, Arizona, March 27-31, 1983. Manuscript
received at ASME Headquarters January 4,1983. Paper No. 83-GT-208.
new inverse blade calculation method. In order to reduce risk
and costs, it was considered necessary as a first step to apply
the controlled diffusion concept to subsonic cascades and to
prove its capability under the three-dimensional flow con-
ditions of a turbomachine. For this purpose the stator blades
of the aforementioned transonic stage have been redesigned
using the inverse calculation method.
Stage Design Consideration
The aerodynamic design considerations and the various
experimental investigations of the original stage are discussed
in detail in [1-3]. Therefore, only a brief description of the
main parameters will be presented in the following:
The original machine was a single-stage axial transonic
compressor without inlet guide vanes designed for a total
pressure ratio of 1.51 and a mass flow rate of 17.3 kg/s at a
blade tip speed of 425 m/s.
The rotor inlet diameter was 400 mm with a hub-to-tip ratio
of 0.5. The maximum inlet Mach number obtained a value of
1.37, and the maximum diffusion factor was evaluated to be
0.52. The rotor consisted of 28 MCA-profiled blades with a
tip chord length of 60 mm, which resulted in quite usual blade
solidities between 1.34 and 2.

Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power APRIL 1984, Vol. 106/279

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 Table 1 Design performance parameters for stator UKS compared to some data of original
stator NACA 65
Stator UKS/31
Number of blades: 31
Sec. R* R Z
LE ZST ZTE Sec.
j8
no. °7o mm mm mm mm no. MaLE KE TE 9,
Hub 0 117.50 123.60 139.0 160.87 Hub
1 10 124.55 123.60 160.87 1 0.6775 133.4 90.0 1.0400
2 30 138.65 123.55 161.50 2 0.6352 129.2 1.0573
3 50 152.75 123.31 161.10 3 0.6012 128.6 1.053
4 70 166.85 123.46 161.33 4 0.5776 127.4 1.0622
5 90 180.95 123.46 161.00 5 0.5700 127.4 90.0 1.0893
Tip 100 188.00 123.46 139.0 161.00 Tip

Stator NACA 65/60

Number of blades;:60
Sec. c tm/c Dnl Sec. c tm/c Doi
no. mm <r no. mm a
Hub 40.00 1.6795 0.06 Hub 30.00 2.4419 0.08
1 1.5845 0.5259 1 2.2852 0.3996
2 1.4233 0.4578 2 2.0317 0.3417
3 1.2920 0.4664 3 1.8367 0.3171
4 1.1829 0.4524 4 1.6828 0.3075
5 1.0906 0.4340 5 1.5615 0.3251
Tip 40.00 1.0498 0.06 Tip 30.00 1.5143 0.08

The stator had 60 blades which were composed of NACA
65 profiles with circular arc camberlines. The maximum inlet
Mach number was 0.7, the diffusion factor was estimated to
be about 0.42.
For the stator redesign, the original flowpath of the stage
was retained. The positions of the blade leading edges were
also unchanged for the new stator. Thus, the distance between
rotor trailing and stator leading edge was the same for both
the old and the new stator. In order to retain the conditions of
continuity and especially of radial equilibrium, it is normally
required for a stage redesign with altered stator blading to
adjust the flow path downstream of the rotor. In this case,
however, the aforementioned procedure has to be employed
for reasons of manufacturing, costs, and time.
The design flow parameters were taken from blade leading
and trailing edge values, which has been experimentally
obtained with the original stator when operating at design
speed with maximum efficiency for a mass flow of 17.15 kg/s.
These data are summarized in Table 1, and the corresponding
cascade notations are illustrated in Fig. 1.
Having in mind the last two paragraphs and considering
usual procedures of turbomachinery design, it is conceivable

