Identification of Compressor Vibration Aerodynamic Forcing Mechanisms by Spectral Characteristics

Abstract Non-synchronous vibration (NSV) in axial compressors can be caused either by 1) unsteady aerodynamic forces that are not related to motion of the blades or 2) motion-dependent aerodynamic forcing (e.g., flutter). Aerodynamic forcing mechanisms can be challenging to identify in experimental observations of NSV because the temporal vibration characteristics for both forcing mechanisms can appear similar. This work proposes a method for distinguishing between the two mechanisms using spectral characteristics. The method provides an interpretation of experimental data explicitly consistent with the analytical models used to differentiate between forced response and flutter. Two cases of NSV were observed in a 1.5-stage axial compressor at near stall conditions. The circumferential wavenumber-dependent unsteady pressure spectra and non-intrusive stress measurement system (NSMS) spectra were observed to have distinct characteristics for the two NSV cases. Based on these distinct spectral characteristics, the first case was identified as blade-row aerodynamic forcing, while the second was identified as motion dependent (flutter). Numerical simulations confirmed low aerodynamic damping at the conditions where flutter was observed.