Numerical Model of Liquid Film Formation and Breakup in Last Stage of a Low-Pressure Steam Turbine

Author(s):  
Pietro Rossi ◽  
Asad Raheem ◽  
Reza S. Abhari

Formation of thin liquid films on steam turbine airfoils, particularly in last stages of low-pressure (LP) steam turbines, and their breakup into coarse droplets is of paramount importance to assess erosion of last stage rotor blades given by the impact of those droplets. An approach for this problem is presented in this paper: this includes deposition of liquid water mass and momentum, film mass and momentum conservation, trailing edge breakup and droplets Lagrangian tracking accounting for inertia and drag. The use of thickness-averaged two-dimensional (2D) equations in local body-fitted coordinates, derived from Navier–Stokes equations, makes the approach suitable for arbitrary curved blades and integration with three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The model is implemented in the in-house solver MULTI3, which uses Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations κ – ω model and steam tables for the steam phase and was previously modified to run on multi-GPU architecture. The method is applied to the last stage of a steam turbine in full and part load operating conditions to validate the model by comparison with time-averaged data from experiments conducted in the same conditions. Droplets impact pattern on rotor blades is also predicted and shown.

Author(s):  
Vaclav Slama ◽  
Bartolomej Rudas ◽  
Ales Macalka ◽  
Jiri Ira ◽  
Antonin Zivny

Abstract An advanced in-house procedure, which is based on a commercial numerical code, to predict a potential danger of unstalled flutter has been developed and validated. This procedure using a one way decoupled method and a full-scale time-marching 3D viscous model in order to obtain the solution of the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations in the time domain thus calculate an aerodynamic work and a damping ratio is used as an essential tool for developing ultra-long last stage rotor blades in low pressure turbine parts for modern steam turbines with a large operating range and an enhanced efficiency. An example is shown on a development of the last stage blade for high backpressures.


Author(s):  
Hiteshkumar Mistry ◽  
Manisekaran Santhanakrishnan ◽  
John Liu ◽  
Alexander Stein ◽  
Subhrajit Dey ◽  
...  

Modern steam turbines often utilize very long last stage buckets (LSB’s) in their low-pressure sections to improve efficiency. Some of these LSB’s can range in the order of 5 feet long. These long buckets (aka “blades”) are typically supported at their tip by a tip-shroud and near the mid span by a part span shroud or part span connector (PSC). The PSC is a structural element that connects all the rotor blades, generally at the mid span. It is primarily designed to address various structural issues, often with little attention to its aerodynamic effects. The objective of the current work is to quantify the impact of PSC on aerodynamic performance of the last stage of a LP steam turbine by using detailed CFD analyses. A commercial CFD solver, ANSYS CFX™, is used to solve the last stage domain by setting steam as the working fluid with linear variation of specific heat ratio with temperature. A tetrahedral grid with prismatic layers near the solid walls is generated using ANSYS WORKBENCH™. The results show a cylindrical PSC reduces the efficiency of the last stage by 0.32 pts, of which 0.20 pts is due to the fillet attaching the PSC to the blade. The results also show insignificant interaction of the PSC with the bucket tip aerodynamics. The work presents a detailed flow field analysis and shows the impact of PSC geometry on the aerodynamic performance of last stage of steam turbine. Present work is useful to turbine designer for trade-off studies of performance and reliability of LSB design with or without PSC.


1973 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. C. Freeman ◽  
S. Kumar

It is shown that, for a spherically symmetric expansion of a gas into a low pressure, the shock wave with area change region discussed earlier (Freeman & Kumar 1972) can be further divided into two parts. For the Navier–Stokes equation, these are a region in which the asymptotic zero-pressure behaviour predicted by Ladyzhenskii is achieved followed further downstream by a transition to subsonic-type flow. The distance of this final region downstream is of order (pressure)−2/3 × (Reynolds number)−1/3.


Author(s):  
Fabian F. Müller ◽  
Markus Schatz ◽  
Damian M. Vogt ◽  
Jens Aschenbruck

The influence of a cylindrical strut shortly downstream of the bladerow on the vibration behavior of the last stage rotor blades of a single stage LP model steam turbine was investigated in the present study. Steam turbine retrofits often result in an increase of turbine size, aiming for more power and higher efficiency. As the existing LP steam turbine exhaust hoods are generally not modified, the last stage rotor blades frequently move closer to installations within the exhaust hood. To capture the influence of such an installation on the flow field characteristics, extensive flow field measurements using pneumatic probes were conducted at the turbine outlet plane. In addition, time-resolved pressure measurements along the casing contour of the diffuser and on the surface of the cylinder were made, aiming for the identification of pressure fluctuations induced by the flow around the installation. Blade vibration behavior was measured at three different operating conditions by means of a tip timing system. Despite the considerable changes in the flow field and its frequency content, no significant impact on blade vibration amplitudes were observed for the investigated case and considered operating conditions. Nevertheless, time-resolved pressure measurements suggest that notable pressure oscillations induced by the vortex shedding can reach the upstream bladerow.