Nomenclature

c chord length
An diffusion factor, equal to A = difference
1 - (W'TB/WIE) + \((rw£)TE - (rwe)LE)/((rTE + 8 = ratio of rotor-inlet total pressure to standard
rLE)°(WLE)) I pressure of 10.13 N/cm2
i incidence angle •q^ = stage isentropic efficiency, equal to
M,Ma Mach number (n tot )^-^-i)/(Ar ( /r (1 )
™red reduced mass flow (equivalent mass flow) 0 = ratio of rotor-inlet total temperature to standard
/nred = /h«V9'/5 temperature of 288.15 K
n rotative speed n tot = stage total pressure ratio
nA design speed (20.260 rpm) p = density
P static pressure a = solidity, ratio of chord to spacing, a - c/t
Pt.Plot total pressure Q = axial velocity density ratio (AVDR), equal to
R,r radius (p2w2 sin02)/(p1w1 sinfr)
R* relative blade height from hub (percent), equal a) = total pressure loss coefficient, equal to
to (Pn -PaViPn ~PiY, and{{PM)TE ~
(*-i? hub )/(i? tip -/? hub ).100 (P!)TEV((Pf)LE-(P)LE)
t blade pitch
'•m maximum profile thickness Subscripts
Tt total temperature is = isentropic
w velocity LE = blade leading edge
X,x Cartesian coordinate m = maximum value
x/c relative blade chord ST = stacking line
Y,y Cartesian coordinate TE = blade trailing edge
coordinate along machine axis 6 = tangential direction
z Cartesian coordinate 1 = inlet plane
Z,z flow angle against circumferential direction 2 = outlet plane
0s stagger angle * = related value
y ratio of specific heats ' = relative to blade

280/Vol. 106, APRIL 1984 Transactions of the ASME

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 Fig. 1 Cascade notation hub ROTOR STATOR
100 150 200
axial direction
that differences may be expected to some extent between the flowpath t r a n s o n i c s t a g e R 030 UKS
performance characteristics of the new stage and the reference Fig. 2 Flow path geometry of stage Ft 030-UKS and design stator blade
one. sections
The main features of the new stator blading may be
described briefly as follows:
• The number of blades has been reduced from 60 to 31. — U K G 030.3 — S K G 2.7
• The blade chord length has been enlarged from 30 to 40 1.4
mm in order to have enough profile thickness available for
installation of surface pressure taps; this means an effective
reduction of blade number by about 1.7. y ""N
1.2 / \
• The maximum diffusion factor could be increased to a
value of 0.55 due to the experience gained with former 1 \
cascade investigations.
The flow path of the redesigned stage is shown in Fig. 2;
geometric data and blade element parameters are presented in
Table 1. The stator blading has been designed by means of
r
« 0.8
0 11
1
1 / ^
\
\
\
>s.
\
five sections parallel to the axis. These blade sections are •e \
indicated in Fig. 2 by circled numbers. r~-.
The following sections of this paper deal with two main I 0.6 * \
aspects of the stator redesign: ro
- -
At first, the blade design concept itself and the main design
details of the aforementioned sections are described. Three 0.4
sections (near hub, at midspan height, and near tip) were
tested in the transonic cascade tunnel. The main results are
submitted and discussed. 0.2
In the second part of our paper, studies are presented that
concern the analysis of the new stage and the original one.
The overall performance of the new stage is discussed; the 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
blade element performance of both stages is compared taking x/c
also into account the results of the cascade tests. Additional Fig. 3 Prescribed Mach number distribution for blade design of stator
flow phenomena presented include blade surface pressure midsection (UKG 030.3) and reference distribution (SKG 2.7)
distributions measured for the previously mentioned sections
of the redesigned stator blades, as well as laser velocimetry
data that were elaborated within this stator. teristics, thus establishing a procedure that covers the whole
velocity range from incompressible to supercritical flow
Cascade Investigations conditions. This method has to begin with a blade pressure
distribution that is shock-free and which provides an un-
Stator Blade Design. separated boundary layer. The next problem is to find the
Background. In common design practice, profile series, related airfoil contour which generates this prescribed
together with empirically derived correlations for flow losses pressure distribution when operating under design conditions.
and flow turning, are used to develop compressor bladings. Several attempts have been made since 1974 to establish
With higher stage loadings, however, classical profile shapes such a new design system for compressor cascades and to
often exhibit undesired losses. Especially when they are tested demonstrate its potential (see [4-9]). Meanwhile the name
under supercritical flow conditions, one can always observe "controlled diffusion concept" has come into use to
strong shock waves terminating the supersonic regions. A characterize these ideas.
boundary layer thickening or even separating due to shock- In order to verify the controlled diffusion concept in a
boundary layer interaction takes place. The result is an ex- three-dimensional flow field Pratt & Whitney Aircraft is now
cessive total pressure loss, which reduces blade efficiency and conducting a test program in cooperation with NASA. A
operating range. single stage controlled diffusion demonstrator was designed
These shock-induced flow losses stimulated the develop- for this purpose. Reference [10] presents the aerodynamic
ment of new blade design concepts based on advanced design details. The blade design was done using a direct flow
numerical methods rather than profile series. Apart from the calculation method based on the blade-to-blade method of
supercritical flow case, it is worthwhile in general to start Caspar, Hobbs and Davis [11].
blade designs with consideration to boundary layer charac- Similar investigations have been performed at the DFVLR

