Shock Wave and Flow Velocity Measurements in a High Speed Fan Rotor Using the Laser Velocimeter

The laser velocimeter, an instrument capable of making nondisturbing gas velocity measurements, was used to determine shock wave locations and to make gas velocity measurements within the rotating blade row of a 550-m/s (1800-ft/s)-tip speed fan rotor. The velocimeter measures the transit time of a seed particle across interference fringes produced at the intersection of a split and crossed laser beam. The rotor flowfields were obtained at several radial immersions for operating-line and near-stall throttle settings. The results show the change in shock pattern and flow velocity as the compressor is throttled toward stall. Analytical predictions of the flowfield were also obtained using both the method of characteristics and a time-dependent, finite-difference solution of the fluid dynamic equations of motion. The analytical results and the flowfield measurements are considered to be in good agreement.