Influence of Vane-Blade Spacing on Transonic Turbine Stage Aerodynamics: Part I—Time-Averaged Data and Analysis

Abstract

A comprehensive study has been performed to determine the influence of vane-blade spacing on transonic turbine stage aerodynamics. In Part I of this paper, an investigation of the effect of turbine vane–blade interaction on the time-mean airfoil surface pressures and overall stage performance parameters is presented. Experimental data for an instrumented turbine stage are compared to two- and three-dimensional results from four different time-accurate Navier–Stokes solvers. Unsteady pressure data were taken for three vane-blade row spacings in a short-duration shock tunnel using surface-mounted, high-response pressure sensors located along the midspan of the airfoils. Results indicate that while the magnitude of the surface pressure unsteadiness on the vane and blade changes significantly with spacing, the time-mean pressures and performance numbers are not greatly affected.