The Application of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in a Short-Duration Transonic Annular Turbine Cascade

A series of experiments have been performed to demonstrate the application of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to turbomachinery flows. The tests were performed at transonic speeds on a fully annular engine size turbine nozzle guide vane. The vane cascade was installed in a short-duration Isentropic Light Piston Cascade (ILPC) test facility operating with high inlet turbulence levels. The technique has been shown to map the whole flow field with a resolution of 0.5 mm. The quality of the results obtained is not significantly affected by local turbulence rates. The accuracy of the measurements is put at around 4 percent of absolute velocity and is limited by the quality of the image on the film plane. The velocities derived from the PIV images have been compared with predictions from a three-dimensional viscous numerical calculation. It is shown that the experimental and predicted results are in good agreement. It is considered that this technique has considerable potential in application to turbomachinery flow field diagnostics.