Volumetric Velocimetry Measurements of Purge–Mainstream Interaction in a One-Stage Turbine

2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Carvalho Figueiredo ◽  
B. D. J. Schreiner ◽  
A. W. Mesny ◽  
O. J. Pountney ◽  
J. A. Scobie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Blade Passage ◽  
One Stage ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Purge Flow ◽  
Secondary Flow Field

Abstract Air-cooled gas turbines employ bleed air from the compressor to cool vulnerable components in the turbine. The cooling flow, commonly known as purge air, is introduced at low radius, before exiting through the rim-seal at the periphery of the turbine discs. The purge flow interacts with the mainstream gas path, creating an unsteady and complex flowfield. Of particular interest to the designer is the effect of purge on the secondary-flow structures within the blade passage, the extent of which directly affects the aerodynamic loss in the stage. This paper presents a combined experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation into the effect of purge flow on the secondary flows in the blade passage of an optically accessible one-stage turbine rig. The experimental campaign was conducted using volumetric velocimetry (VV) measurements to assess the three-dimensional inter-blade velocity field; the complementary CFD campaign was carried out using unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) computations. The implementation of VV within a rotating environment is a world first and offers an unparalleled level of experimental detail. The baseline flow-field, in the absence of purge flow, demonstrated a classical secondary flow-field: the rollup of a horseshoe vortex, with subsequent downstream convection of a pressure-side and suction-side leg, the former transitioning in to the passage vortex. The introduction of purge, at 1.7% of the mainstream flowrate, was shown to modify the secondary flow-field by enhancing the passage vortex, in both strength and span-wise migration. The computational predictions were in agreement with the enhancement revealed by the experiments.

Volumetric Velocimetry Measurements of Purge-Mainstream Interaction in a 1-Stage Turbine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Carvalho Figueiredo ◽  
B. D. J. Schreiner ◽  
A. W. Mesny ◽  
O. J. Pountney ◽  
J. A. Scobie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Complex Flow ◽  
Blade Passage ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Purge Flow ◽  
Secondary Flow Field

Abstract Air-cooled gas turbines employ bleed air from the compressor to cool vulnerable components in the turbine. The cooling flow, commonly known as purge air, is introduced at low radius, before exiting through the rim-seal at the periphery of the turbine discs. The purge flow interacts with the mainstream gas path, creating an unsteady and complex flow-field. Of particular interest to the designer is the effect of purge on the secondary flow structures within the blade passage, the extent of which directly affects the aerodynamic loss in the stage. This paper presents a combined experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigation into the effect of purge flow on the secondary flows in the blade passage of an optically-accessible 1-stage turbine rig. The experimental campaign was conducted using Volumetric Velocimetry (VV) measurements to assess the three-dimensional inter-blade velocity field; the complementary CFD campaign was carried out using URANS computations. The implementation of VV within a rotating environment is a world first and offers an unparalleled level of experimental detail. The baseline flow-field, in the absence of purge flow, demonstrated a classical secondary flow-field: the roll-up of a horseshoe-vortex, with subsequent downstream convection of a pressure-side and suction-side leg, the former transitioning in to the passage vortex. The introduction of purge, at 1.7% of the mainstream flow-rate, was shown to modify the secondary flow field by enhancing the passage vortex, both in strength and span-wise migration. The computational predictions were in agreement with the enhancement revealed by the experiments.

scholarly journals Numerical Study of Purge and Secondary Flows in a Low Pressure Turbine

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cui ◽  
P. G. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Generation Rate ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Blade Passage ◽  
Angle Deviation ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Purge Flow

The secondary flow increases the loss and changes the flow incidence in the downstream blade row. To prevent hot gases from entering disk cavities, purge flows are injected into the mainstream in a real aero-engine. The interaction between purge flows and the mainstream usually induces aerodynamic losses. The endwall loss is also affected by shedding wakes and secondary flow from upstream rows. Using a series of eddy-resolving simulations, this paper aims to improve the understanding of the interaction between purge flows, incoming secondary flows along with shedding wakes and mainstream flows on the endwall within a stator passage. It is found that for a blade with an aspect ratio of 2.2, a purge flow with a 1% leakage rate increases loss generation within the blade passage by around 10%. The incoming wakes and secondary flows increase the loss generation further by around 20%. The purge flow pushes the passage vortex further away from the endwall and increases the exit flow angle deviation. However, the maximum exit flow angle deviation is reduced after introducing incoming wakes and secondary flows. The loss generation rate is calculated using the mean flow kinetic energy equation. Two regions with high loss generation rate are identified within the blade passage: the corner region and the region where passage vortex interacts with the boundary layer on the suction surface. Loss generation rate increases dramatically after the separated boundary layer transitions. Since the endwall flow energizes the boundary layer and triggers earlier transition on the suction surface, the loss generation rate close to the endwall at the trailing edge is suppressed.

