Reducing Low-Pressure Turbine Stage Blade Count Using Vortex Generator Jet Separation Control

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Sondergaard ◽  
Jeffrey P. Bons ◽  
Matthew Sucher ◽  
Richard B. Rivir
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Separation Control ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Freestream Turbulence ◽  
Skew Angle ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Simple Boundary ◽  
Design Value ◽  
Vortex Generator Jets

An experimental investigation has been conducted into the feasibility of increasing blade spacing (pitch) at constant chord in a linear turbine cascade. Vortex generator jets (VGJs) located on the suction surface of each blade in the cascade are employed to maintain attached boundary layers despite the increasing tendency to separate due to the increased uncovered turning. Tests were performed at low Mach numbers and at blade Reynolds numbers between 25,000 and 75,000 (based on axial chord and inlet velocity). The vortex generator jets (30 degree injection angle and 90 degree skew angle) were operated with steady flow with momentum blowing ratios between zero and five, and from two spanwise rows of holes located at 45% and 63% axial chord. In the absence of control, pitch-averaged wake losses increase up to 600% as the blade pitch is increased from its design value to twice the design value. With the application of VGJs, these losses were driven down to or below the losses at the design pitch. The effectiveness of VGJs was found to increase modestly with increasing Reynolds number up to the highest value tested, Re = 75,000. The fluid phenomenon responsible for this remarkable range of effectiveness is clearly more than a simple boundary layer transition effect, as boundary layer trips installed on the same blades without VGJ blowing had no beneficial effect on blade losses. Also, tests conducted at elevated levels of freestream turbulence (4% at the cascade inlet) where the suction surface boundary layer is generally turbulent, showed wake loss reduction comparable to tests conducted at the nominal 1% freestream turbulence. For all configurations, blowing from the upstream row had the greatest wake influence. These findings open the possibility that future LPT designs could take advantage of active separation control using integrated VGJs to reduce the turbine part count and stage weight without significant increase in pressure losses.

The Fluid Dynamics of LPT Blade Separation Control Using Pulsed Jets

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Bons ◽  
Rolf Sondergaard ◽  
Richard B. Rivir
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Duty Cycle ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Boundary Layer Separation ◽  
Skew Angle ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Duty Cycles ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Vortex Generator Jets

The effects of pulsed vortex generator jets on a naturally separating low pressure turbine boundary layer have been investigated experimentally. Blade Reynolds numbers in the linear turbine cascade match those for high altitude aircraft engines and industrial turbine engines with elevated turbine inlet temperatures. The vortex generator jets (30 degree pitch and 90 degree skew angle) are pulsed over a wide range of frequency at constant amplitude and selected duty cycles. The resulting wake loss coefficient vs. pulsing frequency data add to previously presented work by the authors documenting the loss dependency on amplitude and duty cycle. As in the previous studies, vortex generator jets are shown to be highly effective in controlling laminar boundary layer separation. This is found to be true at dimensionless forcing frequencies (F+) well below unity and with low (10%) duty cycles. This unexpected low frequency effectiveness is due to the relatively long relaxation time of the boundary layer as it resumes its separated state. Extensive phase-locked velocity measurements taken in the blade wake at an F+ of 0.01 with 50% duty cycle (a condition at which the flow is essentially quasi-steady) document the ejection of bound vorticity associated with a low momentum fluid packet at the beginning of each jet pulse. Once this initial fluid event has swept down the suction surface of the blade, a reduced wake signature indicates the presence of an attached boundary layer until just after the jet termination. The boundary layer subsequently relaxes back to its naturally separated state. This relaxation occurs on a timescale which is 5–6 times longer than the original attachment due to the starting vortex. Phase-locked boundary layer measurements taken at various stations along the blade chord illustrate this slow relaxation phenomenon. This behavior suggests that some economy of jet flow may be possible by optimizing the pulse duty cycle and frequency for a particular application. At higher pulsing frequencies, for which the flow is fully dynamic, the boundary layer is dominated by periodic shedding and separation bubble migration, never recovering its fully separated (uncontrolled) state.

