Investigation of the Aerodynamic Performance of Small Axial Turbines

1973 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 326-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Ewen ◽  
F. W. Huber ◽  
J. P. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Design Variables ◽  
Paper Cover ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Design Velocity ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
Cooling Air

This paper describes results of an experimental investigation of small axial turbine performance characteristics. Included are test data on the effects of the following design variables on small turbine aerodynamic efficiency: (a) blade height, (b) vane endwall contouring, (c) blade reaction, (d) blade tip clearance, (e) stage work, and (f) vane and blade airfoil row solidity. In addition, the effects of vane, blade, and disk cooling air injection on turbine efficiency are presented. The turbines evaluated were single stage, low aspect ratio configurations sized for airflows of 8 pps (3.63 kg/sec) or less and designed for inlet temperatures in the 2200-to-2500 deg F (1204-to-1371 deg C) range. The efficiency data presented in the paper cover both design and off-design velocity and pressure ratios. These data illustrate that relatively high efficiencies can be obtained in small, low aspect ratio axial turbines with an optimum design.

Evaluating the Influence of Rotor-Casing Eccentricity on Turbine Efficiency Including Time-Resolved Flow Field Measurements

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Eric DeShong ◽  
Shawn Siroka ◽  
Reid A. Berdanier ◽  
Karen A. Thole
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Magnetic Levitation ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Eccentric Rotor ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Manufacturing Techniques

Abstract The clearance that exists between the casing and turbine blade tips is one of the key drivers of efficiency in gas turbine engines. For this reason, engine manufacturers utilize precise manufacturing techniques and may employ clearance control systems to minimize tip clearances to reduce associated losses. Despite these efforts, turbines typically exhibit some nominal casing ovality or rotor-casing eccentricity, and changes to blade tip clearance during operation commonly occur due to thermal and mechanical stresses. The present study investigates non-axisymmetric tip clearance effects by creating a rotor-casing eccentricity in a one-stage axial test turbine operating in a continuous-duration mode at engine relevant conditions with engine representative hardware. A magnetic levitation bearing system was leveraged to move the turbine shaft to vary the rotor-casing eccentricity without test section disassembly. The results of this study indicate that rotor-casing eccentricity does not affect overall turbine efficiency over the range that was tested, but does locally influence efficiency and the rotor exit flow field. Comparisons of flow angle and secondary flow kinetic energy agreed with previous studies and existing analytical methods, respectively. Collectively, these results indicate that tip clearance can be studied locally on an eccentric rotor.

Aerodynamic Effects of an Unshrouded Low Pressure Turbine on a Low Aspect Ratio Exit Guide Vane

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thorsten Selic ◽  
Davide Lengani ◽  
Andreas Marn ◽  
Franz Heitmeir
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Pressure Probe ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents the effects of an unshrouded low pressure turbine (LPT) onto the following exit guide vane row (EGV). The measurement results were obtained in the subsonic test turbine facility at Graz University of Technology by means of a fast response pressure probe in planes downstream of the rotor as well as oil flow visualisation. The test rig was designed in cooperation with MTU Aero Engines and represents the last 1.5 stages of a commercial aero engine. Considerable efforts were put into the adjustment of all relevant model parameters to reproduce the full scale LPT situation. Different tip clearances were evaluated by means of CFD obtained using a commercial Navier-Stokes code and validated with experimental results. The goal is to evaluate the effect of the varying leakage flow on the flow in the low aspect ratio EGV. Special attention is given to the impact on the development of secondary flows as well as the flow structures downstream of the EGV. The effect of the leakage flow causes a change of the flow structure of the EGV, particularly losses. Considering the largest investigated tip-clearance, the losses increased by 71% when compared to a zero-leakage case.

Influence of Blade Sweep on the Energetic Behavior of Axial Flow Turbomachinery Rotors at Design Flow Rate

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ja´nos Vad ◽  
Ali R. A. Kwedikha ◽  
Helmut Jaberg
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Total Efficiency ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Axial Velocity Profile ◽  
Bladed Rotor

