Clocking Effects in a 1.5 Stage Axial Turbine—Steady and Unsteady Experimental Investigations Supported by Numerical Simulations

2001 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Reinmo¨ller ◽  
B. Stephan ◽  
S. Schmidt ◽  
R. Niehuis

The interaction between rotor and stator airfoils in a multistage turbomachine causes an inherently unsteady flow field. In addition, different relative circumferential positions of several stator rows and rotor rows, respectively, have an influence on the flow behavior in terms of loss generation, energy transport and secondary flow. The objective of the presented study is to investigate the effects of stator airfoil clocking on the performance of a 1-1/2 stage axial cold air turbine. The investigated axial turbine consists of two identical stators. The low aspect ratio of the blades and their prismatic design leads to a three-dimensional outlet flow with a high degree of secondary flow phenomena. Nevertheless, the small axial gaps between the blade rows are responsible for strong potential flow interaction with the radial wake regions in the measurement planes. Consequently, parts of the wakes of the first stator are clearly detected in the rotor outlet flow. To give an overview of the time-averaged flow field, measurements with pneumatic probes are conducted behind each blade row at ten different clocking-positions of the second stator. Further, an optimized clocking position was found due to a minimum in pressure loss behind the second stator. The unsteady measurements are carried out with hot-wire probes for three selected stator-stator positions. Animations of selected flow properties show the influence of different circumferential positions of the second stator on the unsteady flow behavior and secondary flow field. In addition and compared with experimental results three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow computations are performed.

Author(s):  
U. Reinmöller ◽  
B. Stephan ◽  
S. Schmidt ◽  
R. Niehuis

The interaction between rotor and stator airfoils in a multistage turbomachine causes an inherently unsteady flow field. In addition, different relative circumferential positions of several stator rows and rotor rows, respectively, have an influence on the flow behaviour in terms of loss generation, energy transport and secondary flow. The objective of the presented study is to investigate the effects of stator airfoil clocking on the performance of an 1-1/2 stage axial cold air turbine. The investigated axial turbine consists of two identical stators. The low aspect ratio of the blades and their prismatic design leads to a three-dimensional outlet flow with a high degree of secondary flow phenomena. Nevertheless, the small axial gaps between the blade rows are responsible for strong potential flow interaction with the radial wake regions in the measurement planes. Consequently, parts of the wakes of the first stator are clearly detected in the rotor outlet flow. To give an overview of the time-averaged flow field, measurements with pneumatic probes are conducted behind each blade row at ten different clocking-positions of the second stator. Further, an optimised clocking position was found due to a minimum in pressure loss behind the 2nd stator. The unsteady measurements are carried out with hot-wire probes for three selected stator-stator positions. Animations of selected flow properties show the influence of different circumferential positions of the second stator on the unsteady flow behaviour and secondary flow field. In addition and compared with experimental results three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow computations are performed.


1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fan ◽  
B. Lakshminarayana

The objective of this paper is to investigate the three dimensional unsteady flow interactions in a turbomachine stage. A three-dimensional time accurate Euler code has been developed using an explicit four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme. Three-dimensional unsteady non-reflecting boundary conditions are formulated at the inlet and at the outlet of the computational domain to remove the spurious numerical reflections. The three-dimensional code is first validated for 2-D and 3-D cascades with harmonic vortical inlet distortions. The effectiveness of non reflecting boundary conditions is demonstrated. The unsteady Euler solver is then used to simulate the propagation of nozzle wake and secondary flow through rotor and the resulting unsteady pressure field in an axial turbine stage. The three dimensional and time dependent propagation of nozzle wakes in the rotor blade row and the effects of nozzle secondary flow on the rotor unsteady surface pressure and passage flow field are studied. It was found that the unsteady flow field in the rotor is highly three-dimensional and the nozzle secondary flow has significant contribution to the unsteady pressure on the blade surfaces. Even though the steady flow at the midspan is nearly two-dimensional, the unsteady flow is 3-D and the unsteady pressure distribution can not by predicted by a 2-D analysis.


