CF6 Jet Engine Diagnostics Program: High pressure compressor clearance investigation

Abstract

The effects of high pressure compressor clearance changes on engine performance were experimentally determined on a CF6 core engine. The results indicate that a one percent reduction in normalized average clearance, expressed as a fraction of airfoil length, improves compressor efficiency by one percent. Compressor clearances are reduced by the application of rotor bore cooling, insulation of the stator casing, and use of a low coefficient of expansion material in the aft stages. This improvement amounts to a reduction of normalized average clearance of 0.78 percent, relative to CF6-60 compressor, which is equivalent to an improvement in compressor efficiency of 0.78 percent.