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 0.9

0.8 7TS
Lx\
TO9
| 0 ,
1
0.6

la Ui$
u[ ii ir-
0.2
—
-_L_1. !_•__!

0.1
—
0 0.2 0.4 0,6 0.8 1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
x/c x/c

Fig. 4 Surface Mach number distributions and results of cascade

design calculations

UKG 030.3

Fig. 5 Test section of the DFVLR transonic cascade tunnel

Propulsion Institute since 1978. The stator of an existing

transonic axial compressor stage, originally consisting of
NACA 65-blades, was redesigned for a considerably higher
aerodynamic loading using Schmidt's inverse calculation
method for the blade design [6, 7].
Design Procedure. Schmidt's method utilizes the plane
cascade model which takes into account the axial velocity
density ratio (AVDR). In order to design a complete stator by
means of this method, a sufficient number of blade sections
covering the blade height has to be specified. From these
sections the final blade is derived by an appropriate in-
terpolation procedure. It has to be mentioned that Schmidt's
method cannot allow for a radius change up to now; thus, the
design sections had to be parallel to the machine axis rather
than on stream surfaces.
Five sections were selected as shown in Fig. 2. The
aerodynamic and geometrical parameters of these sections are
summarized in Table 1. Schmidt's method requires the
velocity triangle and the blade pressure distribution as input
data for each blade section.
The blade pressure distributions were prescribed on the
basis of the experience gained with the two former super-
critical cascade designs SKG 1.3 and SKG 2.7 [7, 8]. The SKG
2.7 cascade obtained the best agreement between measured
and prescribed data. Therefore, its blade pressure distribution
type was chosen as a reference for the new stator airfoils.
Figure 3 presents the blade surface Mach numbers of the
stator midsection, termed UKG 030.3, in comparison to the
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
x/c — —
Fig. 6 Results of cascade tests: surface Mach number distribution
(comparison design-experiment) at design point conditions
Mach number distribution of the SKG 2.7 cascade. The main
characteristics of these distributions are:
• The suction surface leading edge region maintains a
continuous acceleration up to the peak Mach number at
approximately 30 percent chord length in order to provide a
favourable pressure gradient for keeping the boundary layer
laminar.
• Diffusion from peak Mach number is controlled on the
rear portion of the airfoil in order to keep the boundary layer
shape factor within the range of an unseparated turbulent
boundary layer.
• The design pressure distributions of blade sections all
were of the same type. Boundary layer calculations were
performed using the integral method of Walz [12] to ac-
complish controlled diffusion without separation.
The results of the inverse flow field calculations are shown
in Fig. 4. It displays the calculated airfoil shapes of three
sections (hub, midspan, tip), termed UKG 030.1,3, and 5 in

