Abstract: SPIV is applied to a large-scale low-speed compressor facility. The instantaneous velocity and vorticity distributions in several cross sections are successfully measured in the tip region of the compressor rotor at design condition. Based on the measurement results, the generation, evolution, unsteadiness and breakdown of the tip leakage vortex are analyzed in detail in the paper, and four main factors on the instability of the tip leakage vortex (adverse pressure gradient, Coriolis force, casing shear flow and turbulence intensity) are also discussed.

Key words: tip leakage vortex, vortex breakdown, SPIV, compressor