The Reduction of Over Tip Leakage Loss in Unshrouded Axial Turbines Using Winglets and Squealers

2013 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zbigniew Schabowski ◽  
Howard Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Leakage Loss ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
The Impact

The possibilities of reducing the over tip leakage loss of unshrouded rotors have been investigated using a linear cascade of turbine blades and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The large-scale blade profile is the same as that of the tip profile of a low-speed high-pressure research turbine facility. The impact of various combinations of squealer and winglet geometries on the turbine performance has been investigated. The influence of the thickness of the squealers has also been assessed. It was found that a 22% reduction in loss slope was possible, when compared to the flat tip blade, using simple tip modifications. The results obtained with the suction side squealer and cavity tip agreed well with the work of other researchers. Three winglet-based tip geometries were tested. One was a plain winglet, the other two had squealers applied. A significant impact of the squealers and their shape on the tip gap flow pattern and loss generation was found. The physical processes occurring within the tip gap region for the tested geometries are explained using both numerical and experimental results. The impact of the flow pattern within the tip gap on the loss generation is described. Good agreement between CFD and the experimental data was found. This shows that CFD can be used with confidence in the design process of shroudless turbines.

The Reduction of Over Tip Leakage Loss in Unshrouded Axial Turbines Using Winglets and Squealers

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zbigniew Schabowski ◽  
Howard Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Leakage Loss ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Good Agreement

The possibilities of reducing the over tip leakage loss of unshrouded rotors have been investigated using a linear cascade of turbine blades and CFD. The large-scale blade profile is the same as that of the tip profile of a low-speed HP research turbine facility. The impact of various combinations of squealer and winglet geometries on the turbine performance has been investigated. The influence of the thickness of the squealers has also been assessed. It was found that a 22% reduction in loss slope was possible, when compared to the flat tip blade, using simple tip modifications. The results obtained with the suction side squealer and cavity tip agreed well with the work of other researchers. Three winglet-based tip geometries were tested. One was a plain winglet, the other two had squealers applied. A significant impact of the squealers and their shape on the tip gap flow pattern and loss generation was found. The physical processes occurring within the tip gap region for the tested geometries are explained using both numerical and experimental results. The impact of the flow pattern within the tip gap on the loss generation is described. Good agreement between the CFD and the experimental data was found. This shows that the CFD can be used with confidence in the design process of shroudless turbines.

scholarly journals Effects of Simulated Rotation on Tip Leakage in a Planar Cascade of Turbine Blades: Part I — Tip Gap Flow

1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Yaras ◽  
S. A. Sjolander
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Relative Motion ◽  
Wall Motion ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Pressure Probe ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
Downstream Flow ◽  
Tip Gap Flow

The paper presents further results from a continuing study on tip leakage in axial turbines. Rotation has been simulated in a linear cascade test section by using a moving-belt tip wall. Measurements were made inside the tip gap with a three-hole pressure probe for a clearance size of 3.8 percent of the blade chord. Two wall speeds are considered and the results are compared with the case of no rotation. As in other experiments, significant reduction in the gap mass flow rate is observed due to the relative motion. The detailed nature of the measurements allows the dominant physical mechanism by which wall motion affects the tip gap flow to be identified. Based on the experimental observations, an earlier model for predicting the tip gap flow field is extended to the case of relative wall motion. Part II of the paper examines the effect of the relative motion on the downstream flow field and the blade loading.

Effects of Simulated Rotation on Tip Leakage in a Planar Cascade of Turbine Blades: Part I—Tip Gap Flow

1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 652-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Yaras ◽  
S. A. Sjolander
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Relative Motion ◽  
Wall Motion ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Pressure Probe ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
Downstream Flow ◽  
Tip Gap Flow

The paper presents further results from a continuing study on tip leakage in axial turbines. Rotation has been simulated in a linear cascade test section by using a moving-belt tip wall. Measurements were made inside the tip gap with a three-hole pressure probe for a clearance size of 3.8 percent of the blade chord. Two wall speeds are considered and the results are compared with the case of no rotation. As in other experiments, significant reduction in the gap mass flow rate is observed due to the relative motion. The detailed nature of the measurements allows the dominant physical mechanism by which wall motion affects the tip gap flow to be identified. Based on the experimental observations, an earlier model for predicting the tip gap flow field is extended to the case of relative wall motion. Part II of the paper examines the effect of the relative motion on the downstream flow field and the blade loading.