Author(s):  
B. Stephan ◽  
H. E. Gallus ◽  
R. Niehuis

A multistage turbomachine has inherently unsteady flow fields due to the relative motion between rotor and stator airfoils, which lead to viscous and inviscid interactions between the blade rows. Additionally, the radial clearance between casing and rotor strongly influences the 3D flow field and the loss generation in turbomachines. The objective of the presented study is to investigate the effects of tip clearance on secondary flow phenomena and, in consequence, on the performance of a 1-1/2 stage axial turbine. The low aspect ratio of the blades and their prismatic design leads to a high degree of secondary flows and three-dimensionality. Extended measurements of the flow field behind each blade row with pneumatic and hotwire probes have been conducted for three different tip clearances. Experimental results reveal significant change of flow behavior and turbine performance with increasing tip clearance.


Author(s):  
A. S. Witkowski ◽  
T. J. Chmielniak ◽  
M. D. Strozik

Detailed measurements have been performed in a low pressure axial flow compressor stage to investigate the structure of the secondary flow field and the three-dimensional wake decay at different axial locations before and behind the rotor. The three dimensional flow field upstream and downstream of the rotor and on the centerline of the stator blade passage have been sampled periodically using a straight and a 90 degree triple-split fiber probe. Radial measurements at 39 radial stations were carried out at chosen axial positions in order to get the span-wise characteristics of the unsteady flow. Taking the experimental values of the unsteady flow velocities and turbulence properties, the effects of the rotor blade wake decay and secondary flow on the blade row spacing and stator passage flow at different operating conditions are discussed. For the normal operating point, the component of radial turbulent intensities in the leakage-flow mixing region is found to be much higher than the corresponding axial and tangential components. But for a higher value of the flow coefficient the relations are different.The results of the experiments show that triple-split fiber probes, straight and 90 degree measurements, combined with the ensemble average technique are a very useful method for the analysis of rotor flow in turbomachinery. Tip clearance vortex, secondary flow near the hub and radial flow in the wake, turbulent intensity and Reynolds stresses and also the decay of the rotor wakes can be obtained by this method.


Author(s):  
H. E. Gallus ◽  
J. Zeschky ◽  
C. Hah

Detailed experimental and numerical studies have been performed in a subsonic, axial-flow turbine stage to investigate the secondary flow field, the aerodynamic loss generation, and the spanwise mixing under a stage environment. The experimental study includes measurements of the static pressure distribution on the rotor blade surface and the rotor exit flow field using three-dimensional hot-wire and pneumatic probes. The rotor exit flow field was measured with an unsteady hot-wire probe which has high temporal and spatial resolution. Both steady and unsteady numerical analyses were performed with a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code for the multiple blade rows. Special attention was focused on how well the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the rotor exit flow field and how much the blade interaction affects the radial distribution of flow properties at the stage exit. Detailed comparisons between the measurement and the steady calculation indicate that the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the overall time-averaged flow field very well. However, the steady calculation does not predict the secondary flow at the stage exit accurately. The current study indicates that the passage vortex near the hub of the rotor is transported toward the mid-span due to the blade interaction effects. And, the structure of the secondary flow field at the exit of the rotor is significantly modified by the unsteady effects. The time-averaged secondary flow field and the radial distribution of the flow properties, which are uses for the design of the following stage, can be predicted more accurately with the unsteady flow calculation.


1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 562-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Gallus ◽  
J. Zeschky ◽  
C. Hah

Detailed experimental and numerical studies have been performed in a subsonic, axial-flow turbine stage to investigate the secondary flow field, the aerodynamic loss generation, and the spanwise mixing under a stage environment. The experimental study includes measurements of the static pressure distribution on the rotor blade surface and the rotor exit flow field using three-dimensional hot-wire and pneumatic probes. The rotor exit flow field was measured with an unsteady hot-wire probe, which has high temporal and spatial resolution. Both steady and unsteady numerical analyses were performed with a three-dimensional Navier–Stokes code for the multiple blade rows. Special attention was focused on how well the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the rotor exit flow field and how much the blade interaction affects the radial distribution of flow properties at the stage exit. Detailed comparisons between the measurement and the steady calculation indicate that the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the overall time-averaged flow field very well. However, the steady calculation does not predict the secondary flow at the stage exit accurately. The current study indicates that the passage vortex near the hub of the rotor is transported toward the midspan due to the blade interaction effects. Also, the structure of the secondary flow field at the exit of the rotor is significantly modified by the unsteady effects. The time-averaged secondary flow field and the radial distribution of the flow properties, which are used for the design of the following stage, can be predicted more accurately with the unsteady flow calculation.


