Entropy noise caused by combustors increases rapidly with rising Mach number in the nozzle downstream of the combustion chamber. This is experimentally shown with a dedicated test facility, in which entropy waves are generated in a controlled way by unsteady electrical heating of fine platinum wires immersed in the flow. Downstream of the heating module called entropy wave generator (EWG), the pipe flow is accelerated through a convergent-divergent nozzle with a maximum Mach number of 1.2 downstream of the nozzle throat. Parameters like mass flux of the flow, nozzle Mach number, amount of heating energy, excitation mode (periodic, pulsed, or continuously), and propagation length between EWG and nozzle have been varied for the analysis of the generated entropy noise. The results are compared with the results of a one-dimensional theory found in early literature.

Concerning the further development of gas turbine engines, advances of the aero-thermodynamic design can be achieved most efficiently by cooperative efforts aimed at the improvement of both the numerical simulation methods and the experimental test and measurement techniques. Rapid development of numerical capability is accompanied by increasing demands on experimental data. In this context significant instrumentation research efforts are being conducted to develop the needed measurement technologies. Because of the need for reduced experimental costs planar measurement techniques have undergone a rapid pace of development. Three newly developed quantitative light sheet techniques utilizing the scattered light of tracer particles are described in this paper. First a Doppler global velocimetry (DGV) system optimized for time-averaged three component velocity measurements is presented. The system, which uses a single viewing direction in conjunction with three different illumination directions enables very accurate velocity measurements. Second a quantitative light sheet (QLS) technique for quantitative mass fraction measurements in mixing processes is treated. To apply the technique the inflow of the mixing experiment must consist at least of two separate flows, one of which can be seeded while the other remains unseeded. DGV and QLS results obtained from experimental investigation in a model combuster are presented. Third a method named tracer-based shock visualization (TSV) is described which is capable of determining the shape and structure of shock waves in transonic flows by analysing the sudden increase of flow density across a shock. Results taken in a transonic compressor are presented.

Strong evidence is presented that entropy noise is the major source of external noise in aero-engine combustion. Entropy noise is generated in the outlet nozzles of combustors. Low-frequency entropy noise, which was predicted earlier in theory and numerical simulations, was successfully detected in a generic aero-engine combustion chamber. It is shown that entropy noise dominates even in the case of thermo-acoustic resonances. In addition to this, a different noise generating mechanism was discovered that is presumably of even higher relevance to jet engines: There is strong evidence of broad band entropy noise at higher frequencies (1 to 3kHz in the reported tests). This unexpected effect can be explained by the interaction of small scale entropy perturbations (hot spots) with the strong pressure gradient in the outlet nozzle. The direct combustion noise of the flame zone seems to be of minor importance for the noise emission to the ambiance. The combustion experiments were supplemented by experiments with electrical heating. Two different methods for generating entropy waves were used, a pulse excitation and a sinusoidal excitation. In addition, high-frequency entropy noise was generated by steady electrical heating.

A three-component, time- and phase-averaging Doppler global velocimetry (DGV) system was developed. Measurements were performed in the cold exhaust flow of a piston engine at two different rotational speeds, with an angular resolution of 5° with respect to the cam-shaft angle. The results gave a very detailed insight into the temporal evolution of the flow field. Phase-averaged DGV measurements were performed in the unsteady periodic flow of a generic swirl nozzle using an acoustic trigger. The measurements help to identify the phenomena of a precessing vortex core. The measurement accuracy of the DGV system was investigated.

Strong evidence is presented that entropy noise is the major source of external noise in aero-engine combustion. Entropy noise is generated in the outlet nozzles of combustors. Low frequency entropy noise — which was predicted earlier in theory and numerical simulations — was successfully detected in a generic aero-engine combustion chamber. It is shown that entropy noise dominates even in the case of thermo-acoustic resonances. In addition to this, a different noise generating mechanism was discovered that is presumably of even higher relevance to jet engines: There is strong evidence of broad band entropy noise at higher frequencies (1 kHz to 3 kHz in the reported tests). This unexpected effect can be explained by the interaction of small scale entropy perturbations (hot spots) with the strong pressure gradient in the outlet nozzle. The direct combustion noise of the flame zone seems to be of minor importance for the noise emission to the ambiance. The combustion experiments were supplemented by experiments with electrical heating. Two different methods for generating entropy waves were used, a pulse excitation and a sinusoidal excitation. In addition, high-frequency entropy noise was generated by steady electrical heating.