The Measurement and Formation of Tip Clearance Loss

1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Bindon
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
High Loss ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Internal Loss ◽  
Internal Gap ◽  
First Time

The detailed development of tip clearance loss from the leading to trailing edge of a linear turbine cascade was measured and the contributions made by mixing, internal gap shear flow, and endwall/ secondary flow were identified, separated, and quantified for the first time. Only 13 percent of the overall loss arises from endwall/secondary flow and of the remaining 87 percent, 48 percent is due to mixing and 39 percent is due to internal gap shear. All loss formation appears to be dominated by phenomena connected with the gap separation bubble. Flow established within the bubble by the pressure gradient separates as the gradient disappears and most of the internal loss is created by the entrainment of this separated fluid. When this high-loss leakage wake enters the mainstream, it separates due to the suction corner pressure gradient to create virtually all the measured mixing loss. It is suggested that the control of tip clearance loss by discharge coefficient reduction actually introduces loss. Performance improvements may result from streamlined tip geometries that optimize the tradeoff between entropy production and flow deflection.

The Development of Axial Turbine Leakage Loss for Two Profiled Tip Geometries Using Linear Cascade Data

1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 198-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Bindon ◽  
G. Morphis
Keyword(s):  
Discharge Coefficient ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Loss Reduction ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Leakage Loss ◽  
Linear Cascade ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Loss Coefficients ◽  
Internal Gap

To assess the possibility of tip clearance loss reduction and to explore the nature and origin of tip clearance loss, blade tip geometries that reduce the roughly 40 percent of total loss occurring within the gap were studied. The shapes investigated aimed at reducing or avoiding the gap separation bubble thought to contribute significantly to both internal gap loss and to the endwall mixing loss. It was found that radiusing and contouring the blade at gap inlet eliminated the separation bubble and reduced the internal gap loss but created a higher mixing loss to give almost unchanged overall loss coefficients when compared with the simple sharp-edged flat-tipped blade. The separation bubble does not therefore appear to influence the mixing loss. Using a method of assessing linear cascade experimental data as though it were a rotor with work transfer, one radiused geometry, contoured to shed radial flow into the gap and reduce the leakage mass flow, was found to have a significantly higher efficiency. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the data analysis method and that cascade loss coefficient alone or gap discharge coefficient cannot be used to evaluate tip clearance performance accurately. Contouring may ultimately lead to better rotor blade performances.

Interaction Between Inlet Boundary Layer, Tip-Leakage and Secondary Flows in a Low-Speed Turbine Cascade

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. K. Chan ◽  
M. I. Yaras ◽  
S. A. Sjolander
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Streamwise Vorticity ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage

An experiment has been conducted in a large-scale linear turbine cascade to examine the interaction between the inlet endwall boundary layer, tip-leakage and secondary flows. Detailed flow field measurements have been made upstream and downstream of the blade row for two values of inlet boundary layer thickness (δ*/c of about 0.015 and 0.04) together with three values of tip clearance (gap heights of 0.0, 1.5 and 5.5 percent of blade chord). In the downstream plane, the total pressure deficits associated with the tip-leakage and secondary flows were discriminated by examining the sign of the streamwise vorticity. For this case, the streamwise vorticity of the two flows have opposite signs and this proved an effective criterion for separating the flows despite their close proximity in space. It was found that with clearance the loss associated with the secondary flow was substantially reduced from the zero clearance value, in contradiction to the assumption made in most loss prediction schemes. Further work is needed, notably to clarify the influence of relative tip-wall motion which in turbines reduces the tip-leakage flow while enhancing the secondary flow.

Influence of the Radial Component of Total Pressure Gradient on Tip Clearance Secondary Flow in Axial Compressors

1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian N. Moyle
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Radial Component ◽  
Skin Friction Coefficient ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Secondary Velocity

The interaction of tip leakage and the rotor passage secondary flow is examined. An analytical expression is developed which relates radial components of the total pressure gradient near the wall to the passage geometry, tip speed, skew, throughflow and wall skin friction coefficient. This expression provides a correlation with the differences observed in the passage secondary velocity patterns associated with tip clearance gaps in experimental compressors. The analysis is qualitatively supported by comparison with secondary flow velocity measurements from a small sample of published test data.

