Design of a centrifugal compressor research facility for low specific speed applications

The objective of this research has been the preliminary design of a new research compressor to address flow field issues associated with lower specific speed centrifugal compressors, as would be installed in the last stage of a high-pressure compressor. Compressor design considerations include ample instrumentation access for performance and detailed flow field measurements. The designed compressor should also be easily modified with standard tools, allow simple replacement of components for different research projects, and fit within the current facility without major infrastructure modifications. With these considerations in mind, an adaptable, fully-instrumentable compressor has been designed. As part of the development of the compressor facility, a timed-out Rolls-Royce production centrifugal compressor was installed to evaluate the functionality of the essential components to operate a centrifugal compressor in the facility. The facility was built up to accommodate a Roll-Royce model 250 C-28 compressor and acquire performance measurements on the compressor while running the compressor throughout the operating range of speed and loading. As part of this research, some improvements have been made to the facility including throttle hardware repairs, vibration sensor upgrades and adjustments, compressor air inlet conditioning, alignment of the drive housing, and several modifications to the compressor. The current compressor facility has been used to acquire a performance map of the Rolls-Royce compressor