Abstract

The flow through blade channels in turbomachinery is unsteady due to wakes from the blade rings placed upstream. The squirrel cage is one of the most spread generators for modeling the unsteady flow with wakes. By means of this kind of wake generator it is possible to investigate the influence of wakes on the development of boundary layer in the presence of transition under conditions typical for turbomachines. 

The aim of this paper is to compare the features ofthe external flow behind the squirrel cage generators and structure of boundary layers on the flat plates in installations used at IFFM, Gdańsk, and IET, Kiev.