Turbine test

A single-stage supersonic high-pressure turbine is being tested by scientists at the German Aerospace Centre (

) in Göttingen for

.

The high-pressure turbine will be used to develop engines for use in business jets. According to the DLR, its test-bed is the only one that can suitably measure the flow characteristics of the turbine to find a balance between costs and performance.

In preparation for the tests, scientists must make sure that the turbine rotors will be able to stand the pressure acting on it. At maximum speeds, this can be equivalent to 37,000 times the Earth’s gravitational pull.

Sensors will be used to measure the pressure, temperature and other parameters of the turbine’s aerodynamic characteristics. For instance, the pressure inside the turbine will be measured using high-speed pressure transducers that collect data at a rate of 250,000 measurements per second, generating a volume of 100 gigabytes.

Dr Ingo Röhle, head of the Turbine Department at the DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology, said: ‘The turbine test-bed enables us to operate almost life-size high-pressure turbines using the correct Mach number and air properties. This means that we can accurately simulate the conditions that will occur when the turbine is actually used in the engine.’