Particle image velocimetry of active flow control on a compressor cascade

AFC (Active Flow Control) experiments have been performed by means of steady and pulsed blowing out of the sidewalls as well as out of the blade’s suction surface in a highly loaded compressor cascade. PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) was used to evaluate the fully three-dimensional internal flow field and the impact of AFC methods. The aim was to observe the secondary flow structures and flow instabilities by PIV, to tune the AFC device operation parameters. This paper summarizes the different PIV measurements performed at the stator cascade to give an overview of the dominant flow features in the passage flow field and to obtain a detailed view of control mechanisms. In addition, a new vortex detection method is presented, based on a 2D-wavelet which is applicable in two-dimensional velocity data fields.