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 -UKG 030.1 -— UKG 030.3 - " — U K G 030.5 Stage:Rotor030-Stator NACA65/60
0.12
*-—--* Stage:Rotor030-Stator UKS-30/31
0.10 I 1.0

0.08
10 0.9 — 92 5%"
0.06 / / I100%n.
\ \ r<T> "^ 1
•ojDesign
0.04

vL 0.8 S^oinr
«v. X
\. / / X r
X l
0.02
Y i ' ° 1
C^—x > 1
0.7
0 l
-12° -4° X

•
0.6
Fig. 7 Results of cascade tests: total pressure loss coefficient versus
incidence angle at design inlet Mach number
0.5
12 13 14 15 16 k g / s 18
— U K G 030.1 —UKG 030.3 —UKG 030.5 (Tl red — » -
1.8

0.08 1.7
0.06 100%nA
"'K-^NJ

0)
0.04
1.6 4*-*"* x A
;£_92%nA Design^A
0.02 ~ " — = — X-y—- ^ ^ X •—"
1.5 -- Point
** M
0 -V- x \ \
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
85%n A \\\\ •

Ma, — 1.4 * o». x\

Fig. 8 Results of cascade tests: total pressure loss coefficient versus
ntot \
\
inlet Mach number at zero incidence \ 1
X
V\
1.3 6
A *
\
cascade formation together with the prescribed Mach number
1.2
distributions.
Cascade Tests.
1.1
Test Facility. The DFVLR transonic cascade tunnel is
already described in detail in [13]. Extensive information can
also be found in [5] and [9]. A schematic sketch of the test 1.0
section is presented in Fig. 5. 12 13 14 15 16 k g / s 18
The cascade models usually consist of six blades with a
chord length of 70 mm. In order to control the periodicity of f^red —
inlet and outlet flow, the following instrumentation is Fig. 9 Effects of stator redesign with controlled diffusion blades on
provided: Static wall tapping upstream and downstream of overall performance
the cascade parallel to the inlet and outlet plane (Fig. 5, elude a movable lower endwall (position no. 1), a part of
position no. 7); three wedge type directional probes upstream which can be turned round position no. 2, a slot injection
of the cascade (position no. 8); and one probe further ahead
of the center passage (position no. 9) in order to check the (position no. 4), a tailboard linked to the upper blade
inlet flow direction. '(position no. 3) and an upper endwall suction system whereby
the air is removed through slots into two suction chambers
The inlet Mach number is calculated from a mean value of (position no. 5a, b) which can be closed by a movable plate
the static pressure taps upstream of the cascade and from the (position no. 6).
total pressure measured in the settling chamber upstream of
the test section inlet nozzle (position not to be seen in Fig. 5). Test Results.
Outlet total pressure, static pressure, and flow angle are Three airfoils were tested:
measured with a combination probe traversing at midspan UKG 030.1 (hub section)
position (position no. 11). Fixed to this probe is a total UKG 030.3 (midsection)
pressure rake covering one blade pitch (position no. 12). Due UKG 030.5 (tip section)
to limited blade thickness, in most cases two blades have to be Full details of the test results are given in [14]. In the
instrumented with static pressure taps. One blade is pressure following chapter only a short selection is presented.
tapped on the suction surface and the other on the pressure The cascade performance for all three airfoils was first
surface. Both are arranged in the center of the cascade for- measured under design conditions, and the best match to the
mation (position no. 10). Thus, the blade surface pressures design Mach number distribution was thereby found. Figure 6
are recorded in the same blade passage. presents the result of the UKG 030.3 cascade (stator mid-
In the cascade tunnel, several devices are available for the section), comparing the design distribution to experimentally
simulation of the infinite straight cascade model. These in- determined values. The agreement is satisfactory. This was

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 -~^St-age:Roror030-Sfator NACA-65/60 as cascade: UKG 030.1 osstator section: UKS 030.1
n1=133,5° bide height: 10% [hub)
•—*Srage:Roror030-St-aror UKS-30/31 Ma,=0,6672 n=100%nA,nA=20260 Upm