Author(s):  
J. Schlienger ◽  
A. I. Kalfas ◽  
R. S. Abhari

This paper presents the results of time-resolved flow field measurements of a multistage shrouded axial turbine. The unsteady interaction mechanism between the rotor’s secondary flow vortices, the rotor’s wake and the adjacent blading at the exit plane of the first turbine stage is of prime interest and analysed in detail. Three key phases are identified for one blade passing event. The first phase shows a quasi undisturbed convection of the rotor’s secondary flow field into the downstream stator. The second phase shows a migration of high loss fluid from the wake layer into the passage and horse-shoe vortices at the rotor hub section. The relative motion between the rotor and stator blades brings the two vortices closer to the wake layer and lets the flow features interact with each other. The third phase focuses on the rotor indigenous hub vortices that are bent and stretched around the stator’s leading edge. The signal analysis of the time-resolved flow field indicates a high level of unsteadiness at the stator’s pressure side. The associated unsteadiness within the flow field is evaluated and quantified on the basis of pitchwise averaged space-time diagrams. The obtained results are finally discussed and explained using two flow schematics within and at the end of the paper.


1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 663-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fan ◽  
B. Lakshminarayana

The objective of this paper is to investigate the three-dimensional unsteady flow interactions in a turbomachine stage. A three-dimensional time-accurate Euler code has been developed using an explicit four-stage Runge–Kutta scheme. Three-dimensional unsteady nonreflecting boundary conditions are formulated at the inlet and the outlet of the computational domain to remove the spurious numerical reflections. The three-dimensional code is first validated for two-dimensional and three-dimensional cascades with harmonic vortical inlet distortions. The effectiveness of the nonreflecting boundary conditions is demonstrated. The unsteady Euler solver is then used to simulate the propagation of nozzle wake and secondary flow through the rotor and the resulting unsteady pressure field in an axial turbine stage. The three-dimensional and time-dependent propagation of nozzle wakes in the rotor blade row and the effects of nozzle secondary flow on the rotor unsteady surface pressure and passage flow field are studied. It was found that the unsteady flow field in the rotor is highly three dimensional and the nozzle secondary flow has significant contribution to the unsteady pressure on the blade surfaces. Even though the steady flow at the midspan is nearly two dimensional, the unsteady flow is three dimensional and the unsteady pressure distribution cannot be predicted by a two-dimensional analysis.


1977 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lakshminarayana ◽  
C. A. Gorton

This paper reports the measurement and prediction of the three-dimensional flow field in an axial flow inducer operating at a flow coefficient of 0.065 with air as the test medium. The experimental investigations included measurement of the blade static pressure and blade limiting streamline angle, and measurement of the three components of mean velocity, turbulence intensities and turbulence stresses at locations inside the inducer blade passage utilizing a rotating three-sensor hot-wire probe. Analytical investigations were conducted to predict the three-dimensional inviscid flow and to approximately predict the three-dimensional viscid flow by incorporating the dominant viscous terms into the exact equations of motion in rotating coordinate system. Radial velocities are found to be of the same order as axial velocities and total relative velocity distributions indicate a substantial velocity deficiency near the tip at mid-passage. High turbulence intensities and turbulence stresses are concentrated within this core region. Evidence of boundary layer interactions, blade blockage effects, radially inward flows, annulus wall effects and back-flows are all found to exist within the long, narrow passages of the inducer, emphasizing the complex nature of inducer flow which makes accurate prediction of the flow behavior extremely difficult.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1223
Author(s):  
Max Tönsmann ◽  
Philip Scharfer ◽  
Wilhelm Schabel

Convective Marangoni instabilities in drying polymer films may induce surface deformations, which persist in the dry film, deteriorating product performance. While theoretic stability analyses are abundantly available, experimental data are scarce. We report transient three-dimensional flow field measurements in thin poly(vinyl acetate)-methanol films, drying under ambient conditions with several films exhibiting short-scale Marangoni convection cells. An initial assessment of the upper limit of thermal and solutal Marangoni numbers reveals that the solutal effect is likely to be the dominant cause for the observed instabilities.


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