Design of Low-Speed Cascades for Investigating Viscous Effects in High-Speed Axial Turbines

Author(s):  
K. Zavitz ◽  
S. A. Sjolander

For turbine flow phenomena which are dominated by viscous effects, many valuable insights into the flow physics can be gained through low-speed cascade measurements. For example, for low-pressure turbines unsteady wake-blade interactions can be investigated in cascade provided that the Reynolds number, freestream turbulence conditions and the pressure coefficient distributions are the same in the cascade as in the high-speed counterpart. This paper describes an iterative procedure for inversely designing low-speed linear cascades with prescribed blade pressure-coefficient distributions. The inverse-design problem is treated as an optimization problem. The optimization strategy features the use of a genetic algorithm and a gradient-type algorithm. At the end of each global iteration of the design procedure a Navier-Stokes analysis is used to see if the final cascade geometry gives the specified pressure-coefficient distribution to the desired degree of accuracy. Although the resulting cascade may be designed to the level of accuracy afforded by the Navier-Stokes analysis, the method takes advantage of the fact that the pressure distribution in the low-speed cascade can be predicted with good accuracy and very rapidly using a panel method solution for the potential flow through the cascade. A panel method flow solver is used to minimize the number of Navier-Stokes evaluations to three or four for a given inverse-design problem. As a result, the present procedure is very efficient.

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (01) ◽  
pp. 40-58
Author(s):  
Christian Pellone ◽  
Thierry Maître ◽  
Laurence Briançon-Marjollet

The numerical modeling of partially cavitating foils under a confined flow configuration is described. A complete study of previous numerical models highlights that the presence of a turbulent and two-phase wake, at the rear of the cavity, has a nonnegligible effect on the local pressure coefficient, the cavitation number, the cavity length and the lift coefficient; hence viscous effects must be included. Two potential methods are used, each being coupled with a calculation of the boundary layer developed downstream of the cavity. So, an "open cavity" numerical model, as it is called, was developed and tested with two types of foil: a NACA classic foil and a foil of which the profile is obtained performing an inverse calculation on a propeller blade test section. On the other hand, under noncavitating conditions, for each method, the results are compared with the results obtained by the Navier-Stokes solver "FLUENT." The cavitating flow configurations presented herein were carried out using the small hydrodynamic tunnel at Bassin d'Essais des Carènes [Val de Reuil, France]. The results obtained by the two methods are compared with experimental measurements.


Author(s):  
Kosuke Ashihara ◽  
Akira Goto ◽  
Shijie Guo ◽  
Hidenobu Okamoto

In this paper, a new aerodynamic design procedure is presented for a centrifugal compressor stage of a microturbine system. To optimize the three-dimensional (3-D) flows and the performance, an inverse design method, which numerically generates the 3-D blade geometry for specified blade loading distribution, has been applied together with the numerical validation using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and FEM (Finite Element Method). The blade profile along the shroud surface of the impeller was optimized based on the 3-D inverse design and CFD. However, the blade profile towards the hub surface was modified geometrically to achieve a nearly radial blade element especially at the inducer part of the impeller, in order to meet the required structural strength. The modified impeller successfully kept similar aerodynamic performance as that of a blade with a fully 3-D shape, whilst showing improved structural reliability. So, the proposed method to adopt the blade profile designed by the inverse method along the shroud, and to geometrically modify the blade profile towards the hub, was confirmed to be effective to design a high-speed compressor impeller. The vaned diffuser has also been re-designed using the inverse design method. The corner separation in the conventional wedge-type diffuser channel was suppressed in the new design. The stage performance improvements were confirmed by stage calculations using CFD.


