Experimental determination of compressor map of the DGEN 380 engine compressor using the WESTT CS/BV turbine engine simulator

Currently aviation focuses mainlly on increasing the economy and ecology of engines. Production of NOx, CO2 and SO adversaly impacts the environment. Parallel goal to minimize SFC to achieve both lower: emission and mission costs. The optimization of components is thus very important. One of the ways of optimizing cycle is doing that based on compressor maps. However it is very expensive to plot one since experimental work needs to be done. The aim of this article is to present a methodology of creating compressor map based on ENGINE ANALOGY. There was used the virtual bench WESTT CS/BV for tests to receive pressure ratio and mass flow of DGEN 380 for three different values of flight speed and altitude, while the rotational speed was changed. The construction similarity of CFM 56-5B and APS 3200 gives the opportunity to plotted compressor maps using the engine analogy without the need for an experiment or using the virtual bench.

Experimental Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic Investigation of a Transonic Compressor Rotor with Reduced Blade Count

This study investigates the aerodynamic and aeroelastic characteristics of a transonic axial compressor, focusing on blade count reduced rotor behavior. The analysis is based on experiments, conducted at the Transonic Compressor Darmstadt test rig at Technical University of Darmstadt and compulsory simulations. In order to obtain measurement data for the detailed aerodynamic and aeroelastic investigation, extensive steady and unsteady instrumentation was applied. Besides transient measurements at the stability limit to determine the operating range and limiting phenomena, performance measurements were performed, presenting promising results with respect to the capabilities of blade count reduced rotors. Close to the stability limit, aerodynamic disturbances like radial vortices were detected for both rotors, varying in size, count, speed and trajectory. Comparing the rotor configurations results in different stability limits along the compressor map as well as varying aeromechanical behavior. Those effects can partially be traced to the variation in blade pitch and associated aerodynamics.

Compressor Maps and Coupling: Symmetry, Paradox, and Clarity

The most common compressor map framework, referred to here as the β-framework, will be shown to suffer from limitations that grow more troublesome in the multiple-map environment. When maps are coupled in series in the β-framework, it is very common to find operating points that are physically unrealizable, but these cannot generally be avoided without first generating them. A feasible situation is described in which the β-framework leads to an apparent physical paradox. In the proposed S-framework, the map itself is recast in terms of independent variables (corrected speed and exit corrected flow) and dependent variables (inlet corrected flow and temperature ratio). The propagation of information in map coupling is split into an upstream-marching corrected flow ‘flux’ and a downstream-marching temperature ‘flux’. Finding the equilibrium operating point requires only finding a simple intersection between curves. The S-framework is then developed further into a more compact S’-framework that exhibits a natural set of qualitative symmetries. The S- and S’-frameworks are shown to simplify compressor map expression, resolve the problems shown with the β-framework, and aid intuition with regard to off-design phenomena. The resolution of the paradox using the S’-framework is a new description of multistage compressor performance hysteresis.

