scholarly journals An Energy-Based Fouling Model for Gas Turbines: EBFOG

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Casari ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Luca di Mare ◽  
Francesco Montomoli
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Sticking Probability ◽  
Critical Threshold ◽  
Local Geometry ◽  
Normal Velocity ◽  
Sticking Coefficient ◽  
The Impact

Fouling is a major problem in gas turbines for aeropropulsion because the formation of aggregates on the wet surfaces of the machine affects aerodynamic and heat loads. The representation of fouling in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is based on the evaluation of the sticking probability, i.e., the probability a particle touching a solid surface has to stick to that surface. Two main models are currently available in literature for the evaluation of the sticking coefficient: one is based on a critical threshold for the viscosity, and the other is based on the normal velocity to the surface. However, both models are application specific and lack generality. This work presents an innovative model for the estimation of the sticking probability. This quantity is evaluated by comparing the kinetic energy of the particle with an activation energy which describes the state of the particle. The sticking criterion takes the form of an Arrhenius-type equation. A general formulation for the sticking coefficient is obtained. The method, named energy-based fouling (EBFOG), is the first “energy”-based model presented in the open literature able to account any common deposition effect in gas turbines. The EBFOG model is implemented into a Lagrangian tracking procedure, coupled to a fully three-dimensional CFD solver. Particles are tracked inside the domain, and equations for the momentum and temperature of each particle are solved. The local geometry of the blade is modified accordingly to the deposition rate. The mesh is modified, and the CFD solver updates the flow field. The application of this model to particle deposition in high-pressure turbine vanes is investigated, showing the flexibility of the proposed methodology. The model is particularly important in aircraft engines where the effect of fouling for the turbine, in particular the reduction of the high pressure (HP) nozzle throat area, influences heavily the performance by reducing the core capacity. The energy-based approach is used to quantify the throat area reduction rate and estimate the variation in the compressor operating condition. The compressor operating point as a function of the time spent operating in a harsh environment can be in this way predicted to estimate, for example, the time that an engine can fly in a cloud of volcanic ashes. The impact of fouling on the throat area of the nozzle is quantified for different conditions.

scholarly journals An Energy Based Fouling Model for Gas Turbines: EBFOG

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Casari ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Luca di Mare ◽  
Francesco Montomoli
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Type Equation ◽  
Critical Threshold ◽  
Local Geometry ◽  
Normal Velocity ◽  
Sticking Coefficient ◽  
Lagrangian Tracking ◽  
The Impact

Fouling is a major problem in gas turbines for aero-propulsion. The aerodynamics and heat load of the blades are severely affected by this phenomenon with local geometrical variations due to deposition and erosion. Currently two major models are available in literature for the evaluation of fouling effects in CFD: the first one is based on a critical threshold for the viscosity, whereas the second is characterized by the normal velocity to the surface. Both models aim to define a likelihood coefficient which estimates the probability a particle has to stick to a surface, known as sticking coefficient. However current models lack of generality being application specific. This work presents an innovative model for the estimation of the sticking probability. The fouling effect is defined as function of particle velocity, temperature and size through an energy based approach. Expressing the energy involved in the impact through an Arrhenius’ type equation a general formulation for the sticking coefficient is obtained. The method, named EBFOG (Energy Based FOulinG), is the first “energy” based model presented in the open literature that can account any common deposition effect in gas turbines. The EBFOG model is implemented into a Lagrangian tracking procedure, coupled to a full three-dimensional CFD solver. Particles are tracked inside the domain and the velocity, size and temperature of each ones are calculated. The local geometry of the blade is modified accordingly to the deposition rate, the mesh is modified and the CFD solver updates the flow field. The application of this model to particle deposition in high pressure turbine vanes is investigated showing the flexibility of the proposed methodology. Such model is particular important in aircraft engines where the effect of fouling for the turbine, in particular the reduction of the HP nozzle throat area, influences heavily the performance: the energy based approach is thus used to quantify the area modification and estimate the variation of the compressor performance. The compressor map as a function of the operating hours in a severe environment can be in this way predicted to estimate, for example, the time that an engine can fly in a cloud of volcanic ashes. For this reason the impact of the fouling on the throat area of the nozzle is quantified for different conditions.

