Three-Dimensional Flow Field in Highly Loaded Compressor Cascade

Within the present paper, a detailed experimental investigation is presented. The influence of blade loading on the development and interaction of secondary flow structures within an annular compressor stator cascade (CSC) is examined. Experimental results at 3% chord hub clearance were obtained at four different blade loadings. Included are blade and endwall flow visualization, time resolved measurements of the static pressure on the endwall and radial-circumferential hot-wire traverse measurements within the passage as well as five-hole probe traverse measurements at the inlet and the outlet of the passage. The experimentally obtained results give detailed insight on the effect of the incidence on the development and interaction of the clearance vortex, horseshoe vortex, and the passage vortex. Furthermore, it will be shown that a vortex breakdown of the clearance vortex occurs at higher loadings.