1,0

0,9

0,8

0,7

0,6 0 J I ' ' i '

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
% chordlength — —

Ascascade: UKG 030.3 ssfator section: UKS 030.3

0.06 12 13 % 15 16 kg/s 18 Bp128,5° blade height:50% [middle]
Ma,=0,6005 n=100%nA,nA=20260Upm
m red m,.td=17,15 kg/s
Fig. 10 Effects of siator redesign on overall total temperature rise

1.0 Tr
" J^t
STATOR SECTION :3
0.16- ° — ° NACA-65 100% nA b*^p?
x—« UKS 30.3 '•>(
O.lt 0,9 - pressure side
o n » 92,5% n A
A a " 85%
0.12 4
CASCADE SECTION
— - UKG 30.3
0.10 S 0,8 - //
0.08 //
' 0.06- • suction side R
•3 0,7
0.04

0.02
„ 1 1 i i < .
0,6
0 10 20 30 W 50 60 70 80 90 100
110° 112° 114° 116° 118° 120° 122°124° 126°128° 130° 132° 134° 136° % chordlength — » -

" i — i=0°
Fig. 11 Total pressure loss versus inlet flow angle for stator blade "cascade: UKG 030.5 a stator section: UKS 30.5
section 3 at 50 percent span from hub fl, = 127,3° blade height: 90% [casing]
Ma,=0,569 n=100%nA,nA=20260 Upm
mre(i=17,15kg/s
also found for the two other cascades, in spite of some
deviations in the leading edge regions due to inaccuracies of
the inverse calculation method which have been discussed in
detail in [7] and [8].
The flow conditions were also systematically varied over a
wide range of inlet flow angles and inlet Mach numbers in
order to determine the off-design performance of the
cascades.
Total pressure loss characteristics of all three cascades
varying the inlet flow angles at design Mach numbers are
shown in Fig. 7. The chosen inlet angles corresponded to an
incidence angle range from - 1 2 to +4 deg. The midsection
and the tip section cascade had a considerable broad useful
operating range of more than 10 deg. The hub section
cascade, however, turned out to have a significantly smaller
range which must be attributed to the higher loading of this
section. The losses at zero incidence (design conditions) were 10 20 30 (.0 50 60 70 80 90 100
found to be around a value of 2 percent. The exit flow angles chordlength — —
were 90 deg or even less over a wide incidence range and thus
Fig. 12 Blade surface pressure distribution versus chord length for
met the design objective. blade sections 1, 3 and 5 with reference static pressure at 45 percent
Varying the inlet Mach numbers from 0.4 up to 0.8 at zero chord for cascade and stage tests each

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 MESSPOSITIONEN -nTHHIIIHUAHAII TITWTT
MEASURING POSITIONS
TURBULENCE INTENSITY TCPAR
ROTOR 030 STATOR UKS

