Reconciling Compressor Performance Differences for Varying Ambient Inlet Conditions

Abstract

Careful experimental measurements can capture small changes in compressor total pressure ratio (TPR), which arise with subtle changes in an experiment's configuration. Research facilities that use unconditioned atmospheric air must account for changes in ambient compressor inlet conditions to establish repeatable performance maps. A unique dataset from a three-stage axial compressor has been acquired over the duration of 12 months in the Midwest U.S., where ambient conditions change significantly. The trends show a difference in compressor TPR measured on a cold day versus a warm day despite correcting inlet conditions to sea level standard day. To reconcile these differences, this paper explores correcting the compressor exit thermodynamic state, Reynolds number effects, and variations in rotor tip clearance (TC) as a result of differences in thermal growth.