Investigation of Vortex Shedding and Wake-Wake Interaction in a Transonic Turbine Stage Using Laser-Doppler-Velocimetry and Particle-Image-Velocimetry

The current paper presents a time-resolved experimental flow investigation in a highly loaded transonic gas turbine stage operating continuously under engine representative conditions. The measurement was performed with a two-component laser-doppler-velocimeter (LDV) and a three-component stereoscopic particle-image-velocimeter (3C-PIV). Unsteady velocity data were obtained in axis perpendicular planes (LDV) and tangential planes (3C-PIV) between stator and rotor as well as downstream of the rotor. The results of the time-resolved investigation at several radii show the vortex shedding process from the trailing edges of nozzle guide vanes and rotor blades. This vortex shedding was found to be phase locked to higher harmonics of the blade passing frequency. Pressure waves evoked by reflection of the trailing edge shocks of the vanes on the passing rotor blades interact with the boundary layers on the rear suction side of the vanes and on the rotor blade surfaces while running upstream and downstream the flow. They are responsible for this phase-locking phenomenon of the shedding vortices. At midspan, the vortices shedding from stator and rotor blades were also observed by PIV. The in-plane vorticity distribution was used to discuss the wake-wake interaction indicating that wake segments from the nozzle guide vanes were chopped by the rotor blades. These chopped segments are still visible in the distributions as a pair of counter rotating vortices. The nozzle wake segments are transported through the rotor passages by the flow, influencing the vortex street of the rotor blades as they pass by with the higher velocity of the main flow. A comparison with a numerical simulation is also given.