8G.W1 X-RICHTUNG NASCHINENACHSE 165.(111

Fig. 13 L2F measuring positions in one blade channel of stator UKS MBPIIN X-OIRECTION MACHINE A X I S — *«="«
P100E= I E TPT* 5 (V) 82 R.0UNKER/SI1-AT-VU/0FVLR
for Cartesian section at 50 percent span
Fig. 14 Distribution of turbulence intensity parallel to local main flow
direction (TCPAR) throughout one stator blade channel as in Fig. 13 at
a distinct rotor blade setting
incidence, the obtained loss characteristics of all three
cascades exhibited similar features (Fig. 8). The losses rotor inlet conditions. Overall total pressure and total tem-
remained constant around a value of 2 percent over a large perature ratios rely on an energy average of the pressures and
inlet velocity range up to values which exceeded the design temperatures obtained from the calibrated survey in-
objective. Beyond an inlet Mach number of 0.7, however, the strumentation. Blade element data for the stator blade row
losses of all three cascades increased considerably. were referred at the blade leading and trailing edges of the
design sections. More details of the calculation procedure are
Comparing Stage Investigations given in [2].
Overall Stage Performance Comparisons. In order to prove Results and Discussions. An assessment of the effects of
the validity of the stator redesign, the performance of the new both stator blade rows is made by comparing the performance
stage R 030-UKS (UKS: stator blade row for subcritical inlet characteristics. Figures 9 and 10 present the overall per-
conditions) was measured and compared to the performance formance of both stages. The data of the stage R 030-UKS are
of the original stage R 030-NACA 65. The stage comparison marked by cross symbols, the data of the reference stage R
was expected to reveal to what extent the performance, the 030-NACA 65 are represented by full dots.
operating range and the flow field would change considering Figures 9 and 10 reveal that the new stage has lower total
the substantially reduced number of stator blades. pressure ratios and total temperature rises, respectively, at
design and off-design speeds (85 and 92.5 percent). At design
Test Procedure. The stage performance was investigated speed the corresponding isentropic efficiencies (top diagram
within the rotor speed range from 85 to 100 percent of design of Fig. 9) of both stages are quite well within normal data
speed. For each flow, the data were taken in 15 radial scattering. At off-design, the new stage obtained a lower
positions, which were located upstream of the rotor (station 1, efficiency except the peak value.
see Fig. 2) in the gap between rotor and stator (station 2) and At first the discrepancies of total pressure and total tem-
downstream of the stage (station 3). At station 3, the in- perature rise for both stages were attributed to some extent to
strumentation was also circumferentially traversed to 11 the application of different measuring techniques. The results
positions across the stator gaps. The axial location of the test of the original stage relied on measurements with pressure and
planes is shown in Fig. 2. The survey measurement data temperature rakes downstream of the stator. For the in-
consisted of total pressure, total temperature, and flow angle. vestigation of the new stage, however, single-probes for
Static pressures were measured at hub and casing of the in- temperature and pressure were used exclusively. In order to
strumentation stations. The flow itself was measured with a exclude uncertainties of the different instrumentation the
Venturi nozzle. A more complete description of the in- original stage R 030-NACA 65 was again tested with the
strumentation and test procedure is given in [2]. single-probe instrumentation at design speed. The results are
Calculation Procedure. The performance analysis is based presented by the open circular symbols in Fig. 9. They con-
only on the flow data downstream of the stator (station 3, Fig. firm the original values obtained with the rake in-
2). The pressures and temperatures at station 2 were deter- strumentation.
mined as follows: One reason for the stage performance alteration might be
Within the iterative calculation procedure, at each radial unsteady flow phenomena affecting the total pressure
survey position, total pressure and total temperature were readings downstream of the stator [16]. However, the stator
transferred from station 3 to 2 in agreement with the actual flow analysis by means of laser anemometry revealed a very
streamlines. The circumferentially area-averaged total smooth outlet flow. Therefore, turbulence level has to be
temperature of station 3 was assumed to be equal to the total considered to have some influence on pressure probing.
temperature in station 2. The area-averaged mean value of the Another reason might be the altered flow field caused by
total pressure outside of the stator blade wake region, which the annulus geometry kept constant for both stages. One
had to be determined individually, was used as the total interesting aspect to be noted here is that static pressure rise
pressure in station 2. The radial distributions of static and its radial distribution of the new stage have changed at
pressure and flow angle were calculated considering con- constant mass flow compared to the original stage. Discussing
tinuity of mass flow and radial equilibrium. Measured airflow these phenomena in detail would go beyond the scope of this
and rotative speed were inputs. paper; therefore, this topic will be dealt with in another
All data were corrected to standard day conditions based on publication.

