Using five-hole pitot tubes, detailed flow measurements were made before, within and after a low-speed three-dimensional turbine stator blade row to obtain quantitative information on the aerodynamic loss mechanism. Qualitative flow visualization tests and endwall static pressure measurements were also made.
An analysis of the tests revealed that many vortical flows promote loss generation. Within a large part of the cascade, a major loss process could be explained simply as the migration of boundary layer low energy fluids from surrounding walls (endwalls and blade surfaces) to the blade suction surface near the trailing edge. On the other hand, complexity exists after the cascade and in the vortical flows near the trailing edge. The strong trailing shedding vortices affect upstream flow fields within the cascade. Detailed flow surveys within the cascade under the effects of blade tip leakage flows are also included.