Fouling on a Multistage Axial Compressor in the Presence of a Third Substance at the Particle/Surface Interface

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Nicola Casari ◽  
Devid Dainese ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Impact Velocity ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Particle Surface ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Micro Particles ◽  
Multistage Compressor ◽  
Particle Ingestion ◽  
The Impact

Solid particle ingestion is one of the principal degradation mechanisms in the compressor and turbine sections of gas turbines. In particular, in industrial applications, the micro-particles not captured by the air filtration system can cause deposits on blades and, consequently, can result in a decrease in compressor performance. It is of great interest to the industry to determine which zones of the compressor blades are impacted by these small particles. However, this information often refers to single stage analysis. This paper presents three-dimensional numerical simulations of the micro-particle ingestion (0.15 μm – 1.50 μm) in a multistage (i.e. eight stage) subsonic axial compressor, carried out by means of a commercial CFD code. Particle trajectory simulations use a stochastic Lagrangian tracking method that solves the equations of motion separately from the continuous phase. The effects of humidity, or more generally, the effects of a third substance at the particle/surface interface (which is considered one of the major promoters of fouling) is then studied. The behavior of wet and oiled particles, in addition to the usual dry particles, is taken into consideration. In the dry case, the particle deposition is established only by using the sticking probability. This quantity links the kinematic characteristics of particle impact on the blade with the fouling phenomenon. In the other two cases, the effect of the presence of a third substance at the particle/surface interface is considered by means of an energy-based model. Moreover, the influence of the tangential impact velocity on particle deposition is analyzed. Introducing the effect of a third substance, such as humidity or oil, the phenomenon of fouling concerns the same areas of the multistage compressor. The most significant results are obtained by combining the effect of the third substance with the effect of the tangential component of the impact velocity of the particles. The deposition trends obtained with these conditions are comparable with those reported in literature, highlighting how the deposits are mainly concentrated in the early stages of a multistage compressor. Particular fluid dynamic phenomena, such as corner separations and clearance vortices, strongly influence the location of particle deposits.

Uncertainty Analysis of Inflow Conditions on an HPT Gas Turbine Nozzle: Effect on Particle Deposition

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Friso ◽  
N. Casari ◽  
M. Pinelli ◽  
A. Suman ◽  
F. Montomoli
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Gas Turbine Nozzle ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Inflow Conditions

Abstract Gas turbines (GT) are often forced to operate in harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, the presence of particles in their flow-path is expected. With this regard, deposition is a problem that severely affects gas turbine operation. Components’ lifetime and performance can dramatically vary as a consequence of this phenomenon. Unfortunately, the operating conditions of the machine can vary in a wide range, and they cannot be treated as deterministic. Their stochastic variations greatly affect the forecasting of life and performance of the components. In this work, the main parameters considered affected by the uncertainty are the circumferential hot core location and the turbulence level at the inlet of the domain. A stochastic analysis is used to predict the degradation of a high-pressure-turbine (HPT) nozzle due to particulate ingestion. The GT’s component analyzed as a reference is the HPT nozzle of the Energy-Efficient Engine (E3). The uncertainty quantification technique used is the probabilistic collocation method (PCM). This work shows the impact of the operating conditions uncertainties on the performance and lifetime reduction due to deposition. Sobol indices are used to identify the most important parameter and its contribution to life. The present analysis enables to build confidence intervals on the deposit profile and on the residual creep-life of the vane.

EBFOG: Deposition, Erosion and Detachment on High Pressure Turbine Vanes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Casari ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Francesco Montomoli ◽  
Luca di Mare
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Flight Crew ◽  
High Pressure Turbine ◽  
Area Reduction ◽  
Performance Deterioration ◽  
Engine Stability

Fouling and erosion are two pressing problems that severely affect gas turbine performance and life. When aircraft fly through a volcanic ash cloud the two phenomena occur simultaneously in the cold as well as in the hot section of the engine. In the high pressure turbine, in particular, the particles soften or melt due to the high gas temperatures and stick to the wet surfaces. The throat area, and hence the capacity, of the HP turbine is modified by these phenomena, affecting the engine stability and possibly forcing engine shutdown. This work presents a model for deposition and erosion in gas turbines and its implementation in a three dimensional Navier-Stokes solver. Both deposition and erosion are kept into account, together with deposit detachment due to changed flow conditions. The model is based on a statistical description of the behaviour of softened particles. The particles can stick to the surface or can bounce away, eroding the material. The sticking prediction relies on the authors’ EBFOG model. The impinging particles which do not stick to the surface are responsible for the removal of material. The model is demonstrated on a high pressure turbine vane. The performance deterioration and the throat area reduction rate are carefully monitored. The safe-to-fly time through a cloud can be inferred from the outcome of this work as important piece of on-board information for the flight crew.

