Aircraft fan and compressor blade leading edges suffer from atmospheric particulate erosion that reduces aerodynamic performance. Recontouring the blade leading edge region can restore blade performance. This process typically results in blades of varying chord length. The question therefore arises as to whether performance of refurbished fans and compressors could be further improved if blades of varying chord length are installed into the disk in a certain order. To investigate this issue the aerodynamic performance of a transonic compressor rotor operating with blades of varying chord length was measured in back-to-back compressor test rig entries. One half of the rotor blades were the full nominal chord length while the remaining half of the blades were cut back at the leading edge to 95% of chord length and recontoured. The rotor aerodynamic performance was measured at 100, 80, and 60% of design speed for three blade installation configurations: nominal-chord blades in half of the disk and short-chord blades in half of the disk; four alternating quadrants of nominal-chord and short-chord blades; nominal-chord and short-chord blades alternating around the disk. No significant difference in performance was found between configurations, indicating that blade chord variation is not important to aerodynamic performance above the stall chord limit if leading edges have the same shape. The stall chord limit for most civil aviation turbofan engines is between 94–96% of nominal (new) blade chord.
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July 2002
Technical Papers
The Effect of Variable Chord Length on Transonic Axial Rotor Performance
William B. Roberts, Mem. ASME,
e-mail: byron.far@juno.com
William B. Roberts, Mem. ASME
Airfoil Management Co. and Airfoil Technologies International, Compton, CA 90220
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Albert Armin,
Albert Armin
Airfoil Management Co. and Airfoil Technologies International, Compton, CA 90220
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George Kassaseya,
George Kassaseya
Airfoil Management Co. and Airfoil Technologies International, Compton, CA 90220
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Kenneth L. Suder, Mem. ASME,
Kenneth L. Suder, Mem. ASME
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
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Scott A. Thorp,
Scott A. Thorp
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
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Anthony J. Strazisar, Mem. ASME
Anthony J. Strazisar, Mem. ASME
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
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William B. Roberts, Mem. ASME
Airfoil Management Co. and Airfoil Technologies International, Compton, CA 90220
e-mail: byron.far@juno.com
Albert Armin
Airfoil Management Co. and Airfoil Technologies International, Compton, CA 90220
George Kassaseya
Airfoil Management Co. and Airfoil Technologies International, Compton, CA 90220
Kenneth L. Suder, Mem. ASME
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
Scott A. Thorp
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
Anthony J. Strazisar, Mem. ASME
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
Contributed by the International Gas Turbine Institute and presented at the International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 4–7, 2001. Manuscript received by the IGTI, January 18, 2001. Paper No. 2001-GT-498. Review Chair: R. A. Natole.
J. Turbomach. Jul 2002, 124(3): 351-357 (7 pages)
Published Online: July 10, 2002
Article history
Received:
January 18, 2001
Online:
July 10, 2002
Citation
Roberts, W. B., Armin , A., Kassaseya, G., Suder, K. L., Thorp , S. A., and Strazisar, A. J. (July 10, 2002). "The Effect of Variable Chord Length on Transonic Axial Rotor Performance ." ASME. J. Turbomach. July 2002; 124(3): 351–357. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1459734
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