Numerical Investigation of Probe-Support Intrusion Effects on Transonic Axial Compressor Performance

The pneumatic measurement probes are an important part of fluid machinery instrumentation and often utilized to obtain the flow field parameters because of their low cost, easy implementation, and reliability. In the axial compressors, as the airflow bypasses after the probe installation in the compressor rotor, the flow instability caused due to probe support may enhance the local flow complexity. Therefore, the compressor performance effects due to probe-support are of considerate importance. Thus, the current article presents a numerical study about the influence arising from intrusive probe heights on the aerodynamics performance of a transonic speed rotor via steady multi-passage simulations. The numerical results validation with experimental data showed good agreement. The support is modeled at the upstream of the compressor rotor, such that it is fixed at the casing. The CFD study considers different intrusive heights as a function of the rotor-blade span. The simulation results show a significant influence as the support is inserted into the flow field with degrading rotor characteristics. The effects were analyzed with-reference to clean flow case and concerning the total pressure ratio, efficiency, chocking mass flow, and Mach number variations. The analysis further depicted an increase in flow Mach number with increasing intrusive heights and thus contributed to the total pressure loss of the compressor rotor.