Aerodynamic Research on the Midsection of a Long Turbine Blade

The paper is concerned with experimental aerodynamic research on the midsection of a 1220mm long turbine rotor blade. Optical as well as pneumatic measurements of the midsection blade cascade have been performed in a suction type high-speed wind tunnel. The results of measurements are analyzed and discussed. Interferograms and schlieren pictures taken in a wide range of isentropic exit Mach numbers and incidence angles exhibit the existence of several phenomena occurring in the transonic flow field at certain conditions concerning the exit Mach number and the angle of incidence. A flow separation taking place at an extreme negative incidence has been found to produce an additional loss of 6%. The presence of the reflection of an exit shock wave on the suction side of the neighbouring profile has been found to have a substantial influence on the losses, since the loss coefficient value has increased about 10% in cases without the reflection, i.e. the cases at a high exit Mach number and a high positive angle of incidence. Several reflection types have been observed and described.