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 TURBULENCE INTENSITY TCPAR
STATOR UKS
DARED* 11.32
ONRED= 20260.30 UPfl
X-RICHTLWG HASCHINEfJACHSE
X-DIRECTION MHHKE AXIS
noOEs IS TPT. 13 (T) 82 R.DUNKER/Sn-AT-VU/DFVLR
Fig. 15 Distribution of turbulence intensity (TCPAR) as in Fig. 14, but
at altered rotor blade setting by one half rotor blade pitch
Blade Element Performance. As an example, Fig. 11
presents the stator blade element performance for section 3 at
50 percent span. The total pressure loss coefficient is plotted
versus inlet flow angle for the redesigned airfoil at 85,92.5
and 100 percent speed designated by triangles, rectangles and
cross symbols, respectively. These data are compared to the
results of the original NACA 65 blade section at 100 percent
speed represented by the open circular symbols and the
corresponding cascade results marked by the dashed line with
full dots. The cascade loss coefficient was interpolated to
meet the inlet Mach numbers and AVDR values of the stage at
design speed.
The comparison of the results of the original and new blade
profiles demonstrates a substantial reduction of the controlled
diffusion blade pressure loss between choke and design in-
cidence; the choke line is slightly shifted to higher incidence.
Beyond the design incidence the flow losses increase con-
siderably exceeding even the NACA 65 blade losses and
announcing a reduced stall margin.
The cascade results reveal a steep increase of the flow losses
near stall incidence compared to the stator results with the
stall margin itself considerably decreased. The reasons are
believed to be unsteady stator inlet flow and three-
dimensional flow interference of adjacent stator blade sec-
tions.
At 85 and 92.5 percent speed, the pressure loss level keeps
almost unchanged compared to design speed; choke and stall
incidence are shifted to lower and higher inlet flow angles,
respectively.
Blade Surface Pressure Distribution. Detailed
measurements of the blade surface pressure distributions were
performed for the five design blade sections at design and off-
design operating conditions. In order to install as many
surface pressure taps as possible, the blade thickness and the
blade chord length had to be enlarged. Thus, the blades could
be provided with 14 taps on the suction and pressure side from
leading edge up to 60 percent chord length. This in-
strumentation was chosen to investigate whether the favorable
behavior of the new controlled diffusion blades can be ob-
tained even under the real flow conditions within a tur-
bomachine, i.e., unsteady inlet flow to the stator, high
positive and negative incidence angles, and three-dimensional
flow effects. Therefore, it was of special interest to compare
the stator blade pressure distributions to those of the plane
cascades. It has to be considered, however, that the measured
static pressures of the stator are mean values, which could be
affected by the unsteady through flow.
In Fig. 12, the blade surface pressures are plotted versus
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chord length for the three blade sections at 10, 50, and 90
percent span at the design mass flow of the new stator. The
stage results (open circular symbols) are compared to the
cascade tests results (triangular symbols). The absolute values
of the static pressures depend on the inlet total conditions,
which are essentially different for both the cascade and stage
tests. Therefore, the absolute static pressure, which had been
measured at 45 percent chord length on the blade pressure side
of both the cascade and the corresponding stator blade sec-
tion, was selected as the reference value.
Figure 12 reveals a quite satisfactory agreement of the
cascade and stator blade pressure distributions, except for the
minor acceleration of the stator flow near the leading edge on
KG/S
the suction surface. The stage tests were carried out with the
compressor mass flow adjusted to the value of the stator
redesign. Due to alteration of static pressure rise, already
mentioned, the stator inlet parameters might have been
changed, particularly the inlet flow angles. The separate tests
on overall and blade element performance using conventional
probes revealed stator inlet flow angle variation of about 1
deg negative incidence at the hub to 4 deg negative incidence
at the tip.
Laser Measurements. Detailed optical measurements
throughout the new stator blade row have been performed by
means of a L2F-anemometer [15] to investigate the unsteady
three-dimensional stator flow. The fluctuating flow vectors
within the stator have been studied at different operating
conditions.
The flow field within one stator blade channel, which is
time-dependent observed from the rotor's position, was split
up into 16 time intervals over one rotor blade pitch in each
measuring point by means of a trigger unit. Ahead of the
stator blade row the survey data were measured in several