scholarly journals Numerical Study of Purge and Secondary Flows in a Low-Pressure Turbine

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiahuan Cui ◽  
Paul Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Generation Rate ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Blade Passage ◽  
Angle Deviation ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Purge Flow

The secondary flow increases the loss and changes the flow incidence in the downstream blade row. To prevent hot gases from entering disk cavities, purge flows are injected into the mainstream in a real aero-engine. The interaction between purge flows and the mainstream usually induces aerodynamic losses. The endwall loss is also affected by shedding wakes and secondary flow from upstream rows. Using a series of eddy-resolving simulations, this paper aims to improve the understanding of the interaction between purge flows, incoming secondary flows along with shedding wakes, and mainstream flows on the endwall within a stator passage. It is found that for a blade with an aspect ratio of 2.2, a purge flow with a 1% leakage rate increases loss generation within the blade passage by around 10%. The incoming wakes and secondary flows increase the loss generation further by around 20%. The purge flow pushes the passage vortex further away from the endwall and increases the exit flow angle deviation. However, the maximum exit flow angle deviation is reduced after introducing incoming wakes and secondary flows. The loss generation rate is calculated using the mean flow kinetic energy equation. Two regions with high loss generation rate are identified within the blade passage: the corner region and the region where passage vortex interacts with the boundary layer on the suction surface. Loss generation rate increases dramatically after the separated boundary layer transitions. Since the endwall flow energizes the boundary layer and triggers earlier transition on the suction surface, the loss generation rate close to the endwall at the trailing edge (TE) is suppressed.

Investigations on the interaction between the front and aft purge flow and the downstream vane of 1.5-stage turbine

2022 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
He Zhenpeng ◽  
Zhou Jiaxing ◽  
Xin Jia ◽  
Yang Chengquan ◽  
Li Baichun
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Wall Structure ◽  
Pressure Side ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Purge Flow ◽  
End Wall

Abstract The present work reports the influence of the 1.5-stage turbine flow field by the front and aft rim seal flow. The interaction between the front and aft purge flow and the mainstream of a 1.5-stage turbine was numerically simulated, and the influence of the front and aft purge flow on the downstream vane was analyzed separately. The results show that the front purge flow is distributed at the higher radius of second vane inlet, which changes the position of the blade hub secondary flows, and the aft purge flow is distributed at the low radius. The purge flow at different locations in the aft cavity exit forms shear induced vortex, pressure and suction side legs of the egress, which converges with the suction and pressure side legs of the horse vortex to form vane hub passage vortex. The increased purge flow rate in both the front and aft cavities significantly increases the sealing effectiveness of the rim seal, but also causes a reduction in turbine efficiency. The combined effect of the front and aft purge flow reduces the turbine efficiency of the end-wall structure by 0.3619, 0.9062, 1.5004, 2.0188 and 2.509% at IR = 0, IR = 0.5%, IR = 0.9%, IR = 1.3% and IR = 1.7%.

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.

scholarly journals Aerothermal Investigations of Mixing Flow Phenomena in Case of Radially Inclined Ejection Holes at the Leading Edge

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter E. Bohn ◽  
Karsten A. Kusterer
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Pressure Side ◽  
Blade Surface ◽  
Cooling Fluid ◽  
Flow Phenomena ◽  
Vortex Systems

A leading edge cooling configuration is investigated numerically by application of a 3-D conjugate fluid flow and heat transfer solver, CHT-Flow. The code has been developed at the Institute of Steam and Gas Turbines, Aachen University of Technology. It works on the basis of an implicit finite volume method combined with a multi-block technique. The cooling configuration is an axial turbine blade cascade with leading edge ejection through two rows of cooling holes. The rows are located in the vicinity of the stagnation line, one row is on the suction side, the other row is on the pressure side. The cooling holes have a radial ejection angle of 45°. This configuration has been investigated experimentally by other authors and the results have been documented as a test case for numerical calculations of ejection flow phenomena. The numerical domain includes the internal cooling fluid supply, the radially inclined holes and the complete external flow field of the turbine vane in a high resolution grid. Periodic boundary conditions have been used in the radial direction. Thus, end wall effects have been excluded. The numerical investigations focus on the aerothermal mixing process in the cooling jets and the impact on the temperature distribution on the blade surface. The radial ejection angles lead to a fully three dimensional and asymmetric jet flow field. Within a secondary flow analysis it can be shown that complex vortex systems are formed in the ejection holes and in the cooling fluid jets. The secondary flow fields include asymmetric kidney vortex systems with one dominating vortex on the back side of the jets. The numerical and experimental data show a good agreement concerning the vortex development. The phenomena on the suction side and the pressure side are principally the same. It can be found that the jets are barely touching the blade surface as the dominating vortex transports hot gas under the jets. Thus, the cooling efficiency is reduced.

