SEARCH

White Field

Transonic Compressor Facility

This is a continuous operation transonic compressor facility that is suitable for fundamental and proof of concept studies of active flow control in the internal flow of turbo-jet engines. The purpose is to provide an environment for the development of flow control concepts at conditions that are closer to those in real engines, and thereby provide a realistic evaluation before moving to more expensive tests in large government and industry facilities.

It consists of a single stage compressor made up of a row of inlet guide vanes (IGV), a compressor-blade rotor and a stator row. The rotor spins on magnetic bearings that can be used to dynamically vary the gap between the tip and casing. Survey rings upstream of the IGV and downstream of the stator row will allow access for internal flow measurements.

---

The compressor is driven by a 400 hp variable rpm DC motor. The rotor diameter is 18 in., and the hub-to-tip ratio is 0.75. At the maximum 15,000 r.p.m. The inlet Mach number is 0.65 and the tip Mach number is 1.1.