Aerodynamic Performance of a Transonic Low Aspect Ratio Turbine Nozzle

This paper presents detailed information on the three-dimensional flow field in a realistic turbine nozzle with an aspect ratio of 0.65 and a turning angle of 76 deg. The nozzle has been tested in a large-scale planar cascade over a range of exit Mach numbers from 0.3 to 1.3. The experimental results are presented in the form of nozzle passage Mach number distributions and spanwise distribution of losses and exit flow angle. Details of the flow field inside the nozzle passage are examined by means of surface flow visualization and Schlieren pictures. The performance of the nozzle is compared to the data obtained for the same nozzle tested in an annular cascade and a stage environment. Excellent agreement is found between the measured pressure distribution and the prediction of a three-dimensional Euler flow solver.