The Fluid Dynamics of LPT Blade Separation Control Using Pulsed Jets

2001 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Bons ◽  
Rolf Sondergaard ◽  
Richard B. Rivir
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Duty Cycle ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Boundary Layer Separation ◽  
Skew Angle ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Duty Cycles ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Vortex Generator Jets

The effects of pulsed vortex generator jets on a naturally separating low-pressure turbine boundary layer have been investigated experimentally. Blade Reynolds numbers in the linear turbine cascade match those for high-altitude aircraft engines and industrial turbine engines with elevated turbine inlet temperatures. The vortex generator jets (30 deg pitch and 90 deg skew angle) are pulsed over a wide range of frequency at constant amplitude and selected duty cycles. The resulting wake loss coefficient versus pulsing frequency data add to previously presented work by the authors documenting the loss dependency on amplitude and duty cycle. As in the previous studies, vortex generator jets are shown to be highly effective in controlling laminar boundary layer separation. This is found to be true at dimensionless forcing frequencies F+ well below unity and with low (10 percent) duty cycles. This unexpected low-frequency effectiveness is due to the relatively long relaxation time of the boundary layer as it resumes its separated state. Extensive phase-locked velocity measurements taken in the blade wake at an F+ of 0.01 with 50 percent duty cycle (a condition at which the flow is essentially quasi-steady) document the ejection of bound vorticity associated with a low-momentum fluid packet at the beginning of each jet pulse. Once this initial fluid event has swept down the suction surface of the blade, a reduced wake signature indicates the presence of an attached boundary layer until just after the jet termination. The boundary layer subsequently relaxes back to its naturally separated state. This relaxation occurs on a timescale which is five to six times longer than the original attachment due to the starting vortex. Phase-locked boundary layer measurements taken at various stations along the blade chord illustrate this slow relaxation phenomenon. This behavior suggests that some economy of jet flow may be possible by optimizing the pulse duty cycle and frequency for a particular application. At higher pulsing frequencies, for which the flow is fully dynamic, the boundary layer is dominated by periodic shedding and separation bubble migration, never recovering its fully separated (uncontrolled) state.

Turbine Separation Control Using Pulsed Vortex Generator Jets

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Bons ◽  
Rolf Sondergaard ◽  
Richard B. Rivir
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Pressure Distributions ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Flow Oscillations ◽  
Vortex Generator Jets

The application of pulsed vortex generator jets to control separation on the suction surface of a low pressure turbine blade is reported. Blade Reynolds numbers in the experimental, linear turbine cascade match those for high altitude aircraft engines and aft stages of industrial turbine engines with elevated turbine inlet temperatures. The vortex generator jets have a 30 degree pitch and a 90 degree skew to the freestream direction. Jet flow oscillations up to 100 Hz are produced using a high frequency solenoid feed valve. Results are compared to steady blowing at jet blowing ratios less than 4 and at two chordwise positions upstream of the nominal separation zone. Results show that pulsed vortex generator jets produce a bulk flow effect comparable to that of steady jets with an order of magnitude less massflow. Boundary layer traverses and blade static pressure distributions show that separation is almost completely eliminated with the application of unsteady blowing. Reductions of over 50% in the wake loss profile of the controlled blade were measured. Experimental evidence suggests that the mechanism for unsteady control lies in the starting and ending transitions of the pulsing cycle rather than the injected jet stream itself. Boundary layer spectra support this conclusion and highlight significant differences between the steady and unsteady control techniques. The pulsed vortex generator jets are effective at both chordwise injection locations tested (45% and 63% axial chord) covering a substantial portion of the blade suction surface. This insensitivity to injection location bodes well for practical application of pulsed VGJ control where the separation location may not be accurately known a priori.

Separation Control on Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoils Using Synthetic Vortex Generator Jets

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Volino
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Turbulent Shear ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Vortex Generator Jets

Oscillating vortex generator jets have been used to control boundary layer separation from the suction side of a low-pressure turbine airfoil. A low Reynolds number (Re = 25,000) case with low free-stream turbulence has been investigated with detailed measurements including profiles of mean and fluctuating velocity and turbulent shear stress. Ensemble averaged profiles are computed for times within the jet pulsing cycle, and integral parameters and local skin friction coefficients are computed from these profiles. The jets are injected into the mainflow at a compound angle through a spanwise row of holes in the suction surface. Preliminary tests showed that the jets were effective over a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. Detailed tests were conducted with a maximum blowing ratio of 4.7 and a dimensionless oscillation frequency of 0.65. The outward pulse from the jets in each oscillation cycle causes a disturbance to move down the airfoil surface. The leading and trailing edge celerities for the disturbance match those expected for a turbulent spot. The disturbance is followed by a calmed region. Following the calmed region, the boundary layer does separate, but the separation bubble remains very thin. Results are compared to an uncontrolled baseline case in which the boundary layer separated and did not reattach, and a case controlled passively with a rectangular bar on the suction surface. The comparison indicates that losses will be substantially lower with the jets than in the baseline or passively controlled cases.

