Aerodynamic Performance of Blade Tip End-Plates Designed for Low-Noise Operation in Axial Flow Fans

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Corsini ◽  
Franco Rispoli ◽  
A. G. Sheard
Keyword(s):  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Acoustic Emissions ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

This study assesses the effectiveness of modified blade-tip configurations in achieving passive noise control in industrial fans. The concepts developed here, which are based on the addition of end-plates at the fan-blade tip, are shown to have a beneficial effect on the fan aeroacoustic signature as a result of the changes they induce in tip-leakage-flow behavior. The aerodynamic merits of the proposed blade-tip concepts are investigated by experimental and computational studies in a fully ducted configuration. The flow mechanisms in the blade-tip region are correlated with the specific end-plate design features, and their role in the creation of overall acoustic emissions is clarified. The tip-leakage flows of the fans are analyzed in terms of vortex structure, chordwise leakage flow, and loading distribution. Rotor losses are also investigated. The modifications to blade-tip geometry are found to have marked effects on the multiple vortex behaviors of leakage flow as a result of changes in the near-wall fluid flow paths on both blade surfaces. The improvements in rotor efficiency are assessed and correlated with the control of tip-leakage flows produced by the modified tip end-plates.

Aerodynamic Workings of Blade Tip End-Plates Designed for Low-Noise Operation in Axial Flow Fans

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Corsini ◽  
Bruno Perugini ◽  
Franco Rispoli ◽  
A. G. Sheard ◽  
Iain R. Kinghorn
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Emissions ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Acoustic Signature ◽  
Flow Mechanisms ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Rotor Losses

The use of improved blade tip geometries is addressed as an effective design concept for passive noise control in industrial fans. These concepts, based on geometrical implementations of datum blade by means of end-plates at the tip, are shown to influence effectively the fan rotor-only aero acoustic signature because of the modifications of tip leakage flow behaviour. The aerodynamic merits of the proposed blade tip concepts are investigated by experimental and computational studies in fully-ducted configuration. The nature of the flow mechanisms in the blade tip region is correlated to the specific end-plate design features, and their role in creation of overall stage acoustic emissions clarified. By means of such tools, the tip leakage flow structures of the fans are analysed in terms of vortical structure detection, chordwise leakage flow evaluation, and loading distribution. Rotor losses are also investigated within the passage and invoking classical tip loss model. It was found that the tip geometrical modification markedly affects the multiple vortex behaviour of leakage flow, by altering the near-wall fluid flow paths on both blade surfaces. The improvement of rotor efficiency curves were assessed and correlated to the control of tip leakage flows exploited by the tip end-plates.

Blade Tip Shape Optimization for Enhanced Turbine Aerothermal Performance

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. De Maesschalck ◽  
S. Lavagnoli ◽  
G. Paniagua
Keyword(s):  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

In high-speed unshrouded turbines tip leakage flows generate large aerodynamic losses and intense unsteady thermal loads over the rotor blade tip and casing. The stage loading and rotational speeds are steadily increased to achieve higher turbine efficiency, and hence the overtip leakage flow may exceed the transonic regime. However, conventional blade tip geometries are not designed to cope with supersonic tip flow velocities. A great potential lays in the modification and optimization of the blade tip shape as a means to control the tip leakage flow aerodynamics, limit the entropy production in the overtip gap, manage the heat load distribution over the blade tip and improve the turbine efficiency at high stage loading coefficients. The present paper develops an optimization strategy to produce a set of blade tip profiles with enhanced aerothermal performance for a number of tip gap flow conditions. The tip clearance flow was numerically simulated through two-dimensional compressible Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) calculations that reproduce an idealized overtip flow along streamlines. A multi-objective optimization tool, based on differential evolution combined with surrogate models (artificial neural networks), was used to obtain optimized 2D tip profiles with reduced aerodynamic losses and minimum heat transfer variations and mean levels over the blade tip and casing. Optimized tip shapes were obtained for relevant tip gap flow conditions in terms of blade thickness to tip gap height ratios (between 5 and 25), and blade pressure loads (from subsonic to supersonic tip leakage flow regimes) imposing fixed inlet conditions. We demonstrated that tip geometries which perform superior in subsonic conditions are not optimal for supersonic tip gap flows. Prime tip profiles exist depending on the tip flow conditions. The numerical study yielded a deeper insight on the physics of tip leakage flows of unshrouded rotors with arbitrary tip shapes, providing the necessary knowledge to guide the design and optimization strategy of a full blade tip surface in a real 3D turbine environment.

