Pressure measurements using high frequency response sensors have been carried out on the 3rd rotor of the 3 1/2-stage high speed compressor CREATE (rotation speed: 11543 RPM, Rotor 1 tip speed: 313 m/s), over the complete characteristic line and during the surge transient. It seems that precursors to the instabilities occurring near surge are observable at stable operating points. Just before the surge, these precursors characterized as rotating disturbances transition smoothly to part span rotating stall cells, and bring the machine to surge as they grow and reach a critical size: this paper presents a detailed analysis of the phenomena of rotating stall and surge transient and shows that it is possible to develop an anti-surge active control system based on the early detection of the precursors.Copyright © 2012 by ASME

Experimental Study of Surge Precursors in a High-Speed Multistage Compressor

This paper presents the study of the tip-clearance flow in an axial compressor using several turbulence-modeling approaches: Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes, and zonal detached-eddy simulation. Rotor simulations are carried out on the same mesh based on the zonal-detached-eddy-simulation requirements, and compared to experimental data. Zonal detached-eddy simulation brings significant improvements over Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approaches to reach accurate integral values, especially the total-pressure-gradient prediction near the casing, as well as to capture complex flow patterns near the casing. Whereas the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes method predicts only tip-leakage and induced vortices, the zonal-detached-eddy-simulation approach is able to reveal more complex phenomena as the tip-leakage vortex, the contra-rotative induced vortex, and numerous secondary vortices are captured. Because of their in...

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Zonal Detached-Eddy Simulation Applied to the Tip-Clearance Flow in an Axial Compressor

Over the last decades, fast response aerodynamic probes have been recognized as a robust measurement technique to provide time-resolved flow field data in turbomachinery environments. Still, most of the existing probe designs are restricted to low temperature applications (< 120 °C) either because of sensor temperature range limitations or packaging issues. Measurements in turbomachines also require a small probe size often with a very high bandwidth which are conflictual constraints difficult to satisfy simultaneously. This contribution therefore presents the development of a novel miniature (O 2.5 mm) high temperature single sensor total pressure probe, designed for operation up to 250 °C with a very high bandwidth of 250 kHz. The probe main element is a 1.7 mm diameter commercial piezoresistive transducer placed in a Pitot type arrangement with a flush mounted sensor to provide the highest bandwidth. The details of the probe design are presented as well as the probe calibrations in pressure and in temperature. The effects of using a thermal compensation module or a sense resistor to monitor the temperature drift are described in the context of measurement uncertainty. The probes were characterized in terms of aerodynamic characteristics versus flow angle and Mach number. Shock tube tests have shown a dynamic response of the probe with sensor resonance frequencies well over 300 kHz, with a flat frequency range up to 250 kHz. Two probe prototypes were manufactured and first used in the 3 1/2-stage high speed axial compressor CREATE of the LMFA at Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France. The probes were traversed at each inter blade row plane up to temperatures of 180 °C and absolute pressure of 3 bar. The probe was able to resolve the high blade passing frequencies (∼16 kHz) and several harmonics including rotor-stator interaction frequencies up to 200 kHz. Besides the average total pressure distributions from the radial traverses, phase-locked averages and random unsteadiness are presented. The probe spatial and temporal resolutions are discussed in the context of those results.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

A High Temperature High Bandwidth Fast Response Total Pressure Probe for Measurements in a Multistage Axial Compressor

A modal analysis method of the rotor-stator interactions in multistage compressors has been developed by LMFA. This method, based on a double modal decomposition of the flow over space and time, has been applied to numerical and experimental results of the high-speed 3½-stage compressor CREATE based at LMFA, Lyon-France. It reveals the presence of a very strong rotor-stator interaction which completely drives the flow at casing behind all the rotors. This modal analysis method applied to an unsteady RANS simulation permits to calculate the energy of the rotor-stator interactions and to plot energetic meridian maps to explain experimental results and to analyze the interaction in the whole machine.

Modal decomposition for the analysis of the rotor-stator interactions in multistage compressors