Compressor Map Corrections for Highly Non-Linear Fluid Properties

Turbomachinery systems are often subject to variations in ambient conditions and applied loads in operation. Standard maps (perhaps the most common being pressure ratio verses mass flow for compressors) are usually presented in terms of fixed inflow conditions. To account for changes in performance due to varying inlet conditions, compressors maps are often presented in standardized form where the mass flow and rotational speeds are normalized as a function of the reference condition total pressure and temperature. These methods are very widely used, particularly in the turbo charger industry. With these normalized maps, the actual performance of a compressor in a given environment can be deduced simply and easily with very reasonable accuracy in most cases. The underlaying assumption of this conventional normalization process is that the fluid behaves as a perfect gas. While this is usually sufficient for air compressors, the method is not viable where the fluid properties are not near perfect gas conditions, which is certainly the case for supercritical applications. The highly variable fluid properties near the critical point, and the challenges they present in design, have been well documented in the literature. The two most critical properties to consider in the design process are the density and the speed of sound. The density determines the volumetric flow for a given mass flow and this in turn determines the incidence angle, a primary driver of performance. The speed of sound directly affects the range of the compressor via choking. Choking range can be further complicated by the fact that under certain conditions, the choked state can be reached at Mach numbers less than one. While rare, this situation can occur when the inflow conditions are found close to the liquid side of the saturation dome. To account for these effects, a new method is proposed to generate normalized maps of performance that can be used to determine actual performance of a wide range of inlet conditions for highly non-linear thermodynamic properties. Although not as simple as the conventional perfect gas method that can be applied in a “back-of-the-envelope” style, the new method can be applied very rapidly using a spreadsheet-based method directly calling high fidelity NIST thermodynamic models. The end result of this tool is that a compressor map that has been painstakingly generated with testing or CFD can be applied to any inlet condition and the range and performance predicted very rapidly with high accuracy.

Bayesian Inference of Experimental Data for Axial Compressor Performance Assessment

As the next generation of turbomachinery components becomes more sensitive to instrumentation intrusiveness, a reduction of the number of measurement devices required for the evaluation of performance is a possible and cost-effective way to mitigate the arising of non-mastered experimental errors. A first approach to a data assimilation methodology based on Bayesian inference is developed with the aim of reducing the instrumentation effort. A numerical model is employed to provide an initial belief of the flow, that is then updated based on experimental observations, using an ensemble Kalman filter algorithm for inverse problems. Validation of the algorithm is achieved with the usage of experimental measurements not used in the data assimilation process. The methodology is tested for a low aspect ratio axial compressor stage, showing a good prediction of the corrected compressor map, as well as a promising prediction of the inter-row radial pressure distribution and 2D flow field.

Development and Validation of a Model for Centrifugal Compressors in Reversed Flow Regimes

Turbochargers are widely used to help reduce the environmental impact of automotive engines. However, a limiting factor for turbochargers is compressor surge. Surge is an instability that induces pressure and flow oscillations that often damages the turbocharger and its installation. Most predictions of the surge limit are based on low-order models, such as the Moore-Greitzer model. These models tend to rely on a characteristic curve for the compressor created by extrapolating the constant speed lines of a steady-state compressor map into the negative mass flow region. However, there is little validation of these assumptions in the public literature. In this paper, we develop further the first-principles model for a compressor characteristic presented in Powers et al. [1], with a particular emphasis on reverse flow. We then perform experiments using a 58mm diameter centrifugal compressor provided by Cummins Turbo Technologies, where we feed air in the reverse direction though the compressor while the impeller is spinning in the forwards direction in order to obtain data in the negative mass flow region of the compressor map. This demonstrated experimentally that there is a stable operating region in the reverse flow regime. The recorded data showed a good match with the theoretical model developed in this paper. We also identified a change in characteristic behaviour as the impeller speed is increased which, to the authors knowledge, has not been observed in any previously published experimental work

Inter-Stage Dynamic Performance of an Axial Compressor of a Twin-Shaft Industrial Gas Turbine

In this study, the inter-stage dynamic performance of a multistage axial compressor is simulated through a semi-empirical model constructed in the Matlab Simulink environment. A semi-empirical 1-D compressor model developed in a previous study has been integrated with a 0-D twin-shaft gas turbine model developed in the Simulink environment. Inter-stage performance data generated through a high-fidelity design tool and based on throughflow analysis are considered for the development of the inter-stage modeling framework. Inter-stage performance data comprise pressure ratio at various speeds with nominal variable stator guide vane (VGV) positions and with hypothetical offsets to them with respect to the gas generator speed (GGS). Compressor discharge pressure, fuel flow demand, GGS and power turbine speed measured during the operation of a twin-shaft industrial gas turbine are considered for the dynamic model validation. The dynamic performance of the axial-compressor, simulated by the developed modeling framework, is represented on the overall compressor map and individual stage characteristic maps. The effect of extracting air through the bleed port in the engine center-casing on transient performance represented on overall compressor map and stage performance maps is also presented. In addition, the dynamic performance of the axial-compressor with an offset in VGV position is represented on the overall compressor map and individual stage characteristic maps. The study couples the fundamental principles of axial compressors and a semi-empirical modeling architecture in a complementary manner. The developed modeling framework can provide a deeper understanding of the factors that affect the dynamic performance of axial compressors.