Experimental Aeroacoustic Studies on Improved Tip Configurations for Passive Control of Noise Signatures in Low-Speed Axial Fans

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Bianchi ◽  
Alessandro Corsini ◽  
Franco Rispoli ◽  
Anthony G. Sheard
Keyword(s):  
Passive Control ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Acoustic Emissions ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Noise Sources ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Blade Tip

This paper presents the findings of an investigation on the use of several blade-tip configurations (modified by the addition of various end plates at the blade tip) for passive noise control in industrial fans. Utilizing an experimental technique developed to investigate noise sources along the radius of the blades, together with cross-correlation and coherence analyses of the near field and far field, the modified blade-tip configurations are shown to reduce the rotor-only aeroacoustic signature of the fan as a direct consequence of changes induced in tip-leakage flow behavior. These changes in the nature of flow mechanisms in the region of the blade tip are correlated with the spanwise noise sources, and their role in the creation of overall acoustic emissions is thus clarified. The tip-leakage flow structures are analyzed to identify their contribution to overall noise and interaction with other noise sources. Coherence spectra are also analyzed to investigate the relevance of the noise sources. The cross-correlations reveal distinctive acoustic signatures that are described in detail. The methodology has been demonstrated to be effective in identifying (i) the blade-tip configuration with the best acoustic performance, and (ii) other significant noise sources along the blade span. The modified tip configurations are shown to have a significant effect on the multiple vortex behavior of leakage flow, especially with respect to the near-wall fluid-flow paths on both blade surfaces. The reduction in fan acoustic emissions is assessed and correlated with the control of tip-leakage flows achieved by the modified blade tips.

Blade Tip Shape Optimization for Enhanced Turbine Aerothermal Performance

2013 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. De Maesschalck ◽  
S. Lavagnoli ◽  
G. Paniagua
Keyword(s):  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

In high-speed, unshrouded turbines, tip leakage flows generate large aerodynamic losses and intense unsteady thermal loads over the rotor blade tip and casing. The stage-loading and rotational speeds are steadily increased to achieve higher turbine efficiency, and hence, the overtip leakage flow may exceed the transonic regime. However, conventional blade tip geometries are not designed to cope with supersonic tip flow velocities. A great potential lies in the modification and optimization of the blade tip shape as a means to control the tip leakage flow aerodynamics, limit the entropy production in the overtip gap, manage the heat-load distribution over the blade tip, and improve the turbine efficiency at high-stage loading coefficients. The present paper develops an optimization strategy to produce a set of blade tip profiles with enhanced aerothermal performance for a number of tip gap flow conditions. The tip clearance flow was numerically simulated through two-dimensional compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) calculations that reproduce an idealized overtip flow along streamlines. A multiobjective optimization tool, based on differential evolution combined with surrogate models (artificial neural networks), was used to obtain optimized 2D tip profiles with reduced aerodynamic losses and minimum heat transfer variations and mean levels over the blade tip and casing. Optimized tip shapes were obtained for relevant tip gap flow conditions in terms of blade thickness to tip gap height ratios (between 5 and 25) and blade pressure loads (from subsonic to supersonic tip leakage flow regimes), imposing fixed inlet conditions. We demonstrated that tip geometries that perform superior in subsonic conditions are not optimal for supersonic tip gap flows. Prime tip profiles exist, depending on the tip flow conditions. The numerical study yielded a deeper insight on the physics of tip leakage flows of unshrouded rotors with arbitrary tip shapes, providing the necessary knowledge to guide the design and optimization strategy of a full blade tip surface in a real 3D turbine environment.

