The Role of Forward Sweep in Subsonic Axial Fan Rotor Aerodynamics at Design and Off-Design Operating Conditions

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Corsini ◽  
F. Rispoli
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Axial Fan ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Free Vortex ◽  
Application Range ◽  
Rotor Aerodynamics ◽  
Work Distribution

The role that forward sweep plays in the aerodynamics of subsonic axial fan rotor is herein discussed, with emphasis on the combined effects of non-uniform three-dimensional work distribution and modified stacking lines. To study blade forward sweep effects numerical investigations have been undertaken on highly loaded fans of non-free vortex design, with ideal total head rise coefficient typical of industrial application range. The results of two rotors with identical overall design parameters and, respectively, with 35-deg forward swept blades and unswept blades have been compared. The investigation has been carried-out using an accurate in-house developed multi-level parallel finite element RANS solver, with the adoption of a non-isotropic two-equation turbulence closure. The pay-off derived from the sweep technology has been assessed with respect to the operating range improvement. To this end the flow structure developing through the blade passages and downstream of the rotors as well as loss distributions have been analysed at three different operating conditions. The studies showed that the forward swept blade operates more efficiently in particular at low volume flows, with a delayed onset of stall. The analyses of three-dimensional flow structures showed that, sweeping forward the blade, the flow centrifugation on blade suction surface is reduced and non-free vortex spanwise secondary flows is attenuated. Moreover, reduced fluid mechanical losses have been also pointed out in rotor with swept blades.

scholarly journals The Design and Evaluation of a 14 Stage, 16:1 Pressure Ratio Compressor for an Industrial Gas Turbine

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad R. Saadatmand
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Design Intent ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbine

The aerodynamic design process leading to the production configuration of a 14 stage, 16:1 pressure ratio compressor for the Taurus 70 gas turbine is described. The performance of the compressor is measured and compared to the design intent. Overall compressor performance at the design condition was found to be close to design intent. Flow profiles measured by vane mounted instrumentation are presented and discussed. The flow through the first rotor blade has been modeled at different operating conditions using the Dawes (1987) three-dimensional viscous code and the results are compared to the experimental data. The CFD prediction agreed well with the experimental data across the blade span, including the pile up of the boundary layer on the corner of the hub and the suction surface. The rotor blade was also analyzed with different grid refinement and the results were compared with the test data.

Development and validation of a novel quasi-dimensional combustion model for un-scavenged prechamber gas engines with numerical simulations and engine experiments

2020 ◽  
pp. 146808742095133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Bardis ◽  
Panagiotis Kyrtatos ◽  
Guoqing Xu ◽  
Christophe Barro ◽  
Yuri Martin Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Dimensional Models ◽  
Three Dimensional Models

Lean-burn gas engines equipped with an un-scavenged prechamber have proven to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and fuel consumption, while mitigating combustion cycle-to-cycle fluctuations and unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions. However, the performance of a prechamber gas engine is largely dependent on the prechamber design, which has to be optimised for the particular main chamber geometry and the foreseen engine operating conditions. Optimisation of such complex engine components relies partly on computationally efficient simulation tools, such as quasi and zero-dimensional models, since extensive experimental investigations can be costly and time-consuming. This article presents a newly developed quasi-dimensional (Q-D) combustion model for un-scavenged prechamber gas engines, which is motivated by the need for reliable low order models to optimise the principle design parameters of the prechamber. Our fundamental aim is to enhance the predictability and robustness of the proposed model with the inclusion of the following: (i) Formal derivation of the combustion and flow submodels via reduction of the corresponding three-dimensional models. (ii) Individual validation of the various submodels. (iii) Combined use of numerical simulations and experiments for the model validation. The resulting model shows very good agreement with the numerical simulations and the experiments from two different engines with various prechamber geometries using a set of fixed calibration parameters.

Production and Development of Secondary Flows and Losses Within a Three Dimensional Turbine Stator Cascade

1985 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Yamamoto ◽  
R. Yanagi
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Loss Mechanism ◽  
Flow Measurements ◽  
Aerodynamic Loss ◽  
Vortical Flows ◽  
Turbine Stator

Using five-hole pitot tubes, detailed flow measurements were made before, within and after a low-speed three-dimensional turbine stator blade row to obtain quantitative information on the aerodynamic loss mechanism. Qualitative flow visualization tests and endwall static pressure measurements were also made. An analysis of the tests revealed that many vortical flows promote loss generation. Within a large part of the cascade, a major loss process could be explained simply as the migration of boundary layer low energy fluids from surrounding walls (endwalls and blade surfaces) to the blade suction surface near the trailing edge. On the other hand, complexity exists after the cascade and in the vortical flows near the trailing edge. The strong trailing shedding vortices affect upstream flow fields within the cascade. Detailed flow surveys within the cascade under the effects of blade tip leakage flows are also included.

