NASA Low-Speed Centrifugal Compressor for Three-Dimensional Viscous Code Assessment and Fundamental Flow Physics Research

A low-speed centrifugal compressor facility recently built by the NASA Lewis Research Center is described. The purpose of this facility is to obtain detailed flow field measurements for computational fluid dynamic code assessment and flow physics modeling in support of Army and NASA efforts to advance small gas turbine engine technology. The facility is heavily instrumented with pressure and temperature probes, in both the stationary and rotating frames of reference, and has provisions for flow visualization and laser velocimetry. The facility will accommodate rotational speeds to 2400 rpm and is rated at pressures to 1.25 atm. The initial compressor stage being tested is geometrically and dynamically representative of modern high-performance centrifugal compressor stages with the exception of Mach number levels. Preliminary experimental investigations of inlet and exit flow uniformity and measurement repeatability are presented. These results demonstrate the high quality of the data that may be expected from this facility. The significance of synergism between computational fluid dynamic analyses and experimentation throughout the development of the low-speed centrifugal compressor facility is demonstrated.