Quantitative CFD Analyses of Particle Deposition on a Transonic Axial Compressor Blade: Part I — Particle Zones Impact

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Klaus Brun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Continuous Phase ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Micro Particles ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Particle Ingestion ◽  
The Impact

Solid particle ingestion is one of the principal degradation mechanisms in the turbine and compressor sections of gas turbines. In particular, in industrial applications, the micro-particles not captured by the air filtration system cause fouling and, consequently, a performance drop of the compressor. This paper presents three-dimensional numerical simulations of the micro-particle ingestion (0–2 μm) on an axial compressor rotor carried out by means of a commercial computational fluid dynamic code. Particles of this size can follow the main air flow with relatively little slip, while being impacted by flow turbulence. It is of great interest to the industry to determine which areas of the compressor airfoils are impacted by these small particles. Particle trajectory simulations use a stochastic Lagrangian tracking method that solves the equations of motion separate from the continuous phase. Then, the NASA Rotor 37 is considered as a case study for the numerical investigation. The compressor rotor numerical model and the discrete phase treatment have been validated against the experimental and numerical data available in literature. The number of particles, sizes, and concentrations are specified in order to perform a quantitative analysis of the particle impact on the blade surface. The results show that micro-particles tend to follow the flow by impacting at full span with an higher impact concentration on the pressure side. The suction side is affected only by the impact of the smaller particles (up to 1 μm). Particular fluid-dynamic phenomena such as separation, stagnation point and tip leakage vortex strongly influence the impact location of the particles.

Quantitative CFD Analyses of Particle Deposition on a Subsonic Axial Compressor Blade

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Klaus Brun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Sticking Probability ◽  
Particle Impact ◽  
Kinematic Characteristics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dynamic Phenomena

In literature there are some studies related to the fouling phenomena in transonic compressors, but, in industrial applications (heavy-duty compressor, pump stations, etc.) the subsonic compressors are widespread. It is of great interest to the manufacturer to discover the fouling phenomenon related to this type of compressor. This paper presents three-dimensional numerical simulations of the micro-particle ingestion on a subsonic axial compressor rotor carried out by means of a commercial computational fluid dynamic code. Particle trajectory simulations use a stochastic Lagrangian tracking method that solves the equations of motion separate from the continuous phase. The number of particles, sizes, and concentrations are specified in order to perform a quantitative analysis of the particle impact on the blade surface. In this paper the particle impact pattern and the kinematic characteristics (velocity and angle) of the impact are shown. Both of the blade zones affected by particle impact and the blade zones affected by particle deposition are analyzed. The particle deposition is established by using the quantity called sticking probability. The sticking probability links the kinematic characteristics of particle impact on the blade with fouling phenomenon. The results show that micro-particles tend to follow the flow by impacting at full span with a higher impact concentration on the leading edge. The suction side is affected only close to the leading edge and, at the hub, close to the trailing edge. Particular fluid-dynamic phenomena such as separation, stagnation and tip leakage vortex strongly influence the impact location of the particles. The kinematic analysis showed a high tendency of particle adhesion on the suction side, especially for smaller particles for which the fluid dynamic phenomena play a key role regarding particle impact velocity and angle.

Experimental Investigation of Purge Flow Effects on a High Pressure Turbine Stage

2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Regina ◽  
A. I. Kalfas ◽  
R. S. Abhari
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Radial Displacement ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Turbine Stage ◽  
Flow Factor ◽  
Purge Flow ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Stage Efficiency

In the present paper, an experimental investigation of the effects of rim seal purge flow on the performance of a highly loaded axial turbine stage is presented. The test configuration consists of a one-and-a-half stage, unshrouded, turbine, with a blading representative of high pressure (HP) gas turbines. Efficiency measurements for various purge flow injection levels have been carried out with pneumatic probes at the exit of the rotor and show a reduction of isentropic total-to-total efficiency of 0.8% per percent of injected mass flow. For three purge flow conditions, the unsteady aerodynamic flow field at rotor inlet and rotor exit has been measured with the in-house developed fast response aerodynamic probe (FRAP). The time-resolved data show the unsteady interaction of the purge flow with the secondary flows of the main flow and the impact on the radial displacement of the rotor hub passage vortex (HPV). Steady measurements at off-design conditions show the impact of the rotor incidence and of the stage flow factor on the resulting stage efficiency and the radial displacement of the rotor HPV. A comparison of the effect of purge flow and of the off-design conditions on the rotor incidence and stage flow factor shows that the detrimental effect of the purge flow on the stage efficiency caused by the radial displacement of the rotor HPV is dominated by the increase of stage flow factor in the hub region rather than by the increase of negative rotor incidence.