The Tip Leakage Flow of an Unshrouded High Pressure Turbine Blade With Tip Cooling

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Zhou ◽  
Howard Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Flow Ratio ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Momentum Exchange ◽  
Leakage Loss ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Lower Loss ◽  
Mass Flow Ratio

Experimental, analytical, and numerical methods have been employed to study the aerodynamic performance of four different cooled tips with coolant mass ratios between 0% and 1.2% at three tip gaps of 1%, 1.6%, and 2.2% of the chord. The four cooled tips are two flat tips with different coolant holes, a cooled suction side squealer tip and a cooled cavity tip. Each tip has ten coolant holes with the same diameter. The uncooled cavity tip produces the smallest loss among all uncooled tips. On the cooled flat tip, the coolant is injected normally into the tip gap and mixes directly with flow inside the tip gap. The momentum exchange between the coolant and the flow that enters the tip gap creates significant blockage. As the coolant mass flow ratio increases, the tip leakage loss of the cooled flat tip first decreases and then increases. For the cooled cavity tip, the blockage effect of the coolant is not as big as that on the cooled flat tip. This is because after the coolant exits the coolant holes, it mixes with flow in the cavity first and then mixes with tip flow in the tip gap. The tip leakage loss of the cooled cavity tip increases as the coolant mass flow ratio increase. As a result, at a tip gap of 1.6% of the chord, the cooled cavity tip gives the lowest loss. At the smallest tip gap of 1% of the chord, the cooled flat tip produces less loss than the cooled cavity tip when the coolant mass flow ratios larger than 0.23%. This is because with the same coolant mass flow ratio, a proportionally larger blockage is created at the smallest tip gap. At the largest tip gap of 2.2% of the chord, the cavity tip achieves the best aerodynamic performance. This is because the effect of the coolant is reduced and the benefits of the cavity tip geometry dominate. At a coolant mass flow ratio of 0.55%, the cooled flat tips produce a lower loss than the cavity tip at tip gaps less than 1.3% of the chord. The cooled cavity tip produces the least loss for tip gaps larger than 1.3% of the chord. The cooled suction side squealer has the worst aerodynamic performance for all tip gaps studied.

Experimental Indirect Determination of Wind Turbine Performance and Blade Element Theory Parameters in Controlled Conditions

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 717-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Johnson ◽  
Ahmed Abdelrahman ◽  
Drew Gertz
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Radial Direction ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Indirect Determination ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
Power Measurements ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Blade Element

The performance of a three bladed 3.3 m diameter turbine was measured unobtrusively in a large scale, controlled wind, open jet facility. Due to the scale of the facility blockage was very low in comparison to previous studies. The turbine blades utilized NREL S83X airfoils appropriate for the flow conditions and Reynolds number present in the facility. Airfoils were blended along the radial direction in a varying chord, varying twist blade design with a design coefficient of power ( Cp) peak at λ = 5.4. Simultaneous three component velocity measurements were obtained using a purpose built traverse at specific radial locations (segments) upstream and immediately downstream of the rotor plane. These velocities were utilized to determine blade element momentum (BEM) parameters and to predict the performance of the rotor. Comparisons are made to the limited number of experimental studies reported in the literature and with parameters derived from CFD numerical simulations. Measured radial velocities upstream of the rotor were near zero and uniform in the radial direction and were uniform and slightly larger downstream of the rotor indicating the BEM assumption of limited radial interaction between segments was acceptable and that the wake was expanding. Axial induction was most uniform in the radial direction at the design and peak Cp condition and area averaged values approached 1/3 but did not exceed this value. Tangential measured velocities, tangential induction and circulation show the impact of the nacelle and blade root location and the tip. An evaluation of the local angle of attack and two dimensional airfoil data at one radial location gave a reasonable comparison with other measured torque values. Rotor performance determined with this method was compared with electrical power measurements and previous BEM model predictions. The power derived from the BEM method outlined here closely followed electrical turbine power measurements although the method overpredicted the power likely due to the segment discretization in the tip region. The detail of these results should be useful to further understand the flow immediately downstream of a rotor in controlled conditions and provide detailed data for BEM model enhancement and future model development.

scholarly journals Experimental and CFD Modelling: Impact of the Inlet Slug Flow on the Horizontal Gas–Liquid Separator

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Siong Lee ◽  
Thomas Choong ◽  
Luqman Abdullah ◽  
Mus’ab Abdul Razak ◽  
Zhen Ban
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Slug Flow ◽  
Cavity Formation ◽  
Cfd Modelling ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Liquid Separator

