Abstract
This paper reports a new turbine research facility that was recently completed in Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The facility is a full annular rotating transonic turbine rig that allows a continuous operation of scaled and/or full-scale axial HPT or LPT.
The rig design was especially focused on the ability of simulating the aerodynamic and thermal interaction between main gas paths and various / massive secondary air flows at conditions of dominant aero-heat parameters well matched to those of modern aero-engines. Cooling air can be delivered to the airfoils of vanes/blades and the endwalls separately at a massflow range covering the typical conditions. Rotor forward and aft purge air as well as through-casing cooling air can be injected with each flowrate independently controlled.
The facility, which has significant capabilities with several large compressors of 10MW in total, 5MW mainflow heater, 6MW drive motor/generator, etc., can be applied to a very wide range of turbine designs.
A series of shakedown testing has been carried out since the completion of construction in 2019. The commissioning phase of the rig will complete in early 2021 and then the rig will enter service. The very first test with a scaled HPT is planned to start in the last quarter of 2021.