The present work is a result of collaboration between the LMFA (Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides et d’Acoustique, Ecole Centrale de Lyon – France), Snecma and the Cerfacs. It aims at studying the flow in the 3.5-stages high-speed axial compressor CREATE (Compresseur de Recherche pour l’Etude des effets Aerodynamique et TEchnologique - rotation speed: 11543 RPM, Rotor 1 tip speed: 313 m/s), designed and built by Snecma and investigated at LMFA on a 2-MW test rig. Steady measurements, as well as laser velocimetry, fast-response wall static and total pressure measurements have been used to experimentally investigate the flow. The analysis focuses on two main aspects: the study of the flow at stable operating points, with a special interest on the rotor-stator interactions, and the study of the instabilities arising in the machine at low mass flow rates.The description of the unsteady flow field at stable operating points is done through measurements of wall-static pressure, total pressure and velocity, but also total temperature, entropy and angle of the fluid. It is shown that the complexity and unsteadiness of the flow in a multistage compressor strongly increases in the rear part of the machine, because of the interactions between steady and rotating rows. Therefore, a modal analysis method developed at LMFA and based on the decomposition of Tyler and Sofrin is presented to analyze these interactions. It is first applied to the pressure measurements, in order to extract the contributions of each row. It shows that all the complex pressure interactions in CREATE can be reduced to three main types of interactions. The decomposition method is then applied to the entropy field extracted from URANS CFD calculations performed by the Cerfacs, in order to evaluate the impact of the interactions on the performance of the machine in term of production of losses.The last part of this work is devoted to the analysis of the instabilities arising in CREATE at low mass flows. It shows that rotating pressure waves appear at stable operating points, and increase in amplitude when going towards the surge line, until reaching a critical size provoking the onset a full span stall cell bringing the machine to surge within a few rotor revolutions. The study of these pressure waves, and the understanding of their true nature is achieved through the experimental results and the use of some analytical models. A precise description of the surge transient through wall-static pressure measurements above the rotors is also provided, as well as a description of a complete surge cycle. An anti-surge control system based on the detection of the amplitude of the pressure waves is finally proposed.

Experimental analysis of the unsteady flow and instabilities in a high-speed multistage compressor

The present paper proposes a concept for a water-cooled high temperature unsteady total pressure probe intended for measurements in the hot sections of industrial gas turbines or aero-engines. This concept is based on the use of a conventional miniature piezoresistive pressure sensor, which is located at the probe tip to achieve a bandwidth of at least 40 kHz. Due to extremely harsh conditions and the intention to immerse the probe continuously into the hot gas stream, the probe and sensor must be heavily cooled. The short term objective of this design is to gain the capability of performing measurements at the temperature conditions typically found at high pressure turbine exit (1100-1400 K) and in the long term at combustor exit (2000 K or higher).

A Conceptual Design Study for a New High Temperature Fast Response Cooled Total Pressure Probe

This paper presents the first experimental engine and test rig results obtained from a fast response cooled total pressure probe. The first objective of the probe design was to favor continuous immersion of the probe into the engine to obtain time series of pressure with a high bandwidth and therefore statistically representative average fluctuations at the blade passing frequency. The probe is water cooled by a high pressure cooling system and uses a conventional piezo-resistive pressure sensor which yields therefore both time-averaged and time-resolved pressures. The initial design target was to gain the capability of performing measurements at the temperature conditions typically found at high pressure turbine exit (1100–1400K) with a bandwidth of at least 40kHz and in the long term at combustor exit (2000K or higher). The probe was first traversed at the turbine exit of a Rolls-Royce Viper turbojet engine, at exhaust temperatures around 750 °C and absolute pressure of 2.1bars. The probe was able to resolve the high blade passing frequency (≈23kHz) and several harmonics up to 100kHz. Besides the average total pressure distributions from the radial traverses, phase-locked averages and random unsteadiness are presented. The probe was also used in a virtual three-hole mode yielding unsteady yaw angle, static pressure and Mach number. The same probe was used for measurements in a Rolls-Royce intermediate pressure burner rig. Traverses were performed inside the flame tube of a kerosene burner at temperatures above 1600 °C. The probe successfully measured the total pressure distribution in the flame tube and typical frequencies of combustion instabilities were identified during rumble conditions. The cooling performance of the probe is compared to estimations at the design stage and found to be in good agreement. The frequency response of the probe is compared to cold shock tube results and a significant increase in the natural frequency of the line-cavity system formed by the conduction cooled screen in front of the miniature pressure sensor were observed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

First Unsteady Pressure Measurements With a Fast Response Cooled Total Pressure Probe in High Temperature Gas Turbine Environments

The present paper proposes a concept for a water cooled high temperature unsteady total pressure probe, intended for measurements in the hot sections of industrial gas turbines or aero-engines. This concept is based on the use of a conventional miniature piezo-resistive pressure sensor, located at the probe tip to achieve a bandwidth of at least 40kHz. Due to extremely harsh conditions and the intention to immerse the probe continuously into the hot gas stream, the probe and sensor must be heavily cooled. The short term objective of this design is to gain the capability of performing measurements at the temperature conditions typically found at high pressure turbine exit (1100–1400K) and in the long term at combustor exit (2000K or higher).© 2008 ASME

Jean-Franc¸ois Brouckaert

Papers

A High Temperature High Bandwidth Fast Response Total Pressure Probe for Measurements in a Multistage Axial Compressor

A Conceptual Design Study for a New High Temperature Fast Response Cooled Total Pressure Probe

First Unsteady Pressure Measurements With a Fast Response Cooled Total Pressure Probe in High Temperature Gas Turbine Environments

A Conceptual Design Study for a New High Temperature Fast Response Cooled Total Pressure Probe