Experimental Study of Effects of Bowed Blade on the Flow Field in a Cantilevered Stator Passage

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ju Luo ◽  
Jun Hu ◽  
Zhiqiang Wang ◽  
Baofeng Tu
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Maximum Flow ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Compressor Blade ◽  
Blade Passage ◽  
Hole Pressure ◽  
Passage Vortex

This paper presents experimental investigation conducted on a 2-stage low speed axial research compressor with cantilevered stator vanes. Flow fields at four different axial locations in the radial stacking and bowed stator passage were measured at maximum flow point and near stall point using 4 five-hole pressure probes. The aim of the work is to study the effects of the bowed stators with hub clearance on the flow field of compressor blade passage. The investigations were conducted with the first stage of the compressor. The hub clearances of both original and bowed stators are 1.1% of span. The results show that the scale of the separation vortex, the hub leakage vortex and the lower passage vortex in the bowed blade passage becomes much smaller and the hub leakage vortex is closer to the suction side at near stall point, which causes a much smaller mixing loss in the blade passage.

Vortex-Wake-Blade Interaction in a Shrouded Axial Turbine

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 699-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schlienger ◽  
A. I. Kalfas ◽  
R. S. Abhari
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Surprising Result ◽  
Rotor Wake ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Axial Turbine ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Blade Row ◽  
Stator Blade ◽  
Secondary Flow Field

This paper presents time-resolved flow field measurements at the exit of the first rotor blade row of a two stage shrouded axial turbine. The observed unsteady interaction mechanism between the secondary flow vortices, the rotor wake and the adjacent blading at the exit plane of the first turbine stage is of prime interest and analyzed in detail. The results indicate that the unsteady secondary flows are primarily dominated by the rotor hub passage vortex and the shed secondary flow field from the upstream stator blade row. The analysis of the results revealed a roll-up mechanism of the rotor wake layer into the rotor indigenous passage vortex close to the hub endwall. This interesting mechanism is described in a flow schematic within this paper. In a second measurement campaign the first stator blade row is clocked by half a blade pitch relative to the second stator in order to shift the relative position of both stator indigenous secondary flow fields. The comparison of the time-resolved data for both clocking cases showed a surprising result. The steady flow profiles for both cases are nearly identical. The analysis of the probe pressure signal indicates a high level of unsteadiness that is due to the periodic occurrence of the shed first stator secondary flow field.

Endwall Effusion Cooling System Behaviour Within a High-Pressure Turbine Cascade: Part 1—Aerodynamic Measurements

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Sacchi ◽  
Daniele Simoni ◽  
Marina Ubaldi ◽  
Pietro Zunino ◽  
Stefano Zecchi
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
High Pressure Turbine ◽  
Tangential Plane ◽  
Cooling Effects ◽  
Secondary Flow Field

The secondary flow field in a large-scale high-pressure turbine cascade with micro-holed endwall cooling has been investigated at the Genova Laboratory of Aerodynamics and Turbomachinery in cooperation with Avio S.p.A in the framework of the European Project AITEB-2. The experimental investigation has been performed for the baseline configuration, with a smooth solid endwall installed, and for the cooled configuration with a micro-holed endwall providing micro-jets ejection from the wall. Two different cooling flow rates were investigated and the experimental results are reported in the paper. Different measurement techniques have been employed to analyze the secondary flow field along the channel and in a downstream tangential plane. Particle Image Velocimetry has been utilized to quantify the blade-to-blade velocity components in a plane located close to the endwall and in the midspan plane. Hot-wire measurements have been performed in a tangential plane downstream of the blade trailing edges in order to survey the micro-jets effects on the secondary flows behavior. The total pressure distributions, for the different blowing conditions, have been measured in the downstream tangential plane by means of a Kiel pneumatic probe. The results, represented in color plots of velocity, pressure loss coefficient and turbulent kinetic energy distributions, allow the identification of the endwall effusion cooling effects on location and strength of the secondary vortical structures. The thermal investigation of the effusion system is discussed in Part 2 of the paper.

Incidence Angle and Pitch–Chord Effects on Secondary Flows Downstream of a Turbine Cascade

1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-391 ◽  
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 deg, 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 percent 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 by 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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