Evaluation of an airjet distortion generator used to produce inlet total-pressure distortion for turbine engine testing

The inflexibility of distortion screens in the testing of gas turbine engines has dictated the need for a quicker, more flexible method of producing inlet total-pressure distortion. In response to this need a performance evaluation of an airjet distortion generator system, used to produce steady-state total-pressure distortion at the inlet to a turbine engine, was conducted.

The capability of the system to duplicate screen-generated patterns and to maintain a constant distortion pattern over a range of airflows is presented. The effect of Reynolds number on the system's capability to match patterns is also investigated. A comparison of the effects of inlet distortion produced by screens to that produced by the airjet distortion generator system on the stability characteristics of the General Electric Fl0l-GE-l00 turbofan engine is described.

The major findings of this investigation were that the airjet distortion generator system could produce inlet distortion patterns within the error normally obtained by screens, and that the engine stability characteristics differed little with the two distortion methods.