To study the amplitude and the frequency of the aerodynamic force on stator blades, micro-sensors are embedded on the surface of stator blades of a low-speed single-stage axial compressor rig. The unsteady pressure distribution on stator blades is measured under the conditions of different axial spacing between the rotor and the stator, different rotating speeds and an extensive range of the mass flow. Amplitudes and frequencies of aerodynamic forces are analyzed by the Fourier transform. Experimental results show that under the effect of the rotor wake, the dominant frequencies of pressure fluctuations on stator blades are the rotor blade passing frequency (BPF) and its harmonics. The higher harmonics of the rotor BPF in the fore part of the suction side are more prominent than that in the other parts of the stator blade. Otherwise, fluctuations of the pressure and the aerodynamic force on stator blades vary with the mass flow, the rotating speed and the axial spacing between the rotor and the stator.
Experimental studies are carried out at a low speed axial compressor with five different rotor/stator gaps. Analysis of the effect of axial spacing of two successive blade rows on the measured mean flow coefficient at stall inception and on the flow range of compressor under multi-cell rotating stall operating conditions proves that the stator can suppress the flow disturbance in the compressor and strengthen the stability of the compressor. Experimental data show that the stall flow coefficient decreases by reducing the axial spacing of successive blade rows. Moreover, by reducing the axial spacing, the stall pattern transition pace from multi-cell stall to single-cell stall can be shifted. And the compressor directly slips into single-cell stall at 21.0% CR axial spacing. By analyzing the pressure fluctuation closed to the surge line, it can be known that there exists an eigenfrequency where the amplitude of the oscillating pressure suddenly and dramatically increases as the compressor runs close to the surge line and this pressure disturbance is relevant to the compressor instability.