Factors Influencing the Accuracy of Turbomachinery Aerodynamic Performance Predictions

Abstract

This tutorial delves into the factors that impact the accuracy of turbomachinery performance predictions. The discussion is broken down into three parts… the influence of engineering tools / procedures, the impact of the various manufacturing processes and the uncertainties associated with performance testing. Under the engineering portion, the discussion focuses on the inaccuracies that can result from modeling assumptions or the computational methods themselves. The manufacturing segment explains how construction or machining techniques can yield parts that vary from the designs provided by engineering. Finally, the test portion provides an overview of the uncertainties associated with test methods, procedures, and instrumentation. The objective of the tutorial is to give readers a better appreciation of the role each of these considerations play in the prediction accuracy.