Effects of Reynolds Number on Performance of Highly Loaded Multi-Stage Axial Compressors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoshi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Highly Loaded

The Effect of Pulsed Blowing on the Boundary Layer of a Highly Loaded Low Pressure Turbine Blade

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Mack ◽  
Roland Brachmanski ◽  
Reinhard Niehuis
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Mach Number ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Highly Loaded

The performance of the low pressure turbine (LPT) can vary appreciably, because this component operates under a wide range of Reynolds numbers. At higher Reynolds numbers, mid and aft loaded profiles have the advantage that transition of suction side boundary layer happens further downstream than at front loaded profiles, resulting in lower profile loss. At lower Reynolds numbers, aft loading of the blade can mean that if a suction side separation exists, it may remain open up to the trailing edge. This is especially the case when blade lift is increased via increased pitch to chord ratio. There is a trend in research towards exploring the effect of coupling boundary layer control with highly loaded turbine blades, in order to maximize performance over the full relevant Reynolds number range. In an earlier work, pulsed blowing with fluidic oscillators was shown to be effective in reducing the extent of the separated flow region and to significantly decrease the profile losses caused by separation over a wide range of Reynolds numbers. These experiments were carried out in the High-Speed Cascade Wind Tunnel of the German Federal Armed Forces University Munich, Germany, which allows to capture the effects of pulsed blowing at engine relevant conditions. The assumed control mechanism was the triggering of boundary layer transition by excitation of the Tollmien-Schlichting waves. The current work aims to gain further insight into the effects of pulsed blowing. It investigates the effect of a highly efficient configuration of pulsed blowing at a frequency of 9.5 kHz on the boundary layer at a Reynolds number of 70000 and exit Mach number of 0.6. The boundary layer profiles were measured at five positions between peak Mach number and the trailing edge with hot wire anemometry and pneumatic probes. Experiments were conducted with and without actuation under steady as well as periodically unsteady inflow conditions. The results show the development of the boundary layer and its interaction with incoming wakes. It is shown that pulsed blowing accelerates transition over the separation bubble and drastically reduces the boundary layer thickness.

Numerical Investigation of a Cantilevered Compressor Stator at Varying Clearance Sizes

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengwu Yang ◽  
Xingen Lu ◽  
Yanfeng Zhang ◽  
Shengfeng Zhao ◽  
Junqiang Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
High Flow ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Streamwise Direction ◽  
Stall Margin ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Highly Loaded

The clearance size of cantilevered stators affects the performance and stability of axial compressors significantly. Numerical calculations were carried out using the commercial software FINE/Turbo for a 2.5-stage highly loaded transonic axial compressor, which is of cantilevered stator for the first stage, at varying hub clearance sizes. The aim of this work is to improve understanding of the impact mechanism of hub clearance on the performance and the flow field in high flow turning conditions. The performance of the front stage and the compressor with different hub clearance sizes of the first stator has been analyzed firstly. Results show that the efficiency decreases as clearance size varies from 0 to 3% of hub chordlength, but the operating range has been extended. For the first stage, the efficiency decreases about 0.5% and the stall margin is extended. The following analysis of detailed flow field in the first stator shows that the clearance leakage flow and elimination of hub corner separation is responsible for the increasing loss and stall margin extending respectively. The effects of hub clearance on the downstream rotor have been discussed lastly. It indicates that the loss of the rotor increases and the flow deteriorates due to increasing of clearance size and hence the leakage mass flow rate, which mainly results from the interaction of upstream leakage flow with the passage flow near pressure surface. The affected region of rotor passage flow field expands in spanwise and streamwise direction as clearance size grows. The hub clearance leakage flow moves upward in span as it flows toward downstream.

Investigation of Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer of a Highly Loaded Turbine Blade Using the Universal Intermittency Function

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Nikparto ◽  
M. T. Schobeiri
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Flow Condition ◽  
Computational Results ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Unsteady Flow Condition ◽  
Highly Loaded

Efficiency and performance of gas turbine engines are affected by the flow field around the blades. The flow field inside a gas turbine engine is very complex. One of the characteristics of the flow inside an engine is existence of periodic unsteady wakes, originating from the upstream stator blades. The unsteady wakes, with their highly vortical core, impinge on the downstream blade surfaces and cause an intermittent transition of the flow regime from laminar to turbulent. This study aims at investigating and modeling the behavior and development of the boundary layer along the suction surface of a highly loaded low-pressure turbine blade under steady and unsteady inlet flow condition. The current paper includes results of a computational work substantiated by the experimental verifications. For the experimental investigations, the linear cascade facility in Turbomachinery Performance and Flow research Lab (TPFL) at Texas A&M University was used to simulate the periodic unsteady flow condition inside gas turbine engine. Moving wakes, originating from upstream blades, were simulated in this facility by moving rods attached to two parallel timing belts. Measurements and calculations were conducted at Reynolds number of 110,000. This Reynolds number pertains to cruise condition of a low-pressure turbine. At this Reynolds number, the flow around the blades is transitional and highly susceptible to flow separation. Aerodynamics experiments include measuring the boundary layer, locating its transition, separation and finally re-attachment using miniature hot wire probes. Heat transfer measurements along the suction and pressure surfaces were conducted utilizing a specially designed heat transfer blade that was instrumented with liquid crystal coating. To numerically simulate the transitional behavior of the boundary layer under periodic unsteady flow condition, a new intermittency function is developed which is based on the universal intermittency function developed by Chakka and Schobeiri [1]. Accurate prediction of the boundary layer behavior under the above conditions requires minimum and the maximum intermittency functions. These functions were developed inductively using the experimental results that were obtained in the absence of flow separation. In the current investigation the impact of the separation on the minimum and maximum intermittency are accounted for. The enhanced minimum and maximum intermittency functions along with the universal intermittency are implemented in a RANS based solver for computational simulation. The computational results are compared with (a) experimental ones and (b) with the computational results from RANS that involves Langtry-Menter [2, 3] method.