For a gas-liquid separator sizing, many engineers have neglected the flow pattern of incoming fluids. The impact of inlet slug flow which impeded onto the separator’s liquid phase will cause a separator fails to perform when sloshing happened in the separator. To date, the study on verifying the impact of inlet slug flow in a separator remains limited. In this paper, the impact of inlet momentum and inlet slug flow on the hydrodynamics in a separator for cases without an inlet device were investigated. The experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results of cavity formation and sloshing occurrence in the separator in this study were compared. A User Defined Function (UDF) was used to describe the inlet slug flow at the separator inlet. Inlet slug flow occurred at inlet momentum from 200 to 1000 Pa, and sloshing occurred in the separator at 1000 Pa. Both experimental and simulated results showed similar phenomena.

scholarly journals Measurements of the Flow in an Idealized Turbine Tip Gap

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Sjolander ◽  
D. Cao
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Constant Thickness ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Blade Thickness ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
New Feature ◽  
Axial Turbines ◽  
Made In

To gain further insights into the details of the tip-gap flow in axial turbines, a test section has been constructed with a single, idealized, large-scale tip gap. The single “blade” forms a circular arc with 90 degrees of turning and has a constant thickness of 78 mm. For a plain, flat tip four clearances have been examined, varying from 0.292 to 0.667 of the blade thickness (corresponding to physical gap heights of 22.8 to 52.1 mm). The large proportions made it possible to obtain very detailed measurements inside the gap. The paper discusses the structure of the gap flow in some detail. One new feature, involving multiple vortices on the tip, probably helps to explain the “burnout” which sometimes occurs on turbine tips near the pressure side. Quantitative results are presented for the static pressures, total pressures and velocity vectors through the gap. In addition, contraction coefficients for the flow at the separation bubble, discharge coefficients for the gap, and the gap losses have been extracted for comparison with the assumptions made in recent gap-flow models.

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.

Aerodynamic Investigation of the Tip Leakage Flow for Blades With Different Tip Squealer Geometries at Transonic Conditions

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toma´sˇ Hofer ◽  
Tony Arts
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Loss Coefficient ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Pressure Side ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Gap Flow ◽  
Tip Gap Flow

Modern high pressure turbines operate at high velocity and high temperature conditions. The gap existing above a turbine rotor blade is responsible for an undesirable tip leakage flow. It is a source of high aerodynamic losses and high heat transfer rates. A better understanding of the tip flow behaviour is needed to provide a more efficient cooling design in this region. The objective of this paper is to investigate the tip leakage flow for a blade with two different squealer tips and film-cooling applied on the pressure side and through tip dust holes in a non-rotating, linear cascade arrangement. The experiments were performed in the VKI Light Piston Compression Tube facility, CT-2. The tip gap flow was investigated by oil flow visualisations and by wall static and total pressure measurements. Two geometries were tested — a full squealer and a partial suction side squealer. The measurements were performed in the blade tip region, including the squealer rim and on the corresponding end-wall for engine representative values of outlet Reynolds and Mach numbers. The main flow structures in the cavity were put in evidence. Positive influence of the coolant on the tip gap flow and on the aerodynamic losses was found for the full squealer tip case: increasing the coolant mass-flow increased the tip gap flow resistance. The flow through the clearance therefore slows down, the tip gap mass-flow and the heat transfer respectively decreases. No such effect of cooling was found in the case of the partial suction side squealer geometry. The absence of a pressure side squealer rim resulted in a totally different tip gap flow topology, indifferent to cooling. The influence of cooling on the overall mass-weighted thermodynamic loss coefficient, which takes into account the different energies of the mainstream and coolant flows was found marginal for both geometries. Finally the overall loss coefficient was found to be higher for the partial suction side squealer tip than for the full squealer tip.

scholarly journals Uncertainty Quantification of Leakages in a Multistage Simulation and Comparison With Experiments

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cosimo Maria Mazzoni ◽  
Richard Ahlfeld ◽  
Budimir Rosic ◽  
Francesco Montomoli
Keyword(s):  
Uncertainty Quantification ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Industrial Practice ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Multistage Turbine ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Yaw Angle ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents a numerical study of the impact of tip gap uncertainties in a multistage turbine. It is well known that the rotor gap can change the gas turbine efficiency, but the impact of the random variation of the clearance height has not been investigated before. In this paper, the radial seals clearance of a datum shroud geometry, representative of steam turbine industrial practice, was systematically varied and numerically tested by means of unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD). By using a nonintrusive uncertainty quantification (UQ) simulation based on a sparse arbitrary moment-based approach, it is possible to predict the radial distribution of uncertainty in stagnation pressure and yaw angle at the exit of the turbine blades. This work shows that the impact of gap uncertainties propagates radially from the tip toward the hub of the turbine, and the complete span is affected by a variation of the rotor tip gap. This amplification of the uncertainty is mainly due to the low-aspect ratio of the turbine, and a similar behavior is expected in high pressure (HP) turbines.

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