Test Turbine
The KTH Test Turbine is a flexible axial air turbine facility used for detailed aerodynamic and aeromechanical investigations under typical conditions for turbomachinery. It is driven by compressed cold air from the central air-supply system and can be configured with one, two or three turbine stages, enabling both single-stage and multi-stage studies.
The test rig is designed to reproduce representative flow conditions of gas and steam turbines at laboratory scale while operating with air at low temperature. This makes it possible to carry out highly instrumented experiments on turbine stages, blades and cavities, including tests that would be difficult or impossible to perform in an industrial engine environment. The facility is developed and operated in close collaboration with industry partners and is frequently used both in research projects and in master’s theses.
Experimental work in the Test Turbine covers a broad range of turbomachinery topics, including:
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Performance testing of single and multi-stage turbine configurations
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Efficiency measurements and detailed investigation of inter-stage flow parameters
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Experimental studies of partial admission and the associated aerodynamic losses
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Aeromechanical phenomena such as forced response under non-uniform admission
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Cavity purge flow and rim-seal investigations in high-pressure turbine stages
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Leakage and tip-clearance effects and their impact on turbine performance
Typical applications and projects
The facility has been used in a variety of research and industry-driven projects, for example:
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Extending turbine stage performance databases and validating mean-line/through-flow design tools kth.diva-portal.org
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Experimental investigations of partial admission in two-stage air turbines, with detailed measurements of efficiency and loss mechanisms kth.diva-portal.org
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Aeromechanical and purge-flow studies in high-pressure turbine cavities, including detailed cavity-annulus interaction measurements kth.diva-portal.org webthesis.biblio.polito.it
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Studies of tip-clearance and leakage effects in highly loaded turbine stages www.euroturbo.eu
These campaigns provide high-quality datasets for validation of CFD and design methods and support ongoing collaborations with turbine manufacturers.
Education and student work
The Test Turbine is regularly used for Master’s theses in turbomachinery aerodynamics and aeromechanics, and also project work in advanced courses on turbomachinery and aeroelasticity, where students gain hands-on experience with experimental planning, measurement and data analysis ( www.kth.se .) This makes the rig an important bridge between research, education and industrial practice.
Access and contact
The Test Turbine is part of the Laboratory of the Division of Heat and Power Technology at KTH Energy Technology. External partners and students interested in using the facility for experiments, projects or theses are welcome to get in touch.
