Experimental and theoretical investigations of the flow of air through two single-stage compressors

Abstract

The development of actuator-disc theory and its application to predict the flow through axial-flow turbo-machines has been given in Ref. I. An investigation of the accuracy of these theoretical predictions of performance has been made on an axial-flow-compressor test rig in the Cambridge University Engineering Laboratories. This investigation has involved the traversing of pressure and angle measuring instruments at the trailing edge and further downstream of blade rows, and comparisons of the axial velocity profiles obtained from these pressures and yaw angles at the various stations with theoretically predicted profiles. The changes in the axial velocity profiles at the trailing edges of blade rows due to the interference effect of neighbouring rows have also been studied, both in the stalled and unstalled regions of operation.