The Control of Shroud Leakage Flows to Reduce Aerodynamic Losses in a Low Aspect Ratio, Shrouded Axial Flow Turbine

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Wallis ◽  
J. D. Denton ◽  
A. A. J. Demargne
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Leakage Fraction ◽  
Aerodynamic Losses

The losses generated by fluid leaking across the shrouds of turbine blade rows are known to form a significant proportion of the overall loss generated in low aspect ratio turbines. The use of shrouds to encase the tips of turbine blades has encouraged the development of many innovative sealing arrangements, all of which are intended to reduce the quantity of fluid (the leakage fraction) leaking across the shroud. Modern sealing arrangements have reduced leakage fractions considerably, meaning that further improvements can only be obtained by controlling the leakage flow in such a way so as to minimise the aerodynamic losses incurred by the extraction and re-injection of the leakage flow into the mainstream. There are few published experimental investigations on the interaction between mainstream and leakage flows to provide guidance on the best means of managing the leakage flows to do this. This paper describes the development and testing of a strategy to turn the fluid leaking over shrouded turbine rotor blade rows with the aim of reducing the aerodynamic losses associated with its re-injection into the mainstream flow. The intent was to extract work from the leakage flow in the process. A four stage research turbine was used to test in detail the sealing design resulting from this strategy. A reduction in brake efficiency of 3.5% was measured. Further investigation suggested that much of the increase in loss could be attributed to the presence of axial gaps upstream and downstream of the shroud cavity which facilitated the periodic ingress and egress of mainstream fluid into the shroud cavity under the influence of the rotor potential field. This process was exacerbated by reductions in the leakage fraction.

The Control of Shroud Leakage Flows to Reduce Aerodynamic Losses in a Low Aspect Ratio, Shrouded Axial Flow Turbine

2000 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 334-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Wallis ◽  
J. D. Denton ◽  
A. A. J. Demargne
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Leakage Fraction ◽  
Aerodynamic Losses

The losses generated by fluid leaking across the shrouds of turbine blade rows are known to form a significant proportion of the overall loss generated in low aspect ratio turbines. The use of shrouds to encase the tips of turbine blades has encouraged the development of many innovative sealing arrangements, all of which are intended to reduce the quantity of fluid (the leakage fraction) leaking across the shroud. Modern sealing arrangements have reduced leakage fractions considerably, meaning that further improvements can only be obtained by controlling the leakage flow in such a way so as to minimize the aerodynamic losses incurred by the extraction and re-injection of the leakage flow into the mainstream. There are few published experimental investigations on the interaction between mainstream and leakage flows to provide guidance on the best means of managing the leakage flows to do this. This paper describes the development and testing of a strategy to turn the fluid leaking over shrouded turbine rotor blade rows with the aim of reducing the aerodynamic losses associated with its re-injection into the mainstream flow. The intent was to extract work from the leakage flow in the process. A four stage research turbine was used to test in detail the sealing design resulting from this strategy. A reduction in brake efficiency of 3.5 percent was measured. Further investigation suggested that much of the increase in loss could be attributed to the presence of axial gaps upstream and downstream of the shroud cavity which facilitated the periodic ingress and egress of mainstream fluid into the shroud cavity under the influence of the rotor potential field. This process was exacerbated by reductions in the leakage fraction.

Blade Lean and Shroud Leakage Flows in Low Aspect Ratio Turbines

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Budimir Rosic ◽  
Liping Xu
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Industrial Practice ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Stator Blade ◽  
Different Levels

Blade lean, i.e. non-radial blade stacking, has been intensively used over the past in the design process of low aspect ratio gas and steam turbines. Although its influence on turbine efficiency is not completely understood, it has been proved as an effective way of controlling blade loading and secondary flows on blade passage endwalls. Three-dimensional blade designs in modern industrial practice are usually carried out using clean endwalls. The influence of the leakage flows on three-dimensional blade design is traditionally neglected. This paper presents an experimental study where two different stator blades, with different levels of compound lean, were tested in a low speed three-stage model turbine with the shroud leakage flow geometry representative of industrial practice. The experimental measurements were compared with numerical tests, conducted on the same blade geometries. The influence of the compound lean on the stator flow field was analysed in detail. In order to analyse the combined effects of both the stator hub and rotor shroud leakage flow on the blade lean, in the second part of the paper a numerical study on a two stage turbine with both leakage flow paths representative of a real turbine was carried out. Performance of three different stator blade designs (two different levels of compound lean and a straight blade) was investigated. The aim of this study is to understand the mechanism and the consequence of the stator blade lean on stage performance in an environment with leakage flows and associated cavities.

