scholarly journals Efficiency Scaling - Influence of Reynolds and Mach Number on Fan Performance

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Peter F. Pelz ◽  
Sebastian Saul ◽  
Johannes Brötz

Abstract The efficiency, pressure ratio and shaft power of a fan depends on type, size, working medium and operating condition. For acceptance tests, a dissimilarity in Reynolds number, Mach number, relative roughness and relative blade tip clearance of the scaled model and prototype is unavoidable. Hence, the efficiency differs between model and prototype. This difference is quantified by scaling methods. This paper presents a validated and physics based, i. e. reliable scaling method for the efficiency, pressure ratio and shaft power of axial and centrifugal fans operating at subsonic conditions. The method is validated using test results gained on standardized test rigs for different fan types, sizes and operating conditions. For all scenarios the presented scaling method provides a much reduced scaling uncertainty compared to the reference method described in ISO 13348.

Author(s):  
Lamyaa A. El-Gabry

A computational study has been performed to predict the heat transfer distribution on the blade tip surface for a representative gas turbine first stage blade. CFD predictions of blade tip heat transfer are compared to test measurements taken in a linear cascade, when available. The blade geometry has an inlet Mach number of 0.3 and an exit Mach number of 0.75, pressure ratio of 1.5, exit Reynolds number based on axial chord of 2.57×106, and total turning of 110 deg. Three blade tip configurations were considered; they are flat tip, a full perimeter squealer, and an offset squealer where the rim is offset to the interior of the tip perimeter. These three tip geometries were modeled at three tip clearances of 1.25, 2.0, and 2.75% of blade span. The tip heat transfer results of the numerical models agree fairly well with the data and are comparable to other CFD predictions in the open literature.


Author(s):  
D. Ramesh Rajakumar ◽  
S. Ramamurthy ◽  
M. Govardhan

Experimental Investigations are carried out to study the effect of tip clearance flow in a mixed flow compressor stage. Two configurations, namely; constant and variable clearance gaps between impeller and stationary shroud are considered. For the purpose of the present investigations, a mixed flow compressor stage is designed and fabricated. The flow investigations were carried out in a closed circuit compressor rig. Detailed steady and unsteady measurements were carried out for three clearance gaps, namely; 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.9 mm. From the experimental investigations it is shown that constant tip clearance configurations show better performance in terms of pressure ratio and efficiency compared to variable clearance configurations. For a given configuration the pressure ratio and efficiency of the stage decrease with increase in the tip gap without indicating any optimum value. Tip clearance flow has considerable effect on the flow through the diffuser and the unsteady flow gets amplified and carried away into the vane diffuser.


Author(s):  
Lamyaa A. El-Gabry

A computational study has been performed to predict the heat transfer distribution on the blade tip surface for a representative gas turbine first stage blade. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions of blade tip heat transfer are compared with test measurements taken in a linear cascade, when available. The blade geometry has an inlet Mach number of 0.3 and an exit Mach number of 0.75, pressure ratio of 1.5, exit Reynolds number based on axial chord of 2.57×106, and total turning of 110 deg. Three blade tip configurations were considered; a flat tip, a full perimeter squealer, and an offset squealer where the rim is offset to the interior of the tip perimeter. These three tip geometries were modeled at three tip clearances of 1.25%, 2.0%, and 2.75% of the blade span. The tip heat transfer results of the numerical models agree well with data. For the case in which side-by-side comparison with test measurements in the open literature is possible, the magnitude of the heat transfer coefficient in the “sweet spot” matches data exactly and shows 20–50% better agreement with experiment than prior CFD predictions of this same case.


2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Luberti ◽  
Hui Tang ◽  
James A. Scobie ◽  
Oliver J. Pountney ◽  
J. Michael Owen ◽  
...  

Abstract For the next generation of aero-engines, manufacturers are planning to increase the overall compressor pressure ratio from the existing values around 50:1 to values of 70:1. The requirement to control the tight clearances between the blade tips and the casing overall engine-operating conditions is a challenge for the engine designer attempting to minimize tip-clearances losses. Accurate prediction of the tip clearance requires an accurate prediction of the radial growth of the compressor rotor, which depends on the temperature distribution of the disk. The flow in the rotating cavities between adjacent disks is buoyancy-driven, which creates a conjugate heat transfer problem: the disk temperature depends on the radial distribution of the Nusselt number, which in turn depends on the radial distribution of disk temperature. This paper focuses on calculating the radial growth of a simplified compressor disk in isolation from the other components. Calculations were performed using steady one-dimensional (1D) theoretical and two-dimensional numerical computations (2D finite element analysis (FEA)) for overall pressure ratios (OPRs) of 50:1, 60:1, and 70:1. At each pressure ratio, calculations were conducted for five different temperature distributions; the distribution based on an experimentally validated buoyancy model was used as the datum case, and the results from this were compared with those from linear, quadratic, cubic, and quartic power laws. The results show that the assumed distribution of disk temperature has a significant effect on the calculated disk growth, whereas the pressure ratio has only a relatively small effect. Good agreement between the growth calculated by the 1D theoretical model and the FEA suggests that the 1D model should be useful for design purposes. Although the results were obtained for steady-state conditions, a method is outlined for calculating the growth under transient conditions.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 477-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Thompson ◽  
P. I. King ◽  
D. C. Rabe

The effects of stepped-tip gaps and clearance levels on the performance of a transonic axial-flow compressor rotor were experimentally determined. A two-stage compressor with no inlet guide vanes was tested in a modern transonic compressor research facility. The first-stage rotor was unswept and was tested for an optimum tip clearance with variations in stepped gaps machined into the casing near the aft tip region of the rotor. Nine causing geometries were investigated consisting of three step profiles at each of three clearance levels. For small and intermediate clearances, stepped tip gaps were found to improve pressure ratio, efficiency, and flow range for most operating conditions. At 100 percent design rotor speed, stepped tip gaps produced a doubling of mass flow range with as much as a 2.0 percent increase in mass flow and a 1.5 percent improvement in efficiency. This study provides guidelines for engineers to improve compressor performance for an existing design by applying an optimum casing profile.