The Effects of Relative Motion, Blade Edge Radius and Gap Size on the Blade Tip Pressure Distribution in an Annular Turbine Cascade With Clearance

1988 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Morphis ◽  
J. P. Bindon
Keyword(s):  
Relative Motion ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Flow Visualisation ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
Pressure Distributions ◽  
Pressure Peak ◽  
Blade Edge ◽  
Blade Tip

Flow visualisation and microscopic static pressure measurements were done in the tip clearance region of an annular turbine cascade with a rotating outer casing to simulate the relative motion at the tip of an axial rotor. The effect of relative motion did not have a significant effect on the blade gap pressure distributions. As in previous studies the narrow deep pressure depression on a sharp pressure edge was seen. It was confirmed that the width of the gap separation bubble depends on clearance and a correlation with flow visualisation showed that at the reattachment line there is the expected slight pressure peak. The separation bubble, which is thought to contribute a major part of the leakage loss, was shown to disappear when the pressure surface tip is give a radius of 2.5 gap widths.

scholarly journals The Development of Axial Turbine Leakage Loss for Two Profiled Tip Geometries Using Linear Cascade Data

1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Bindon ◽  
George Morphis
Keyword(s):  
Discharge Coefficient ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Loss Reduction ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Leakage Loss ◽  
Linear Cascade ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Loss Coefficients ◽  
Internal Gap

To assess the possibility of tip clearance loss reduction and to explore the nature and origin of tip clearance loss, blade tip geometries which reduce the roughly 40% of total loss occurring within the gap were studied. The shapes investigated aimed at reducing or avoiding the gap separation bubble thought to contribute significantly to both internal gap loss and to the endwall mixing loss. It was found that radiusing and contouring the blade at gap inlet eliminated the separation bubble and reduced the internal gap loss but created a higher mixing loss to give almost unchanged overall loss coefficients when compared with the simple sharp edged flat tipped blade. The separation bubble does not therefore appear to influence the mixing loss. Using a method of assessing linear cascade experimental data as though it were a rotor with work transfer, one radiused geometry, contoured to shed radial flow into the gap and reduce the leakage mass flow, was found to have a significantly higher efficiency. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the data analysis method and that cascade loss coefficient alone or gap discharge coefficient cannot be used to accurately evaluate tip clearance performance. Contouring may ultimately lead to better rotor blade performances.

Characteristics of a separated flow past a semicircular leading-edge airfoil model under different imposed pressure gradient

2021 ◽  
pp. 095441002110212
Author(s):  
K Anand ◽  
KT Ganesh
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Particle Image ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Separated Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Bench Mark ◽  
Image Velocimetry

The effect of pressure gradient on a separated boundary layer past the leading edge of an airfoil model is studied experimentally using electronically scanned pressure (ESP) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) for a Reynolds number ( Re) of 25,000, based on leading-edge diameter ( D). The features of the boundary layer in the region of separation and its development past the reattachment location are examined for three cases of β (−30°, 0°, and +30°). The bubble parameters such as the onset of separation and transition and the reattachment location are identified from the averaged data obtained from pressure and velocity measurements. Surface pressure measurements obtained from ESP show a surge in wall static pressure for β = −30° (flap deflected up), while it goes down for β = +30° (flap deflected down) compared to the fundamental case, β = 0°. Particle image velocimetry results show that the roll up of the shear layer past the onset of separation is early for β = +30°, owing to higher amplification of background disturbances compared to β = 0° and −30°. Downstream to transition location, the instantaneous field measurements reveal a stretched, disoriented, and at instances bigger vortices for β = +30°, whereas a regular, periodically shed vortices, keeping their identity past the reattachment location, is observed for β = 0° and −30°. Above all, this study presents a new insight on the features of a separation bubble receiving a disturbance from the downstream end of the model, and these results may serve as a bench mark for future studies over an airfoil under similar environment.

