Achieving low stall speeds is desired for military aircraft to allow for improved flight performance. The purpose of this study was to accurately characterize the inlet flow field of a transonic compressor’s inlet and observe if there were any flow field improvements due to rig modifications. Constant temperature hot-film anemometry was installed to obtain velocity measurements. Radial surveys were obtained at four separate azimuthal locations: 0°, -30°, 30°, and 120° to achieve an understanding of the flow field due to upstream components. Average turbulence intensity, flow field velocities, displacement thickness, momentum thickness, and shape factor were also computed and the experimental data was analyzed for compressor operations at 70%, and 85% power for near stall, intermediate, and choked conditions. A Computational Fluid Dynamic model was also created to compare the 85% choked simulation to the experimental results. This data set is essential for the evaluation of computational codes used for the simulation of transonic compressor rotors. These measurements will be utilized for future Computation Fluid Dynamic validation for separate work involving the redesign of the transonic compressor rig inlet as well as boundary and inlet conditions for ongoing simulation work.

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Lieutenant, United States Navy

Pratt and Whitney