Inlet Distortion Generated Periodic Aerodynamic Rotor Response

Fundamental inlet distortion-generated rotor blade row unsteady aerodynamics, including the effects of both the detailed aerodynamic forcing function for the first time and steady loading are experimentally investigated in an extensively instrumented axial-flow research compressor. A two-per-rev forcing function with three gust amplitude ratios is generated. On the rotor blade pressure surface, the unsteady pressure nondimensionalization compresses the magnitude data with mean flow incidence angle. This is not the case on the higher camber suction surface. These pressure surface unsteady data are primarily affected by the steady loading level, whereas the suction surface unsteady data are a function of the steady loading level and distribution as well as the gust amplitude ratio. In addition, a design inlet distortion blade surface unsteady pressure correlation is considered.