Blade Lean and Shroud Leakage Flows in Low Aspect Ratio Turbines

2011 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Budimir Rosic ◽  
Liping Xu
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Industrial Practice ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Stator Blade ◽  
Different Levels

Blade lean, i.e., nonradial blade stacking, has been intensively used over the past in the design process of low aspect ratio gas and steam turbines. Although its influence on turbine efficiency is not completely understood, it has been proved as an effective way of controlling blade loading and secondary flows on blade passage endwalls. Three-dimensional blade designs in modern industrial practice are usually carried out using clean endwalls. The influence of the leakage flows on three-dimensional blade design is traditionally neglected. This paper presents an experimental study where two different stator blades, with different levels of compound lean, were tested in a low speed three-stage model turbine with the shroud leakage flow geometry representative of industrial practice. The experimental measurements were compared with numerical tests, conducted on the same blade geometries. The influence of the compound lean on the stator flow field was analyzed in detail. In order to analyze the combined effects of both the stator hub and the rotor shroud leakage flow on the blade lean, in the second part of the paper a numerical study on a two stage turbine with both leakage flow paths representative of a real turbine was carried out. Performance of three different stator blade designs (two different levels of compound lean and a straight blade) was investigated. The aim of this study is to understand the mechanism and the consequence of the stator blade lean on stage performance in an environment with leakage flows and associated cavities.

scholarly journals Spanwise Transport in Axial-Flow Turbines: Part 2 — Throughflow Calculations Including Spanwise Transport

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Temperature Profile ◽  
Turbulent Diffusion ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Loss Distributions ◽  
Diffusive Term ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Throughflow Model

In Part 1 of this paper, a repeating stage condition was shown to occur in two low aspect ratio turbines, after typically two stages. Both turbulent diffusion and convective mechanisms were responsible for spanwise transport. In this part, two scaling expressions are determined that account for the influence of these mechanisms in effecting spanwise transport. These are incorporated into a throughflow model using a diffusive term. The inclusion of spanwise transport allows the use of more realistic loss distributions by the designer as input to the throughflow model and therefore focuses attention on areas where losses are generated. In addition, modelling of spanwise transport is shown to be crucial in predicting the attenuation of a temperature profile through a turbine.

Aerodynamic Performance of Blade Tip End-Plates Designed for Low-Noise Operation in Axial Flow Fans

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Corsini ◽  
Franco Rispoli ◽  
A. G. Sheard
Keyword(s):  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Acoustic Emissions ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

This study assesses the effectiveness of modified blade-tip configurations in achieving passive noise control in industrial fans. The concepts developed here, which are based on the addition of end-plates at the fan-blade tip, are shown to have a beneficial effect on the fan aeroacoustic signature as a result of the changes they induce in tip-leakage-flow behavior. The aerodynamic merits of the proposed blade-tip concepts are investigated by experimental and computational studies in a fully ducted configuration. The flow mechanisms in the blade-tip region are correlated with the specific end-plate design features, and their role in the creation of overall acoustic emissions is clarified. The tip-leakage flows of the fans are analyzed in terms of vortex structure, chordwise leakage flow, and loading distribution. Rotor losses are also investigated. The modifications to blade-tip geometry are found to have marked effects on the multiple vortex behaviors of leakage flow as a result of changes in the near-wall fluid flow paths on both blade surfaces. The improvements in rotor efficiency are assessed and correlated with the control of tip-leakage flows produced by the modified tip end-plates.

Low-Aspect-Ratio Rib Heat Transfer Coefficient Measurements in a Square Channel

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 831-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Taslim ◽  
G. J. Korotky
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Square Channel ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
The Heat Transfer Coefficient

