Experimental Investigation of the Clocking Effect in a 1.5-Stage Axial Turbine—Part I: Time-Averaged Results

Comprehensive experimental investigations were conducted to get deeper insight into the physics of stator clocking in turbomachines. Different measurement techniques were used to investigate the influence of varying clocking positions on the highly unsteady flow field in a 1.5-stage axial low-pressure (LP) turbine. A Reynolds number typical for LP turbines as well as a two-dimensional blade design were chosen. Stator 2 was developed as a high-lift profile with a separation bubble on the suction side. This paper presents the results that were obtained by means of static pressure tappings and five-hole probes as well as the time-averaged results of unsteady x-wire measurements. The probes were traversed in different measuring planes for ten clocking positions. Depending on the clocking position, a variation in total pressure loss for Stator 2, a change of the rotor exit flow angle, and a dependency of the Stator 2 exit flow angle were found. The influence of these parameters on turbine efficiency was studied. Three main factors affecting the total pressure loss could be separated: the size of the separation bubble, the production of turbulent kinetic energy, and the strength of the periodic fluctuations downstream of Stator 2.