The compound bowing design in a highly loaded linear cascade with large turning angle

2020 ◽  
Vol 234 (16) ◽  
pp. 2323-2336
Author(s):  
Xingxu Xue ◽  
Songtao Wang ◽  
Lei Luo ◽  
Xun Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Side Effect ◽  
Adverse Pressure Gradient ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Turning Angle ◽  
Linear Cascade ◽  
Velocity Triangle ◽  
Highly Loaded

Numerical simulation was carried out to study the influences of blade-bowing designs based on a highly loaded cascade with large turning angle, while the compound bowing design showed much lower endwall loss than the conventional design in this study. Generally, it showed that the increased turning angle would strengthen the adverse pressure gradient on the suction surface, so the side effect of negative blade bowing angle would be enhanced because of the reduced flow filed stability near suction–endwall corner. However, the positive corner bowing angle that applied in the compound bowing design would enhance the flow field stability near the suction–endwall corner by adjusting spanwise pressure gradient and velocity triangle, so the side effect of negative blade bowing angle would be suppressed and lead to weaker secondary flow. In detail, the blade bowing angle (as well as the corner bowing angle in the conventional bowed cascades) was varied from −5° to −30° in this study, while the reductions of the loss coefficient in the compound bowed cascades were about 0.662.16 times higher (the absolute differences were about 0.0067 0.0097) than the corresponding conventional bowed cascades. Moreover, the Reynolds number and Mach number at the outlet plane were kept at 2.4 × 105 and 0.6, respectively, during the bowing design to ensure the comparability.

The Measurement and Interpretation of Flow within Rotating Stall Cells in Axial Compressors

1978 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. J. Day ◽  
N.A. Cumpsty
Keyword(s):  
Flow Direction ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Tangential Direction ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Flow Measurements ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flow Compressor

Detailed flow measurements obtained by a new measuring technique are presented for the flow in a stalled axial-flow compressor. Results were obtained from a wide range of compressor builds, including multi-stage and single-stage configurations of various design flow rates and degrees of reaction. Instantaneous recordings of absolute velocity, flow direction and total and static pressures have been included for both full-span and part-span stall. With the aid of these results, it has been shown that the conventional model of the flow in a stall cell is erroneous. An alternative model is proposed, based on the observation that the fluid must cross from one side of the cell to the other in order to preserve continuity in the tangential direction. An investigation of the experimental results also reveals the finer details of the flow in the cell and shows how these details are related to the design flow rate of the compressor. The influence of these cell details on the power absorbed by a stalled compressor are investigated, and consideration is given to the complex pressure patterns encountered in the compressor.

Unsteady Wake-Induced Boundary Layer Transition in High Lift LP Turbines

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Schulte ◽  
H. P. Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Boundary Layer Development ◽  
Unsteady Wake ◽  
Lp Turbine ◽  
Wake Passing ◽  
Layer Development ◽  
Highly Loaded

The development of the unsteady suction side boundary layer of a highly loaded LP turbine blade has been investigated in a rectilinear cascade experiment. Upstream rotor wakes were simulated with a moving-bar wake generator. A variety of cases with different wake-passing frequencies, different wake strength, and different Reynolds numbers were tested. Boundary layer surveys have been obtained with a single hotwire probe. Wall shear stress has been investigated with surface-mounted hot-film gages. Losses have been measured. The suction surface boundary layer development of a modern highly loaded LP turbine blade is shown to be dominated by effects associated with unsteady wake-passing. Whereas without wakes the boundary layer features a large separation bubble at a typical cruise Reynolds number, the bubble was largely suppressed if subjected to unsteady wake-passing at a typical frequency and wake strength. Transitional patches and becalmed regions, induced by the wake, dominated the boundary layer development. The becalmed regions inhibited transition and separation and are shown to reduce the loss of the wake-affected boundary layer. An optimum wake-passing frequency exists at cruise Reynolds numbers. For a selected wake-passing frequency and wake strength, the profile loss is almost independent of Reynolds number. This demonstrates a potential to design highly loaded LP turbine profiles without suffering large losses at low Reynolds numbers.

