Experimental and Numerical Similitude Study Using a Novel Turbocompressor Test Facility Operating With Helium-Neon Gas Mixtures

A novel turbocompressor test facility has been designed for helium-neon gas mixtures and its specific features are presented. To account for the heat transfer originating from the motor coolant, a surrogate model has been derived. By combining these results with additional numerical ones, a similitude study is conducted quantifying the individual effects and contributions on efficiency of the Reynolds number, tip Mach number and specific heat ratio. Decoupling the effect of the different parameters shows that their respective contribution on efficiency variation is highly correlated to the Reynolds number actual value. The negative contribution of the tip Mach number and the positive effect of Reynolds number can be used to explain the efficiency variation with increasing tip Mach number. Specific heat ratio variation leads to minor changes in polytropic efficiency except at low tip Mach numbers.