Flow Structures in the Tip Region for a Transonic Compressor Rotor

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Du ◽  
Feng Lin ◽  
Jingyi Chen ◽  
Chaoqun Nie ◽  
Christoph Biela
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Reference Frame ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Structures ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate flow structures in the tip region for an axial transonic rotor, with careful comparisons with the experimental results. The calculated performance curve and two-dimensional (2D) flow structures observed at casing, such as the shock wave, the expansion wave around the leading edge, and the tip leakage flow at peak efficiency and near-stall points, are all captured by simulation results, which agree with the experimental data well. An in-depth analysis of three-dimensional flow structures reveals three features: (1) there exists an interface between the incoming main flow and the tip leakage flow, (2) in this rotor the tip leakage flows along the blade chord can be divided into at least two parts according to the blade loading distribution, and (3) each part plays a different role on the stall inception mechanism in the leakage flow dominated region. A model of three-dimensional flow structures of tip leakage flow is thus proposed accordingly. In the second half of this paper, the unsteady features of the tip leakage flows, which emerge at the operating points close to stall, are presented and validated with experiment observations. The numerical results in the rotor relative reference frame are first converted to the casing absolute reference frame before compared with the measurements in experiments. It is found that the main frequency components of simulation at absolute reference frame match well with those measured in the experiments. The mechanism of the unsteadiness and its significance to stability enhancement design are then discussed based on the details of the flow field obtained through numerical simulations.

Rotor-Tip Leakage: Part I—Basic Methodology

1982 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. C. Booth ◽  
P. R. Dodge ◽  
H. K. Hepworth
Keyword(s):  
Discharge Coefficient ◽  
Tangential Velocity ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Normal Velocity ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Component Identification ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

Blade tip losses represent a major efficiency penalty in a turbine rotor. These losses are presently controlled by maintaining close tolerances on tip clearances. This two-part paper outlines a new methodology for predicting and minimizing tip leakage flows. Part I of the paper describes a series of experiments and analyses which indicated a predominantly inviscid nature of tip leakage flow. The experiments were conducted on a series of three water flow rigs in which leakage quantities were measured over simulated blade tips. As a result of the experiments, a simple tip-leakage model is proposed that treats the normal velocity component in terms of discharge coefficient and conserves the tangential velocity (momentum) component. Identification of tip leakage controlled by a normal discharge coefficient suggests an optimum tip-treatment configuration may be designed through discharge testing of candidate configurations. A preliminary design optimization was conducted on the simple discharge rigs, and the results were evaluated on the water table cascade rig and on a turbine stage.

Tip Leakage Losses in Subsonic and Transonic Blade-Rows

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. S. Wheeler ◽  
Theodosios Korakianitis ◽  
Shashimal Banneheke
Keyword(s):  
Mach Number ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Blade Loading ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Mach Numbers ◽  
Exit Mach Number ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

In this paper the effect of blade-exit Mach number on unshrouded turbine tip-leakage flows is investigated. Previously published experimental data of a high-pressure turbine blade are used to validate a CFD code, which is then used to study the tip-leakage flow at blade-exit Mach numbers from 0.6 to 1.4. Three-dimensional calculations are performed of a flat-tip and a cavity-tip blade. Two-dimensional calculations are also performed to show the effect of various squealer-tip geometries on an idealized tip-flow. The results show that as the blade-exit Mach number is increased the tip leakage flow becomes choked. Therefore the tip-leakage flow becomes independent of the pressure difference across the tip and hence the blade-loading. Thus the effect of the tip-leakage flow on overall blade loss reduces at blade-exit Mach numbers greater than 1.0. The results suggest that for transonic blade-rows it should be possible to raise blade loading within the tip region without increasing tip-leakage loss.

