Experimental investigation of the flow field in an automotive torque converter stator

The flow field at the exit of a torque converter stator exit was measured u sing a miniature conventional five-hole probe. The data at speed ratio 0.8, 0.6, and 0.065 are presented Ar the speed ratio 0.6, the stator exit flow is dominated by a large free-stream, accompanied by the blade wake and corn er flow separation. A strong secondary flow is observed at the stator exit, the flow is overturned near the core and underturned near the shell. The s econdary flow at inlet produces large radial transport of,mass flow inside the stator passage. The shell-suction corner-flow separation has a large bl ockage effect, resulting in losses. To determine the nature of the transiti onal flow in the stator passage, the surface hot-film sensors were mounted on the starer blade surface. The data confirm that the stator flow field is turbulent.