Cooling channels, roughened with repeated ribs, are commonly employed as a means of cooling turbine blades. The increased level of mixing induced by these ribs enhances the convective heat transfer in the blade cooling cavities. Many previous investigations have focused on the heat transfer coefficient on the surfaces between these ribs and only a few studies report the heat transfer coefficient on the rib surfaces themselves. The present study investigated the heat transfer coefficient on the surfaces of round-corner, low-aspect-ratio (ARrib = 0.667) ribs. Twelve rib geometries, comprising three rib height-to-channel hydraulic diameters (blockage ratios) of 0.133, 0.167, and 0.25 as well as three rib spacings (pitch-to-height ratios) of 5, 8.5, and 10 were investigated for two distinct thermal boundary conditions of heated and unheated channel walls. A square channel, roughened with low-aspect-ratio ribs on two opposite walls in a staggered manner and perpendicular to the flow direction, was tested. An instrumented copper rib was positioned either in the middle of the rib arrangements or in the furthest upstream location. Both rib heat transfer coefficient and channel friction factor for these low-aspect-ratio ribs were also compared with those of square ribs, reported previously by the authors. Heat transfer coefficients of the furthest upstream rib and that of a typical rib located in the middle of the rib-roughened region of the passage wall were also compared.

Aerodynamic Effects of an Unshrouded Low Pressure Turbine on a Low Aspect Ratio Exit Guide Vane

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thorsten Selic ◽  
Davide Lengani ◽  
Andreas Marn ◽  
Franz Heitmeir
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Pressure Probe ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents the effects of an unshrouded low pressure turbine (LPT) onto the following exit guide vane row (EGV). The measurement results were obtained in the subsonic test turbine facility at Graz University of Technology by means of a fast response pressure probe in planes downstream of the rotor as well as oil flow visualisation. The test rig was designed in cooperation with MTU Aero Engines and represents the last 1.5 stages of a commercial aero engine. Considerable efforts were put into the adjustment of all relevant model parameters to reproduce the full scale LPT situation. Different tip clearances were evaluated by means of CFD obtained using a commercial Navier-Stokes code and validated with experimental results. The goal is to evaluate the effect of the varying leakage flow on the flow in the low aspect ratio EGV. Special attention is given to the impact on the development of secondary flows as well as the flow structures downstream of the EGV. The effect of the leakage flow causes a change of the flow structure of the EGV, particularly losses. Considering the largest investigated tip-clearance, the losses increased by 71% when compared to a zero-leakage case.

Influence of Blade Sweep on the Energetic Behavior of Axial Flow Turbomachinery Rotors at Design Flow Rate

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ja´nos Vad ◽  
Ali R. A. Kwedikha ◽  
Helmut Jaberg
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Total Efficiency ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Axial Velocity Profile ◽  
Bladed Rotor

Experimental and computational studies were carried out in order to survey the energetic aspects of forward and backward sweep in axial flow rotors of low aspect ratio blading for incompressible flow. It has been pointed out that negative sweep tends to increase the lift, the flow rate and the ideal total pressure rise in the vicinity of the endwalls. Just the opposite tendency was experienced for positive sweep. The local losses were found to develop according to combined effects of sweep near the endwalls, endwall and tip clearance losses, and profile drag influenced by re-arrangement of the axial velocity profile. The forward-swept bladed rotor showed reduced total efficiency compared to the unswept and swept-back bladed rotors. This behavior has been explained on the basis of analysis of flow details. It has been found that the swept bladings of low aspect ratio tend to retain the performance of the unswept datum rotor even in absence of sweep correction.

Adiabatic Effectiveness Measurements and Predictions of Leakage Flows Along a Blade Endwall

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (3) ◽  
pp. 609-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. W. Ranson ◽  
K. A. Thole ◽  
F. J. Cunha
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
High Pressure Compressor ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Cooling Air ◽  
Low Speed Wind Tunnel ◽  
Paper Address ◽  
Good Agreement

Traditional cooling schemes have been developed to cool turbine blades using high-pressure compressor air that bypasses the combustor. This high-pressure forces cooling air into the hot main gas path through seal slots. While parasitic leakages can provide a cooling benefit, they also represent aerodynamic losses. The results from the combined experimental and computational studies reported in this paper address the cooling benefit from leakage flows that occur along the platform of a first stage turbine blade. A scaled-up, blade geometry with an upstream slot, a mid-passage slot, and a downstream slot was tested in a linear cascade placed in a low-speed wind tunnel. Results show that the leakage flow through the mid-passage gap provides only a small cooling benefit to the platform. There is little to no benefit to the blade platform that results by increasing the coolant flow through the mid-passage gap. Unlike the mid-passage gap, leakage flow from the upstream slot provides good cooling to the platform surface, particularly in certain regions of the platform. Relatively good agreement was observed between the computational and experimental results, although computations overpredicted the cooling.

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