Influence of Blade Tip Surface Roughness On the Performance of a Single Stage Axial Flow Compressor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradyumna Kodancha ◽  
Pramod Salunkhe
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Single Stage ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Axial Flow Compressor ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Flow Compressor

Abstract Numerical investigations are carried out in a single-stage subsonic axial flow compressor to unravel the influence of blade tip surface roughness on the tip leakage flow characteristics and hence the compressor performance. The studies were carried out at different tip clearance of 0.38?, 0.77?, 1.15? and 1.54? and blade tip surface roughness of 0.31? and 0.62?. The tip clearance of 0.38? with blade tip surface roughness of 0.62? resulted in the highest stall margin and pressure rise of 20.3% and 4.3%, respectively. The compressor blade loading was found to be improved by 5.9% after incorporating the blade tip surface roughness. The iso-surfaces of vorticity contour plotted using the Q-criterion showed the reduction in strength of the tip leakage vortex. The tip leakage trajectory was found to be shifted towards the suction surface of the blade for the blade tip with surface roughness. This positive alteration in the tip leakage flow structure led to the improved performance for the blade tip with surface roughness.

Characteristics of Tip-Clearance Flows of a Compressor Cascade and a Propulsion Pump

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. T. Lee ◽  
M. J. Laurita ◽  
J. Feng ◽  
C. L. Merkle
Keyword(s):  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Compressor Cascade ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Blade Passage ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Pump Rotor ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

Tip-leakage flows for a linear compressor cascade and a one-stage shrouded pump rotor are discussed in this paper. A numerical method solving the Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes equations is used to explore various detail features of the tip-leakage flows. Calculation results for the cascade provide an assessment for predicting flow past a non-rotating blade passage with zero and 2% chord clearances. On the other hand, the pump rotor configuration provides a swirling passage flow with the complication of a trailing-edge separation vortex mixed with the tip-clearance and passage vortices and produces a very complex three-dimensional flow in the rotor wake. The physical aspects of the tip-clearance flows are discussed including suction-side reloading and pressure-side unloading due to a tip clearance and formation and transportation of the tip-leakage vortex. Detailed velocity comparisons in the blade passage and the tip gap region are shown to indicate the difficulty of predicting tip-leakage flow. The pressure at the core of the tip vortex is also examined to evaluate the strength of the tip-leakage vortex. Some computational guidelines for design usage are provided for these tip-leakage flow calculations.

Controlling Leakage Flows Over a Rotor Blade Tip Using Air-Curtain Injection: Part I — Aero-Thermal Performance of Rotor Tips

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Yang ◽  
Qiang Zhao ◽  
Zhao Liu ◽  
Zhenping Feng ◽  
Terrence W. Simon
Keyword(s):  
Film Cooling ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Air Curtain ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Cooling Air ◽  
Blade Tips

Abstract The rotor casing of gas turbine engines is generally cooled with cooling air from compressors and then the cooling air is discharged into the passage flow of the rotor. In this paper, a novel design both for the blade tip leakage flow control and for the rotor casing and tip cooling is proposed. Cooling air is injected through a pair of inclined rows of discrete holes positioned between 30% and 50% axial chord downstream of the blade leading edge in the casing. The casing injection forms as air-curtain within the blade tip gap, and inhibits the development of the tip leakage flows and provides secondary-order cooling for the rotor tip. Air injection from the rotor casing onto flat and recessed blade tips is investigated using numerical simulations that is validated by extensive aerodynamic and heat transfer experimental data. Flow and film cooling over the blade tip and turbine overall aerodynamic performance are examined in detail for two casing injection rates. Comparisons between flat tip without casing injection (baseline) case and the casing injection cases show that the air-curtain injection significantly alters the flow structures near the casing by modifying the development and migration of the tip leakage flow. The air-curtain injection over the flat and recessed tips both generates turbine stage overall aerodynamic efficiency improvement due to the sealing effects of the casing injection, but the efficiency gain depends on the competing results between the sealing effects and the “over-blown” effects of the air-curtain injection. Applying a recess to the blade tip is generally detrimental to the efficiency improvement by the air-curtain injection. In addition to efficiency improvement, secondary-order cooling effects from the casing injection are found to provide considerable thermal protection for the blade tips. However, increasing injection rate reduces the film cooling performance over the rotor tip surfaces. The recessed tip could present better film cooling effectiveness than the flat tip in the presence of the air-curtain.

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