2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 799-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
A´rpa´d Veress ◽  
Rene´ Van den Braembussche

The design and optimization of a multistage radial compressor vaneless diffuser, cross-over and return channel is presented. An analytical design procedure for 3D blades with prescribed load distribution is first described and illustrated by the design of a 3D return channel vane with leading edge upstream of the cross-over. The analysis by means of a 3D Navier–Stokes solver shows a substantial improvement of the return channel performance in comparison with a classical 2D channel. Most of the flow separation inside and downstream of the cross-over could be avoided in this new design. The geometry is further improved by means of a 3D inverse design method to smooth the Mach number distribution along the vanes at hub and shroud. The Navier–Stokes analysis shows a rather modest impact on performance but the calculated velocity distribution indicates a more uniform flow and hence a larger operating range can be expected. The impact of vane lean on secondary flows is investigated and further performance improvements have been obtained with negative lean.


1995 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Narducci ◽  
B. Grossman ◽  
R. T. Haftka

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Laskowski ◽  
A. Vicharelli ◽  
G. Medic ◽  
C. J. Elkins ◽  
J. K. Eaton ◽  
...  

A new transonic turbine cascade model that accurately produces infinite cascade flow conditions with minimal compressor requirements is presented. An inverse design procedure using the Favre-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and k‐ε turbulence model based on the method of steepest descent was applied to a geometry consisting of a single turbine blade in a passage. For a fixed blade geometry, the passage walls were designed such that the surface isentropic Mach number (SIMN) distribution on the blade in the passage matched the SIMN distribution on the blade in an infinite cascade, while maintaining attached flow along both passage walls. An experimental rig was built that produces realistic flow conditions, and also provides the extensive optical access needed to obtain detailed particle image velocimetry measurements around the blade. Excellent agreement was achieved between computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of the infinite cascade SIMN, CFD of the designed double passage SIMN, and the measured SIMN.


2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor I. Mileshin ◽  
Igor A. Brailko ◽  
Andrew N. Startsev ◽  
Igor K. Orekhov

Present paper is devoted to numerical investigation of unsteadiness caused by impeller-diffuser interaction in a 8:1 total pressure ratio centrifugal compressor. The compressor designed by CIAM [7], and manufactured and tested by Customer gave satisfactory performances even under the first test. Further development requires new insights and advanced numerical tools. In this context, this paper presents Navier-Stokes computations of 3D viscous unsteady flow field within the impeller-diffuser configuration. Steady and unsteady computations indicated spacious zone of low velocity / reverse flow on pressure surface of the diffuser vane. To suppress this reverse flow, new vaned diffuser has been tailored through application of 3D inverse design procedure for Navier-Stokes equations [8]. Subsequent steady and unsteady N-S calculations performed for compressor with the new diffuser demonstrated depression of reverse flow within diffuser and different unsteady loading of the diffuser vane.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naixing Chen ◽  
Fengxian Zhang ◽  
Weihong Li

On the basis of the fundamental equations of aerothermodynamics a method for solving the inverse (design) problem of blade cascade flow on the blade-to-blade streamsurface of revolution is suggested in the present paper. For this kind of inverse problem the inlet and outlet flow angles, the aerothermodynamic parameters at the inlet, and the other constraint conditions are given. Two approaches are proposed in the present paper: the suction-pressure-surface alternative calculation method (SSAC) and the prescribed streamline method (PSLM). In the first method the metric tensor (blade channel width) is obtained by alternately fixing either the suction or pressure side and by revising the geometric form of the other side from one iteration to the next. The first step of the second method is to give the geometric form of one of the streamlines. The velocity distribution or the mass flow rate per unit area on that given streamline is estimated approximately by satisfying the blade thickness distribution requirement. The stream function in the blade cascade channel is calculated by assuming initial suction and pressure surfaces and solving the governing differential equations. Then, the distribution of metric tensor on the given streamline is specified by the stream function definition. It is evident that the square root of the metric tensor is a circumferential width of the blade cascade channel for the special nonorthogonal coordinate system adopted in the present paper. The iteration procedure for calculating the stream function is repeated until the convergence criterion of the metric tensor is reached. A comparison between the solutions with and without consideration of viscous effects is also made in the present paper.


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