A High Temperature High Bandwidth Fast Response Total Pressure Probe for Measurements in a Multistage Axial Compressor

Abstract

Over the last decades, fast response aerodynamic probes have been recognized as a robust measurement technique to provide time-resolved flow field data in turbomachinery environments. Still, most of the existing probe designs are restricted to low temperature applications (<120°C) either because of sensor temperature range limitations or packaging issues. Measurements in turbomachines also require a small probe size often with a very high bandwidth which are conflicting constraints difficult to satisfy simultaneously. This contribution therefore presents the development of a novel miniature (0 2.5 mm ) high temperature single sensor total pressure probe, designed for operation up to 250 °C with a very high bandwidth of 250 kHz. The probe main element is a 1.7 mm diameter commercial piezoresistive transducer placed in a Pitot type arrangement with a flush mounted sensor to provide the highest bandwidth. The details ofthe probe design are presented as well as the probe calibrations in pressure and in temperature. The effects of using a thermal compensation module or a sense resistor to monitor the temperature drift are described in the context of measurement uncertainty. The probes were characterized in terms of aerodynamic characteristics versus flow angle and Mach number. Shock tube tests have shown a dynamic response ofthe probe with sensor resonance frequencies well over 300 kHz, with a flat frequency range up to 250 kHz. Two probe prototypes were manufactured and first used in the V/j-stage high speed axial compressor CREATE ofthe LMFA at Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France. The probes were traversed at each interblade row plane up to temperatures of 180°C and absolute pressure of 3 bars. The probe was able to resolve the high blade passing frequencies (^16 kHz) and several harmonics including rotor-stator interaction frequencies up to 200 kHz. Besides the average total pressure distributions from the radial traverses, phase-locked averages and random unsteadiness are presented. The probe spatial and temporal resolutions are discussed in the context of those results.

Multiple-Frequency Phase-Lagged Unsteady Simulations of Experimental Axial Compressor

“…6. Measurements are carried out both with pneumatic and unsteady pressure probes, detailed by Mersinligil et al [26]. Two-dimensional velocity measurements are also available through laser-doppler anemometry.…”

Impact of Underlying RANS Turbulence Models in Zonal Detached Eddy Simulation: Application to a Compressor Rotor

“…Thus, the Mach number and also the three velocity components can be computed. The unsteady stagnation pressure probes developed by VKI have a very high bandwidth (250 kHz) and their diameter is 2.5 mm (2.65% of the spatial periodicity of the whole compressor at casing) [27].…”

An experimental investigation of the effects of upstream probe disturbance on compressor cascade performance

“…The research on the interaction between the measurement probes and the compressor are well documented and divided into twofold: (1) to improve the accuracy of the measurement probes via changing the structures, and propose advanced techniques to correct the measurement data 9-11 ; (2) to study the interaction mechanism between the probes and the compressor and further develop the correction methods with regard to the blockage effect. [12][13][14] Particle image velocimetry as a non-intrusive technique has been performed on many applications for the sake of visualizing the flow phenomena, 15,16 while due to the difficulties in setting up the compressor, the present study prefers to use dynamic pressure measurement instead of PIV.…”