Separation Control on a Very High Lift Low Pressure Turbine Airfoil Using Pulsed Vortex Generator Jets

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Volino ◽  
Olga Kartuzova ◽  
Mounir B. Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Separation Control ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
High Lift ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Very High

Boundary layer separation control has been studied using vortex generator jets (VGJs) on a very high lift, low-pressure turbine airfoil. Experiments were done under high (4%) freestream turbulence conditions on a linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel. Pressure surveys on the airfoil surface and downstream total pressure loss surveys were documented. Instantaneous velocity profile measurements were acquired in the suction surface boundary layer. Cases were considered at Reynolds numbers (based on the suction surface length and the nominal exit velocity from the cascade) of 25,000 and 50,000. Jet pulsing frequency, duty cycle, and blowing ratio were all varied. Computational results from a large eddy simulation of one case showed reattachment in agreement with the experiment. In cases without flow control, the boundary layer separated and did not reattach. With the VGJs, separation control was possible even at the lowest Reynolds number. Pulsed VGJs were more effective than steady jets. At sufficiently high pulsing frequencies, separation control was possible even with low jet velocities and low duty cycles. At lower frequencies, higher jet velocity was required, particularly at low Reynolds numbers. Effective separation control resulted in an increase in lift and a reduction in total pressure losses. Phase averaged velocity profiles and wavelet spectra of the velocity show the VGJ disturbance causes the boundary layer to reattach, but that it can reseparate between disturbances. When the disturbances occur at high enough frequency, the time available for separation is reduced, and the separation bubble remains closed at all times.

Aerodynamics of a Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoil at Low Reynolds Numbers—Part II: Blade-Wake Interaction

2012 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Mahallati ◽  
Steen A. Sjolander
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Freestream Turbulence ◽  
Transition Flow ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Profile Losses ◽  
Wake Passing

Part II of this two-part paper presents the aerodynamic behavior of a low-pressure high-lift turbine airfoil, PakB, under the influence of incoming wakes. The periodic unsteady effects of wakes from a single upstream blade-row were measured in a low-speed linear cascade facility at Reynolds numbers of 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000 and at two freestream turbulence intensity levels of 0.4% and 4%. In addition, eight reduced frequencies between 0.53 and 3.2, at three flow coefficients of 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 were examined. The complex wake-induced transition, flow separation and reattachment on the suction surface boundary layer were determined from an array of closely-spaced surface hot-film sensors. The wake-induced transition caused the separated boundary layer to reattach to the suction surface at all conditions examined. The time-varying profile losses, measured downstream of the cascade, increased with decreasing Reynolds number. The influence of increased freestream turbulence intensity was only evident in between wake-passing events at low reduced frequencies. At higher values of reduced frequency, the losses increased slightly and, for the cases examined here, losses were slightly larger at lower flow coefficients. An optimum wake-passing frequency was observed at which the profile losses were a minimum.

Experimental and Computational Investigations of Low-Pressure Turbine Separation Control Using Vortex Generator Jets

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Volino ◽  
Olga Kartuzova ◽  
Mounir B. Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Flow Control ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Separation Control ◽  
Airfoil Surface ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Vortex Generator Jets

Boundary layer separation control has been studied using vortex generator jets (VGJs) on a very high lift, low-pressure turbine airfoil. Experiments were done under low freestream turbulence conditions on a linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel. Pressure surveys on the airfoil surface and downstream total pressure loss surveys were documented. Cases were considered at Reynolds numbers (based on the suction surface length and the nominal exit velocity from the cascade) of 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000. Jet pulsing frequency, duty cycle, and blowing ratio were all varied. In all cases without flow control, the boundary layer separated and did not reattach. With the VGJs, separation control was possible even at the lowest Reynolds number. Pulsed VGJs were more effective than steady jets. At sufficiently high pulsing frequencies, separation control was possible even with low jet velocities and low duty cycles. At lower frequencies, higher jet velocity was required, particularly at low Reynolds numbers. Effective separation control resulted in an increase in lift of up to 20% and a reduction in total pressure losses of up to 70%. Simulations of the flow using an unsteady RANS code with the four equation Transition-sst model produced good agreement with experiments in cases without flow control, correctly predicting separation, transition and reattachment. In cases with VGJs, however, the CFD did not predict the reattachment observed in the experiments.

