An experimental method for squealer tip flow field considering relative casing motion

Abstract Squealer tip is widely used in turbines to reduce tip leakage loss. In typical turbine environment, the squealer tip leakage flow is affected by multiple factors such as the relative casing motion and the wide range of variable incidence angles. The development of experimental methods which can accurately model the real turbine environment and influencing factors is of great significance to study the squealer tip leakage flow mechanism. In the present paper, a low-speed turbine cascade test facility which can model the relative casing motion and wide range of variable incidence angles (−25°–55°) is built. Based on the similarity criteria, a high-low speed similarity transformation method of the turbine cascade is established by considering the thickness of the turbine blade. A combined testing method of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and local pressure measurement is proposed to obtain the complex flow structures within the tip cavity. The results show that the experimental method can successfully model the relative casing motion and the wide range of variable incidence angles. The low-speed cascade obtained by the similarity transformation can model the high-speed flow accurately. The measurement technique developed can obtain the complex flow field and successfully capture the scraping vortex within the squealer tip.