The Effect of Reynolds Number on Transonic Compressor Blade Rotor Section

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Shahrabi Farahani ◽  
H. Beheshti Amiri ◽  
H. Khazaei ◽  
A. Madadi ◽  
A. Fathi
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Navier Stokes Equations ◽  
Blade Passage ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Choked Flow ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Boundary Layer Interaction

To achieve at a more precise designing procedure in axial-compressors as well as a higher pressure ratio value, a comprehensive understanding on the flow aerodynamics and the governing phenomena is required. Existence of these complicated phenomena e.g., simultaneous production of supersonic and subsonic flows, shock-boundary layer interaction, unique incidence phenomenon, etc, makes it difficult to analyze the flow in the transonic compressors. One of the methods which is useful in the modeling of the phenomena occur in the compressors is investigating the flow in the blade to blade passage. In this paper, employing the simultaneous solution of the full Navier-Stokes equations (using the Roe-FDS numerical method) and turbulence equations (using the K–w (SST) model) the flow has been simulated in the blade to blade passage of a transonic compressor. In the following, in order to comparison the predicted results with experimental data, required adjustments and conditions have been taken into account. After passing through the first transonic compressor stages, the flow becomes remarkably compressed. In such conditions, the Reynolds number considerably changes compared to the inflow Reynolds number. In the present work, it is intended to numerically investigate the effects of the inflow Reynolds number on the unique incidence, flow losses, deviation angle, and also shock position changes, in three different important states of “Minimum loss” and “Choked flow” in started conditions and “Stall operation” in unstarted conditions.

Investigations on Impulse Blade Cascades with Medium Deflection

1978 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 432-438
Author(s):  
K. Bammert ◽  
B. Ahmadi
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
High Reaction ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Tandem Cascades

The transformation of energy in the stages of high-reaction axial compressors can be considerably increased if the rotor blading consists of tandem cascades. This also involves aerodynamically higher loading of the stator cascades deflecting the flow. The behavior of the base, mean, and tip sections impulse cascades of the stator of a multi-stage axial compressor designed on this basis was examined in a two-dimensional cascade wind tunnel. The results of these investigations are reported and discussed.

An Investigation of Reynolds Lapse Rate for Highly Loaded Low Pressure Turbine Airfoils With Forward and Aft Loading

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Eric Lyall ◽  
Paul I. King ◽  
Rolf Sondergaard ◽  
John P. Clark ◽  
Mark W. McQuilling
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Eddy Viscosity ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Freestream Turbulence ◽  
Number Range ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Turbine Airfoils ◽  
Hot Film ◽  
Highly Loaded

This paper presents an experimental and computational study of the midspan low Reynolds number loss behavior for two highly loaded low pressure turbine airfoils, designated L2F and L2A, which are forward and aft loaded, respectively. Both airfoils were designed with incompressible Zweifel loading coefficients of 1.59. Computational predictions are provided using two codes, Fluent (with k-k1-ω model) and AFRL’s Turbine Design and Analysis System (TDAAS), each with a different eddy-viscosity RANS based turbulence model with transition capability. Experiments were conducted in a low speed wind tunnel to provide transition models for computational comparisons. The Reynolds number range based on axial chord and inlet velocity was 20,000 < Re < 100,000 with an inlet turbulence intensity of 3.1%. Predictions using TDAAS agreed well with the measured Reynolds lapse rate. Computations using Fluent however, predicted stall to occur at significantly higher Reynolds numbers as compared to experiment. Based on triple sensor hot-film measurements, Fluent’s premature stall behavior is likely the result of the eddy-viscosity hypothesis inadequately capturing anisotropic freestream turbulence effects. Furthermore, rapid distortion theory is considered as a possible analytical tool for studying freestream turbulence that influences transition near the suction surface of LPT airfoils. Comparisons with triple sensor hot-film measurements indicate that the technique is promising but more research is required to confirm its utility.

Study of Tip Flows in High Hub-to-Tip Ratio Axial Compressors at Low Speed With Varying Tip Gaps, Inflow Conditions and Tip Shapes

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhaskar Roy ◽  
A. M. Pradeep ◽  
A. Suzith ◽  
Dinesh Bhatia ◽  
Aditya Mulmule
Keyword(s):  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Design Point ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Performance Deterioration

The present study involves simulation of a single compressor rotor with a high hub-to-tip ratio blade. The study includes the effect of variation of tip gap, of tip shapes and of inlet axial velocity profiles, with inflows simulated similar to that of a typical rear stage environment of a multi-stage axial compressor. Numerical studies were carried out on a baseline rotor blade (without sweep or dihedral) and then on blades with sweep and dihedral applied at the tip region of the rotor. Simulation of these part-span sweep and dihedral shapes are done to study their effects on blade tip leakage flow. Results show that sweep and dihedral, in some cases, produce favorable tip flows, improving blade aerodynamics. Positive dihedral caused weakening of tip leakage vortex at design point as well as at peak pressure point. Negative dihedral may help postpone stall at the high pressure, low flow operation. Backward sweep weakened tip vortex at the design point. Contrary to some of the studies reported earlier forward sweep, when applied at the tip region, showed performance deterioration over the most of the operating range of the high hub-to-tip rotor.

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