A real parametric characterisation of ex-service compressor blade leading edges

In-service the degradation of compressor blade leading edges can have a disproportional effect on compressor efficiency. The high surface curvature in this region makes quantifying the surface finish of this sensitive and prominent region difficult. An automated technique that characterises the roughness of the leading edge in terms of areal parameters is presented. A set of ex-service blades of differing sizes are used to demonstrate the procedure. Improved characterisation of this blade region will allow engine companies to better understand where in-service deterioration has the greatest effect and inform them as to how they might minimise the effect. The present work shows that the leading edges of compressor blades exhibit a significantly higher characteristic surface roughness than other blade regions, and the spatial distribution of peaks in this characteristic roughness is detailed. In addition it is shown that peak wear and roughness are not uniformly correlated.