A blade of \( 0.08 \ \mathrm{m} \) span in an annulus of \( 0.60 \ \mathrm{m} \) mean diameter has a tip clearance of \( 0.8 \ \mathrm{mm} \). The clearance as a fraction of span is
Answer: C
Correct answer: 1.0 per cent
Both must be in the same units:
\[ \frac{0.8 \ \mathrm{mm}}{80 \ \mathrm{mm}} = 0.01 = 1.0\% \]A rule of thumb is that each one per cent of clearance to span costs one to two per cent of stage efficiency, so this small gap matters - and it is why active clearance control, cooling the casing in cruise to shrink it onto the blades, is fitted to large engines.
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