Stage effects on stalling and recovery of a high-speed 10-stage axial-flow compressor

Results of a high-speed 10-stage axial-flow compressor test involving overall compressor and individual stage performance while stalling and operating in quasi-steady rotating stall are described. Test procedures and data acquisition methods used to obtain the dynamic stalling and quasi-steady in-stall data are explained. Unstalled and in-stall time-averaged data obtained from the compressor operating at five different shaft speeds and one off-schedule variable vane condition are presented. The effects of compressor speed and variable geometry on overall compressor in-stall pressure rise and hysteresis extent are illustrated through the use of quasi-steady stage temperature rise and pressure rise characteristics. The results indicate that individual stage performance during overall compressor rotating stall operation varies considerably throughout the length of the compressor. Time-resolved in-stall data acquired at two different shaft speeds are presented in support of the notion that stage operation varies significantly from entrance to exit of the compressor. Both time-averaged and time-resolved individual stage results suggest that stage matching is important, not only for unstalled performance but also for in-stall performance and recoverability from stall.