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The unsteady flow field generated by the rotor provides unsteady aerodynamic excitations to the downstream stator, which can result in vibrations such as forced response. In this paper, measurements of the rotor wake and rotor tip leakage flow from an embedded rotor in a multistage axial compressor are presented. A unique feature of this work is the pitchwise traverse of the flow field used to highlight the changes in the rotor exit flow field with respect to the position of the surrounding vane rows. Results acquired at midspan focus on characterizing an average rotor wake, including the effects on the frequency spectrum, from a forced response perspective. While many analyses use an average rotor wake to characterize the aerodynamic forcing function to the downstream stator, this study explores the factors that influence changes in the rotor wake shape and the resulting impact on the spectrum. Additionally, this paper investigates the flow near the endwall where the tip leakage vortex is an important contributor to the aerodynamic excitations for the downstream vane. For the first time, experimental data are presented at the rotor exit, which show the modulation in size and radial penetration of the tip leakage vortex as the rotor passes through the upstream vane wake. As computational models become more advanced, the ability to incorporate these aerodynamic excitation effects should be considered to provide better predictions for vane vibratory response.

Blade row interactions in turbomachinery can lead to blade vibrations and even high cycle fatigue. Forced response conditions occur when a forcing function (such as impingement of stator wakes) occurs at a frequency that matches the natural frequency of a blade. The objective of this research is to develop the data processing techniques needed to detect rotor blade vibration in a forced response condition from stationary fast-response pressure transducers to allow for detection of rotor vibration from transient data and lead to techniques for vibration monitoring in gas turbines. This paper marks the first time in the open literature that engine-order resonant response of an embedded bladed disk in a 3-stage intermediate-speed axial compressor was detected using stationary pressure transducers. Experiments were performed in a stage axial research compressor focusing on the embedded rotor of blisk construction. Fourier waterfall graphs from a laser tip timing system were used to detect the vibrations after applying signal processing methods to uncover these pressure waves associated with blade vibration. Individual blade response was investigated using cross covariance to compare blade passage pressure signatures through resonance. Both methods agree with NSMS data that provide a measure of the exact compressor speeds at which individual blades enter resonance.