On the Application of Variable Camber Blading in Axial Flow Fans and Compressors

For land and marine based gas turbine engines, heavy duty industrial axial flow fans and compressors, variable camber tandem blading seems to be an attractive proposition in the pursuit of high pressure ratio machines under design and off-design power settings. In the present investigations, experiments have been carried out in a cascade wind tunnel to explore the variable camber capability of a tandem blade at two extreme camber settings. Aerodynamic performance studies have been made qualitatively on the basis of static pressure coefficient distribution, diffusion factor and mass averaged loss coefficient data. Experimental evidences demonstrate the possible operation of variable camber blading within a wide range of 20° camber variation.