scholarly journals Prediction of Transient Pressure Fluctuations within a Low-Pressure Turbine Cascade Using a Lanczos-Filtered Harmonic Balance Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Jan Philipp Heners ◽  
Stephan Stotz ◽  
Annette Krosse ◽  
Detlef Korte ◽  
Maximilian Beck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Turbulence Model ◽  
Harmonic Balance ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Harmonic Balance Method ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Filter Method ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Transient Pressure ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine

Unsteady pressure fluctuations measured by fast-response pressure transducers mounted in a low-pressure turbine cascade are compared to unsteady simulation results. Three differing simulation approaches are considered, one time-integration method and two harmonic balance methods either resolving or averaging the time-dependent components within the turbulence model. The observations are used to evaluate the capability of the harmonic balance solver to predict the transient pressure fluctuations acting on the investigated stator surface. Wakes of an upstream rotor are generated by moving cylindrical bars at a prescribed rotational speed that refers to a frequency of f∼500 Hz. The excitation at the rear part of the suction side is essentially driven by the presence of a separation bubble and is therefore highly dependent on the unsteady behavior of turbulence. In order to increase the stability of the investigated harmonic balance solver, a developed Lanczos-type filter method is applied if the turbulence model is considered in an unsteady fashion.

Pressure Distributions in the Tip Clearance Region of an Unshrouded Axial Turbine as Affecting the Problem of Tip Burnout

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffery P. Bindon
Keyword(s):  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
High Heat ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Narrow Strip ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
High Heat Transfer ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
Secondary Vortices

The pressure distribution in the tip clearance region of a 2D turbine cascade was examined with reference to unknown factors which cause high heat transfer rates and burnout along the edge of the pressure surface of unshrouded cooled axial turbines. Using a special micro-tapping technique, the pressure along a very narrow strip of the blade edge was found to be 2.8 times lower than the cascade outlet pressure. This low pressure, coupled with a thin boundary layer due to the intense acceleration at gap entry, are believed to cause blade burnout. The flow phenomena causing the low pressure are of very small scale and do not appear to have been previously reported. The ultra low pressure is primarily caused by the sharp flow curvature demanded of the leakage flow at gap entry. The curvature is made more severe by the apparent attachement of the flow around the corner instead of immediately separating to increase the radius demanded of the flow. The low pressures are intensified by a depression in the suction corner and by the formation of a separation bubble in the clearance gap. The bubble creates a venturi action. The suction corner depression is due to the mainstream flow moving round the leakage and secondary vortices.

scholarly journals Incidence Angle and Pitch-Chord Effects on Secondary Flows Downstream of a Turbine Cascade

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Perdichizzi ◽  
V. Dossena
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Incidence Angle ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Pressure Probe ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Secondary Velocity ◽  
Secondary Flow Field

This paper describes the results of an experimental investigation of the three-dimensional flow downstream of a linear turbine cascade at off-design conditions. The tests have been carried out for five incidence angles from −60 to +35 degrees, and for three pitch-chord ratios: s/c = 0.58,0.73,0.87. Data include blade pressure distributions, oil flow visualizations, and pressure probe measurements. The secondary flow field has been obtained by traversing a miniature five hole probe in a plane located at 50% of an axial chord downstream of the trailing edge. The distributions of local energy loss coefficients, together with vorticity and secondary velocity plots show in detail how much the secondary flow field is modified both by incidence and cascade solidity variations. The level of secondary vorticity and the intensity of the crossflow at the endwall have been found to be strictly related to the blade loading occurring in the blade entrance region. Heavy changes occur in the spanwise distributions of the pitch averaged loss and of the deviation angle, when incidence or pitch-chord ratio is varied.

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