2020 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 100-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Boudin ◽  
Céline Grandmont ◽  
Bérénice Grec ◽  
Sébastien Martin ◽  
Amina Mecherbet ◽  
...  

In this paper, we propose a coupled fluid-kinetic model taking into account the radius growth of aerosol particles due to humidity in the respiratory system. We aim to numerically investigate the impact of hygroscopic effects on the particle behaviour. The air flow is described by the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, and the aerosol by a Vlasov-type equation involving the air humidity and temperature, both quantities satisfying a convection-diffusion equation with a source term. Conservations properties are checked and an explicit time-marching scheme is proposed. Twodimensional numerical simulations in a branched structure show the influence of the particle size variations on the aerosol dynamics.


Fluids ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agostino Lauria ◽  
Giancarlo Alfonsi ◽  
Ali Tafarojnoruz

Ski jump spillways are frequently implemented to dissipate energy from high-speed flows. The general feature of this structure is to transform the spillway flow into a free jet up to a location where the impact of the jet creates a plunge pool, representing an area for potential erosion phenomena. In the present investigation, several tests with different ski jump bucket angles are executed numerically by means of the OpenFOAM® digital library, taking advantage of the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations (RANS) approach. The results are compared to those obtained experimentally by other authors as related to the jet length and shape, obtaining physical insights into the jet characteristics. Particular attention is given to the maximum pressure head at the tailwater. Simple equations are proposed to predict the maximum dynamic pressure head acting on the tailwater, as dependent upon the Froude number, and the maximum pressure head on the bucket. Results of this study provide useful suggestions for the design of ski jump spillways in dam construction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paran Pourteimouri ◽  
Kourosh Hejazi

An integrated two-dimensional vertical (2DV) model was developed to investigate wave interactions with permeable submerged breakwaters. The integrated model is capable of predicting the flow field in both surface water and porous media on the basis of the extended volume-averaged Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations (VARANS). The impact of porous medium was considered by the inclusion of the additional terms of drag and inertia forces into conventional Navier–Stokes equations. Finite volume method (FVM) in an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation was adopted for discretization of the governing equations. Projection method was utilized to solve the unsteady incompressible extended Navier–Stokes equations. The time-dependent volume and surface porosities were calculated at each time step using the fraction of a grid open to water and the total porosity of porous medium. The numerical model was first verified against analytical solutions of small amplitude progressive Stokes wave and solitary wave propagation in the absence of a bottom-mounted barrier. Comparisons showed pleasing agreements between the numerical predictions and analytical solutions. The model was then further validated by comparing the numerical model results with the experimental measurements of wave propagation over a permeable submerged breakwater reported in the literature. Good agreements were obtained for the free surface elevations at various spatial and temporal scales, velocity fields around and inside the obstacle, as well as the velocity profiles.


Author(s):  
Vladimir Shigunov ◽  
Ould el Moctar ◽  
Thomas E. Schellin ◽  
Jan Kaufmann ◽  
Rasmus Stute

The dynamic stability was investigated of a typical offshore service vessel operating under stability critical operating conditions. Excessive roll motions and relative motions at the stern were studied for two loading conditions for ship speeds ranging from zero to the design speed. A linear frequency-domain seakeeping analysis was followed by nonlinear time-domain simulations of ship motions in waves. Based on results from these methods, critical scenarios were selected and simulated using finite-volume solvers of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations to understand the phenomena related to dynamically unstable ship motions as well as to confirm the results of the simpler analysis methods. Results revealed the possibility of excessive roll motions and water run-up on deck; counter measures such as a ship-specific operational guidance are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 903
Author(s):  
Sixtine Neuvéglise ◽  
Gaële Perret ◽  
Hassan Smaoui ◽  
François Marin ◽  
Philippe Sergent

This paper studies the behaviour of a quayside floater oscillating in front of a vertical dike. In order to study the floater motion and the impact of the dike on the floater, a linear analytical model based on 2D potential flow theory in intermediate water depth conditions and a numerical model resolving 2D Navier–Stokes equations are developed. Physical tests performed for different floater dimensions in a wave tank are used as references for the analytical and numerical models. The comparison of the results obtained analytically, numerically and experimentally leads to the validity domain of the potential model. A correction of this model is proposed, based on the optimization of the radiated coefficients, and a quadratic drag term is added according to Morison equation. The impact of the different parameters of the system on floater behaviour is considered. Results show that the draft has the most important impact on floater motion.


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