Particle Image Velocimetry As Applied to Inlet Flow Field of a Turbocharger Compressor at Varying Rotational Speeds With Emphasis on Surge

Turbocharger surge remains an area of concern for the automotive industry as it limits the permissible operating range on the compressor map, while also adversely impacting the compressor’s pressure rise, efficiency, and acoustics. The present study uses Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) to investigate the flow field at the inlet of an automotive turbocharger compressor without a recirculating channel. Experiments were carried out at four different speeds, including 80, 100, 120, and 140 krpm, which represent a substantial portion of the compressor map. The mass flow rates investigated ranged from choke to deep surge, thus spanning the entire mass flow regime at each rotational speed. The current work aims to characterize how the compressor inlet velocity field varies with rotational speed, with a specific emphasis on surge. The qualitative nature of the flow field (radial dependence of axial and tangential velocity profiles), over the choke to mild surge range, was observed to be nearly independent of rotational speed for comparable operating conditions (for example, comparison of mild surge at different rotational speeds). A quantitative comparison of the velocity profiles at the choke or mild surge operating points showed an increase in the velocity magnitudes with increasing rotational speed. The flow field at deep surge, however, was observed to change substantially from 80 krpm to 140 krpm. At 80 krpm, the character of the flow field at different times (at different points on the surge cycle) was observed to be similar: the core flow near the center of the duct was always directed into the impeller, whereas the reversed flow occupied an annular region near the periphery in nearly all time instances. However, as the rotational speed was increased to 140 krpm, the variation in the flow field at different instances within a deep surge cycle increased. At 140 krpm, the negative flow rate (where the cross-sectional average flow is directed out of the inducer back into the inlet duct) portion of the surge cycle was still similar to the overall surge flow field at 80 krpm, but over a substantial part of the positive flow rate (cross-sectional average flow is directed into the impeller) portion of the surge cycle, there was no sign of reversed flow within the visualization domain. As the rotational speed was increased, the surge loop (obtained by combining the PIV and pressure transducer data) extended over a wider portion of the compressor map with higher maximum (positive) and minimum (negative) flow rates, along with higher amplitude pressure fluctuations. The mean amplitude of mass flow rate and pressure ratio fluctuations at deep surge increased in nearly a quadratic fashion with rotational speed. The deep surge frequency did not change substantially over the range of rotational speeds examined in this study.

Quick Start of an Industrial Gas Turbine Engine Through the Development of “Silent Start” VGV Schedule

In this paper, research that was carried out to optimise an initial variable guide vane schedule of a high-pressure ratio, multistage axial compressor is reported. The research was carried out on an extensively instrumented scaled compressor rig. The compressor rig tests carried out employing the initial schedule identified regions in the low speed area of the compressor map that developed rotating stall. Rotating stall regions that caused undesirable non-synchronous vibration of rotor blades were identified. The variable guide vane schedule optimisation carried out balancing the aerodynamic, aero-mechanical and blade dynamic characteristics gave the ‘Silent Start’ variable guide vane schedule, that prevented the development of rotating stall in the start regime and removed the non-synchronous vibration. Aerodynamic performance and aero-mechanical characteristics of the compressor when operated with the initial schedule and the optimised ‘Silent Start’ schedule are compared. The compressor with the ‘Silent Start’ variable guide vane schedule when used on a twin shaft engine reduced the start time to minimum load by a factor of four and significantly improved the operability of the engine compared to when the initial schedule was used.