radial positions, whereas throughout the blade channel the
measurements were only performed along sections 1,3, and 5.
Because of their complexity these investigations are not yet
finished.
Some preliminary results are shown in Figs. 14 and 15. The
data presented were taken at the original stage design point
from the midsection of one blade channel for two rotor blade
settings which differ by one half of the rotor blade pitch.
Figure 13 gives the information about the location of the
measuring points in axial and pitchwise direction.
The distribution of the turbulence intensity parallel to the
local main flow direction is illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15. The
turbulence degree was believed most appropriate to analyze
the rotor blade wake traveling throughout the stator blade
channel. The rotor blade wakes become visible as areas of
increased turbulence degree. When moving downstream the
wakes are getting wider due to mixing and change their slope
due to the mean velocity difference between stator blade
suction and pressure side.
In the example shown here, no shift of the rotor blade
wakes towards the stator blade pressure side is observed,
which means that the slip velocity inside the rotor wake is
close to zero within the stator blade channel. Indeed, the L2F-
data confirm that the slip velocity decays very rapidly from
rotor outlet to stator inlet.
The dots of high turbulence within the rotor wakes could be
identified as vortices shed from the rotor blades; the Strouhal
number of vortex shedding equals nearly that one of a flat
plate with the maximum blade thickness.
This experimental and analytic work on the three-
dimensional unsteady stator flow will be continued.
Conclusions
The stator of an existing transonic axial compressor stage
was redesigned applying a new design concept for controlled
Transactions of the ASME
 diffusion blades at subsonic flow. The design conditions of
the new stator corresponded to the best point of the original
stage at design speed. In order to verify the design concept,
stage and cascade tests were performed.
The results of cascade testing indicate that the controlled
diffusion airfoils have met their design requirements and have
operated efficiently over a wide range of aerodynamic con-
ditions. The test data taken at design point conditions exhibit
a good match between measured and design Mach number
distributions. Thus an attached suction side boundary layer
could be obtained resulting in low losses and exit flow angles
within the design specifications. The nearly constant exit
angles over a wide range of test conditions were accomplished
by means of the controlled diffusion technique.
The results of stage testing demonstrate that the new air-
foils operate efficiently under three-dimensional tur-
bomachinery conditions. The objectives of the redesign could
be achieved taking into account the foregoing special con-
ditions. In spite of reducing the number of blades by over 30
percent, combining a lower stage weight with a higher blade
loading, a sufficient off-design performance was obtained
With the new stage.
Furthermore the results of cascade and stage tests confirm
that the controlled diffusion blade design concept is a reliable
method. A substantial advantage of this concept is its close
foundation in flow physics, which provides a potential for
further improvements in turbomachinery blade design.
References
1 Strinning, P., and Dunker, R., "Aerodynamische Auslegung und
Schaufelauslegung einer transsonischen Axialverdichterstufe," FVV-
Forschungsbericht, Heft 178,1975.
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Effective July 1, 1981, all Transactions papers that exceed the standard (six
pages) length, will be assessed a mandatory page charge of $125 per page for
those pages exceeding the six page limit.
Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power
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2 McDonald, P. W., Bold, C. R., Dunker, R. J., and Weyer, H. B., " A
Comparison Between Measured and Computed Flow Fields in a Transonic
Compressor Rotor," ASME JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR POWER, Vol. 102,
Oct. 1980.
3 Dunker, R. J., and Hungenberg, H., "Transonic Axial Compressor
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Two Supercritical Compressor Cascades," ASME Paper No. 79-GT-ll, San
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9 Stephens, H. E., and Hobbs, D. E., "Design and Performance
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No. 75-GT-25, Houston, Texas, 1975.
14 Rechter, H., and Steinert, W., "Die Auslegung von Verdichtergittern
nach vorgegebener Profildruckverteilung und ihre experimentelle Un-
tersuehung," DFVLR-FB, (report to be published).
15 Schodl, R., "Laser Dual Beam Method for Flow Measurements in
Turbomachines," ASME Paper No. 74-GT-157,1974.
16 Ball, C. L., "privatecommunication,"
APRIL 1984, Vol. 106 / 287