1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 931-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Bryce ◽  
M. R. Litchfield ◽  
N. P. Leversuch

This paper describes the design and testing of a high work capacity single-stage transonic turbine of aerodynamic duty tailored to the requirements of driving the high-pressure core of a low cost turbofan engine. Aerodynamic loading was high for this duty (ΔH/U2 = 2.1) and a major objective in the design was the control of the resulting transonic flow to achieve good turbine performance. Practical and coolable blading was a design requirement. At the design point (pressure ratio = 4.48), a turbine total to total efficiency of 87.0 percent was measured—this being based on measured shaft power and a tip clearance of 1.4 percent of blade height. In addition, the turbine was comprehensively instrumented to allow measurement of aerofoil surface static pressures on both stator and rotor—the latter being expedited via a rotating scanivalve system. Downstream area traverses were also conducted. Analysis of these measurements indicates that the turbine operates at overall reaction levels lower than design but the rotor blade performs efficiently.


Author(s):  
Donald W. Thompson ◽  
Paul I. King ◽  
Douglas C. Rabe

The effects of stepped tip gaps and clearance levels on the performance of a transonic axial-flow compressor rotor were experimentally determined. A two-stage compressor with no inlet guide vanes was tested in a modern transonic compressor research facility. The first-stage rotor was unswept and was tested for an optimum tip clearance with variations in stepped gaps machined into the casing near the aft tip region of the rotor. Nine casing geometries were investigated consisting of three step profiles at each of three clearance levels. For small and intermediate clearances, stepped tip gaps were found to improve pressure ratio, efficiency, and flow range for most operating conditions. At 100% design rotor speed, stepped tip gaps produced a doubling of mass flow range with as much as a 2.0% increase in mass flow and a 1.5% improvement in efficiency. This study provides guidelines for engineers to improve compressor performance for an existing design by applying an optimum casing profile.


2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Peters ◽  
Zoltán S. Spakovszky ◽  
Wesley K. Lord ◽  
Becky Rose

As the propulsor fan pressure ratio (FPR) is decreased for improved fuel burn, reduced emissions and noise, the fan diameter grows and innovative nacelle concepts with short inlets are required to reduce their weight and drag. This paper addresses the uncharted inlet and nacelle design space for low-FPR propulsors where fan and nacelle are more closely coupled than in current turbofan engines. The paper presents an integrated fan–nacelle design framework, combining a spline-based inlet design tool with a fast and reliable body-force-based approach for the fan rotor and stator blade rows to capture the inlet–fan and fan–exhaust interactions and flow distortion at the fan face. The new capability enables parametric studies of characteristic inlet and nacelle design parameters with a short turn-around time. The interaction of the rotor with a region of high streamwise Mach number at the fan face is identified as the key mechanism limiting the design of short inlets. The local increase in Mach number is due to flow acceleration along the inlet internal surface coupled with a reduction in effective flow area. For a candidate short-inlet design with length over diameter ratio L/D = 0.19, the streamwise Mach number at the fan face near the shroud increases by up to 0.16 at cruise and by up to 0.36 at off-design conditions relative to a long-inlet propulsor with L/D = 0.5. As a consequence, the rotor locally operates close to choke resulting in fan efficiency penalties of up to 1.6% at cruise and 3.9% at off-design. For inlets with L/D < 0.25, the benefit from reduced nacelle drag is offset by the reduction in fan efficiency, resulting in propulsive efficiency penalties. Based on a parametric inlet study, the recommended inlet L/D is suggested to be between 0.25 and 0.4. The performance of a candidate short inlet with L/D = 0.25 was assessed using full-annulus unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations at critical design and off-design operating conditions. The candidate design maintains the propulsive efficiency of the baseline case and fuel burn benefits are conjectured due to reductions in nacelle weight and drag compared to an aircraft powered by the baseline propulsor.


1980 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 883-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. McDonald ◽  
C. R. Bolt ◽  
R. J. Dunker ◽  
H. B. Weyer

The flow field within the rotor of a transonic axial compressor has been computed and compared to measurements obtained with an advanced laser velocimeter. The compressor was designed for a total pressure ratio of 1.51 at a relative tip Mach number of 1.4. The comparisons are made at 100 percent design speed (20,260 RPM) with pressure ratios corresponding to peak efficiency, near surge, and wide open discharge operating conditions. The computational procedure iterates between a blade-to-blade calculation and an intrablade through flow calculation. Calculated Mach number contours, surface pressure distributions, and exit total pressure profiles are in agreement with the experimental data demonstrating the usefulness of quasi three-dimensional calculations in compressor design.


Author(s):  
Zhigang Sun ◽  
Chunqing Tan ◽  
Dongyang Zhang

The impeller backside cavity is one of the unique features of the centrifugal compressors, it can affect the aerodynamic performances of a centrifugal compressor in many ways. This paper presents the researches on the coupled flow fields between a centrifugal compressor main flow passage and its impeller backside cavity. The flow field structures and features of the impeller backside cavity are presented for different leakage flow patterns, and its influences on the flow field details, axial thrust, shaft power, pressure ratio and efficiency of the centrifugal compressor have been studied. Some general conclusions are drawn for different centrifugal compressor operating conditions and impeller backside cavity leakage flow patterns.


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