Experimental and computational studies were carried out in order to survey the energetic aspects of forward and backward sweep in axial flow rotors of low aspect ratio blading for incompressible flow. It has been pointed out that negative sweep tends to increase the lift, the flow rate and the ideal total pressure rise in the vicinity of the endwalls. Just the opposite tendency was experienced for positive sweep. The local losses were found to develop according to combined effects of sweep near the endwalls, endwall and tip clearance losses, and profile drag influenced by re-arrangement of the axial velocity profile. The forward-swept bladed rotor showed reduced total efficiency compared to the unswept and swept-back bladed rotors. This behavior has been explained on the basis of analysis of flow details. It has been found that the swept bladings of low aspect ratio tend to retain the performance of the unswept datum rotor even in absence of sweep correction.

scholarly journals Effects of Tip Clearance and Casing Recess on Heat Transfer and Stage Efficiency in Axial Turbines

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Ameri ◽  
E. Steinthorsson ◽  
David L. Rigby
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
Gap Height ◽  
Stage Efficiency

Calculations were performed to assess the effect of the tip leakage flow on the rate of heat transfer to blade, blade tip and casing. The effect on exit angle and efficiency was also examined. Passage geometries with and without casing recess were considered. The geometry and the flow conditions of the GE-E3 first stage turbine, which represents a modern gas turbine blade were used for the analysis. Clearance heights of 0%, 1%, 1.5% and 3% of the passage height were considered. For the two largest clearance heights considered, different recess depths were studied. There was an increase in the thermal load on all the heat transfer surfaces considered due to enlargement of the clearance gap. Introduction of recessed casing resulted in a drop in the rate of heat transfer on the pressure side but the picture on the suction side was found to be more complex for the smaller tip clearance height considered. For the larger tip clearance height the effect of casing recess was an orderly reduction in the suction side heat transfer as the casing recess height was increased. There was a marked reduction of heat load and peak values on the blade tip upon introduction of casing recess, however only a small reduction was observed on the casing itself. It was reconfirmed that there is a linear relationship between the efficiency and the tip gap height. It was also observed that the recess casing has a small effect on the efficiency but can have a moderating effect on the flow underturning at smaller tip clearances.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Stall Flutter in a Transonic Low-Aspect Ratio Fan Blisk

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Sanders ◽  
K. K. Hassan ◽  
D. C. Rabe
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Strain Gages ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Benchmark Data

Experiments are performed on a modern design transonic shroudless low-aspect ratio fan blisk that experienced both subsonic/transonic and supersonic stall-side flutter. High-response flush mounted miniature pressure transducers are utilized to measure the unsteady aerodynamic loading distribution in the tip region of the fan for both flutter regimes, with strain gages utilized to measure the vibratory response at incipient and deep flutter operating conditions. Numerical simulations are performed and compared with the benchmark data using an unsteady three-dimensional nonlinear viscous computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis, with the effects of tip clearance, vibration amplitude, and the number of time steps-per-cycle investigated. The benchmark data are used to guide the validation of the code and establish best practices that ensure accurate flutter predictions.

Low Aspect Ratio Turbines

1964 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar O. Ohlsson
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Mach Number ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Axial Distance ◽  
Mass Rate ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Aspect Ratios

Four different axial, impulse turbines with extremely low aspect ratios (between 0.07 and 0.70) were tested over wide ranges of pressure and speed ratios. The influence on mass rate of flow and efficiency of Reynolds number and axial distance between stator and rotor is given. Stator and rotor efficiency, Mach number, and flow angles, as well as other quantities, are obtained by means of a wheel with axial outlet. Semiempirical formulas are given for turbine efficiency, stator efficiency, and rotor efficiency as functions of aspect ratio.

Tip Flow Fields in a Low Aspect Ratio Transonic Compressor

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Russler ◽  
D. Rabe ◽  
B. Cybyk ◽  
C. Hah
Keyword(s):  
Shock Wave ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Flow Structures ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Laser Data ◽  
Blade Tip

Experimental data and computational predictions are used to characterize the tip flow field of a high performance, low aspect ratio, transonic compressor. Flow structures near the first stage blade tip are monitored experimentally using two different data acquisition schemes. High frequency pressure and laser fringe anemometry data are used to experimentally define the tip flow structure. The high frequency pressure data were acquired with an array of pressure transducers mounted in the rotor casing. Laser data were acquired through a window in the same position. The transducer and laser data adequately define the shock structure at the tip. Both the movement of the shock wave in the blade passage during changes in compressor loading and the interaction between the shock wave and the tip leakage vortex are detected. Similar flow structures and compressor loading effects are numerically predicted using a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes algorithm. A fundamental understanding of the flow field at the blade tip is obtained using these three complementary methods.

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