Blade-to-Blade Flow at Centrifugal Impeller Exit Under Rotating Stall

This study presents the unsteady fluctuation measurements of impeller discharge flow for a centrifugal compressor in unstable operating region. The characteristics of the blade-to-blade flow under rotating stall were investigated by measuring unsteady velocity fluctuations at several different diffuser axial distances using a hot wire anemometer and high frequency pressure transducers mounted on the shroud wall. The flow characteristics in terms of the radial and tangential velocity components and turbulence intensity at the impeller exit were analyzed by using double phase-locked ensemble averaging techniques. During one stall period, a deep wake core was observed on the suction surface near the hub for the maximum radial velocity instant. On the other hand, large wake region existed in the middle of the passage near the shroud side. For the radial velocity increasing instant a quite strong core flow was generated at the pressure side, however, for the decreasing instant comparatively strong core flow was developed near the suction side.