Vortices inside a single-stage axial air turbine captured by Particle Image Velocimetry

Abstract

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is an experimental method of fluid research resulting into a spatially resolved two-dimensional velocity field. We measured the velocity inside a single-stage axial test turbine at the Czech Aerospace Research Centre. We studied the axial × tangential plane just behind the rotor wheel at the tip radius under three regimes: underloaded, designed and overloaded ones. We found individual vortices in the instantaneous snapshots and we analyze their properties statistically.