Aerodynamics of a Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoil at Low-Reynolds Numbers: Part 2 — Blade-Wake Interaction

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Mahallati ◽  
Steen A. Sjolander
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Freestream Turbulence ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Profile Losses ◽  
Wake Passing

The relative motion of rotor and stator blade rows causes periodically unsteady flows that influence the performance of airfoils through their effects on the boundary layer development. Part 1 of this two-part paper described the influence of Reynolds number, freestream turbulence intensity and turbulence length scales on a low-pressure (LP) high-lift turbine airfoil, PakB, under steady inlet flow conditions. The aerodynamic behaviour of the same airfoil under the influence of incoming wakes is presented in Part 2. The unsteady effects of wakes from a single upstream blade-row were measured in a low-speed linear cascade facility at Reynolds numbers of 25000, 50000 and 100000 and at two freestream turbulence intensity levels of 0.4% and 4%. In addition, eight reduced frequencies between 0.53 and 3.2, at three flow coefficients of 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 were examined. The complex wake-induced transition, flow separation and reattachment on the suction surface boundary layer was determined from an array of closely-spaced surface hot-film sensors. The wake-induced transition caused the separated boundary layer to reattach to the suction surface at all conditions examined. The time-varying profile losses were measured downstream of the trailing edge. Profile losses increase with decreasing Reynolds number and the influence of increased freestream turbulence intensity is only evident in between wake-passing events at low reduced frequencies. At higher values of reduced frequency, the losses increase slightly and for the cases examined here, losses were slightly larger at lower flow coefficients than the higher flow coefficients. An optimum wake-passing frequency was observed at which the profile losses were a minimum.

Separation Control on Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoils Using Synthetic Vortex Generator Jets

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Volino
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Vortex Generator ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Turbulent Shear ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Vortex Generator Jets

Oscillating vortex generator jets have been used to control boundary layer separation from the suction side of a low-pressure turbine airfoil. A low Reynolds number (Re=25,000) case with low free-stream turbulence has been investigated with detailed measurements including profiles of mean and fluctuating velocity and turbulent shear stress. Ensemble averaged profiles are computed for times within the jet pulsing cycle, and integral parameters and local skin friction coefficients are computed from these profiles. The jets are injected into the mainflow at a compound angle through a spanwise row of holes in the suction surface. Preliminary tests showed that the jets were effective over a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. Detailed tests were conducted with a maximum blowing ratio of 4.7 and a dimensionless oscillation frequency of 0.65. The outward pulse from the jets in each oscillation cycle causes a disturbance to move down the airfoil surface. The leading and trailing edge celerities for the disturbance match those expected for a turbulent spot. The disturbance is followed by a calmed region. Following the calmed region, the boundary layer does separate, but the separation bubble remains very thin. Results are compared to an uncontrolled baseline case in which the boundary layer separated and did not reattach, and a case controlled passively with a rectangular bar on the suction surface. The comparison indicates that losses will be substantially lower with the jets than in the baseline or passively controlled cases.

Numerical Investigation of Three-Dimensional Separation in an Axial Flow Compressor: The Influence of Freestream Turbulence Intensity and Endwall Boundary Layer State

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley D. Scillitoe ◽  
Paul G. Tucker ◽  
Paolo Adami
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Boundary Layer Transition ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Freestream Turbulence ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Layer Transition ◽  
Corner Separation

Regions of three-dimensional separations are an inherent flow feature of the suction surface-endwall corner in axial compressors. These corner separations can cause a significant total pressure loss and reduce the compressor's efficiency. This paper uses wall-resolved LES to investigate the loss sources in a corner separation, and examines the influence of the inflow turbulence on these sources. Different subgrid scale (SGS) models are tested and the choice of model is found to be important. The σ SGS model, which performed well, is then used to perform LES of a compressor endwall flow. The time-averaged data are in good agreement with measurements. The viscous and turbulent dissipation are used to highlight the sources of loss, with the latter being dominant. The key loss sources are seen to be the 2D laminar separation bubble and trailing edge wake, and the 3D flow region near the endwall. Increasing the freestream turbulence (FST) intensity changes the suction surface boundary layer transition mode from separation induced to bypass. However, it does not significantly alter the transition location and therefore the corner separation size. Additionally, the FST does not noticeably interact with the corner separation itself, meaning that in this case the corner separation is relatively insensitive to the FST. The endwall boundary layer state is found to be significant. A laminar endwall boundary layer separates much earlier leading to a larger passage vortex. This significantly alters the endwall flow and loss. Hence, the need for accurate boundary measurements is clear.

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