Quantitative Computational Fluid Dynamics Analyses of Particle Deposition on a Transonic Axial Compressor Blade—Part I: Particle Zones Impact

2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Klaus Brun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Continuous Phase ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
The Impact

Solid particle ingestion is one of the principal degradation mechanisms in the turbine and compressor sections of gas turbines. In particular, in industrial applications, the microparticles that are not captured by the air filtration system cause fouling and, consequently, a performance drop of the compressor. This paper presents three-dimensional numerical simulations of the microparticle ingestion (0 μm–2 μm) on an axial compressor rotor carried out by means of a commercial computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code. Particles of this size can follow the main air flow with relatively little slip, while being impacted by flow turbulence. It is of great interest to the industry to determine which areas of the compressor airfoils are impacted by these small particles. Particle trajectory simulations use a stochastic Lagrangian tracking method that solves the equations of motion separate from the continuous phase. Then, the NASA Rotor 37 is considered as a case study for the numerical investigation. The compressor rotor numerical model and the discrete phase treatment have been validated against the experimental and numerical data available in literature. The number of particles, sizes, and concentrations are specified in order to perform a quantitative analysis of the particle impact on the blade surface. The results show that microparticles tend to follow the flow by impacting at full span with a higher impact concentration on the pressure side (PS). The suction side (SS) is affected only by the impact of the smaller particles (up to 1 μm). Particular fluid dynamic phenomena, such as separation, stagnation point, and tip leakage vortex, strongly influence the impact location of the particles.

Quantitative CFD Analyses of Particle Deposition on a Transonic Axial Compressor Blade: Part II — Impact Kinematics and Particle Sticking Analysis

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Klaus Brun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Particle Impact ◽  
High Tendency ◽  
Compressor Rotor ◽  
Kinematic Characteristics ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Impact

In heavy-duty gas turbines, the micro-particles not captured by the air filtration system can cause fouling and, consequently, a performance drop of the compressor. This paper presents three-dimensional numerical simulations of the micro-particle ingestion (0–2 μm) on an axial compressor rotor carried out by means of a commercial computational fluid dynamic code. Particle trajectory simulations use a stochastic Lagrangian tracking method that solves the equations of motion separately from the continuous phase. The NASA Rotor 37 is considered as a case study for the numerical investigation. The compressor rotor numerical model and the discrete phase model were previously validated by the authors in the first part of this work. The kinematic characteristics (velocity and angle) of the impact of micrometric and sub-micrometric particles with the blade surface of an axial transonic compressor are shown. The blade zones affected by particle impact were extensively analyzed and reported in the first part of this work, forming the starting point for the analyses shown in this paper. The kinematic analysis showed a high tendency of particle adhesion on the suction side, especially for the particles with a diameter equal to 0.25 μm. Fluid dynamic phenomena and airfoil shape play a key role regarding particle impact velocity and angle. This work has the goal of combining, for the first time, the kinematic characteristics of particle impact on the blade with fouling phenomenon by the use of a quantity called sticking probability adopted from literature. From these analyses, some guidelines for a proper management of the power plant (in terms of filtration and washing strategies) are highlighted.

Estimation of the Particle Deposition on a Transonic Axial Compressor Blade

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Klaus Brun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Blade Surface ◽  
Air Filtration ◽  
Separation Shock ◽  
Particle Ingestion ◽  
The Impact

Solid particle ingestion is one of the principal degradation mechanisms in the compressor section of heavy-duty gas turbines. Usually, foulants in the ppm range, not captured by the air filtration system, i.e., (0–2) μm cause deposits on blading and result in a severe performance drop of the compressor. It is of great interest to the industry to determine which areas of the compressor airfoils are interested by these contaminants as a function of the location of the power unit. The aim of this work is the estimation of the actual deposits on the blade surface in terms of location and quantity. The size of the particles, their concentrations, and the filtration efficiency are specified in order to perform a realistic quantitative analysis of the fouling phenomena in an axial compressor. This study combines, for the first time, the impact/adhesion characteristic of the particles obtained through a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the real size distribution of the contaminants in the air swallowed by the compressor. The blade zones affected by the deposits are clearly reported by using easy-to-use contaminant maps realized on the blade surface in terms of contaminant mass. The analysis showed that particular fluid-dynamic phenomena such as separation, shock waves, and tip leakage vortex strongly influence the pattern deposition. The combination of the smaller particles (0.15 μm) and the larger ones (1.50 μm) determines the highest amounts of deposits on the leading edge (LE) of the compressor airfoil. From these analyses, some guidelines for proper installation and management of the power plant (in terms of filtration systems and washing strategies) can be drawn.

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