Design and Performance of Controlled-Diffusion Stator Compared with Original Double-Circular-Arc Stator

The capabilities of a stator blade row having controlled-diffusion (CD) blade sections were compared with the capabilities of a stator blade row having double circular-arc (DCA) blade sections. A CD stator with the same chord length but half the blades of the DCA stator was designed and tested. The same fan rotor (tip speed, 429 m/sec; pressure ratio, 1.65) was used with each stator row. The design and analysis system is briefly described here. The overall stage and rotor performances with each stator are then compared along with selected blade element data. The CD stator had approximately a 1 percentage point greater minimum overall efficiency decrement than the DCA stator at or near design speed.