Three-Dimensional Flowfields Inside a Transonic Compressor With Swept Blades

1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hah ◽  
A. J. Wennerstrom
Keyword(s):  
Turbulence Modeling ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Navier Stokes Equation ◽  
Tip Clearance Flow ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Improved Performance

The concept of swept blades for a transonic or supersonic compressor was reconsidered by Wennerstrom in the early 1980s. Several transonic rotors designed with swept blades have shown very good aerodynamic efficiency. The improved performance of the rotor is believed to be due to reduced shock strength near the shroud and better distribution of secondary flows. A three-dimensional flowfield inside a transonic rotor with swept blades is analyzed in detail experimentally and numerically. A Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation is solved for the flow inside the rotor. The numerical solution is based on a high-order upwinding relaxation scheme, and a two-equation turbulence model with a low Reynolds number modification is used for the turbulence modeling. To predict flows near the shroud properly, the tip-clearance flow also must be properly calculated. The numerical results at three different operating conditions agree well with the available experimental data and reveal various interesting aspects of shock structure inside the rotor.

scholarly journals Three-Dimensional Flowfields Inside a Transonic Compressor With Swept Blades

1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hah ◽  
A. J. Wennerstrom
Keyword(s):  
Turbulence Modeling ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Navier Stokes Equation ◽  
Tip Clearance Flow ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Improved Performance

The concept of swept blades for a transonic or supersonic compressor was reconsidered by Wennerstrom in the early 1980s. Several transonic rotors designed with swept blades have shown very good aerodynamic efficiency. The improved performance of the rotor is believed to be due to reduced shock strength near the shroud and better distribution of secondary flows. A three-dimensional flowfield inside a transonic rotor with swept blades is analyzed in detail experimentally and numerically. A Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation is solved for the flow inside the rotor. The numerical solution is based on a high-order upwinding relaxation scheme, and a two-equation turbulence model with a low Reynolds number modification is used for the turbulence modeling. To properly predict flows near the shroud, the tip-clearance flow also must be properly calculated. The numerical results at three different operating conditions agree well with the available experimental data and reveal various interesting aspects of shock structure inside the rotor.

Three-Dimensional-Flow Theories for Axial Compressors and Turbines

1948 ◽  
Vol 159 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. S. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Physical Nature ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Three Dimensional Flow ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Dimensional Flow ◽  
Blade Row

It has long been known that the energy losses occurring in an axial compressor or turbine cannot be fully accounted for by the skin-friction losses on the blades and annulus walls. The difference, usually termed secondary loss, is attributed to miscellaneous secondary flows which take place in the blade row. These flows both cause losses in themselves and modify the operating conditions of the individual blade sections, to the detriment of the overall performance. This lecture analyses the three-dimensional flow in axial compressors and turbines, so that, by appreciation of the factors involved, possible methods of improving the performance can readily be investigated. The origin of secondary flow is first examined for the simple case of a straight cascade. The physical nature of the flow, and theories which enable quantitative estimates to be made, are discussed at some length. Following this, the three-dimensional flow in an annulus with a stationary blade row is examined, and, among other things, the influence of radial equilibrium on the flow pattern is noted. All physical restrictions are then removed, and the major factors governing the three-dimensional flow in an actual machine are investigated as far as is possible with existing information, particular attention being paid to the influence of a non-uniform velocity profile, tip clearance, shrouding, and boundary layer displacement. Finally the various empirical factors used in design are discussed, and the relationships between them established.

On the Coupling of Inverse Design and Optimization Techniques for Turbomachinery Blade Design

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duccio Bonaiuti ◽  
Mehrdad Zangeneh
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Inverse Design ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Design And Optimization

Optimization strategies have been used in recent years for the aerodynamic and mechanical design of turbomachine components. One crucial aspect in the use of such methodologies is the choice of the geometrical parameterization, which determines the complexity of the objective function to be optimized. In the present paper, an optimization strategy for the aerodynamic design of turbomachines is presented, where the blade parameterization is based on the use of a three-dimensional inverse design method. The blade geometry is described by means of aerodynamic parameters, like the blade loading, which are closely related to the aerodynamic performance to be optimized, thus leading to a simple shape of the optimization function. On the basis of this consideration, it is possible to use simple approximation functions for describing the correlations between the input design parameters and the performance ones. The Response Surface Methodology coupled with the Design of Experiments (DOE) technique was used for this purpose. CFD analyses were run to evaluate the configurations required by the DOE to generate the database. Optimization algorithms were then applied to the approximated functions in order to determine the optimal configuration or the set of optimal ones (Pareto front). The method was applied for the aerodynamic redesign of two different turbomachine components: a centrifugal compressor stage and a single-stage axial compressor. In both cases, both design and off-design operating conditions were analyzed and optimized.

Aeroelastic Instability in Transonic Fans

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Vahdati ◽  
Nick Cumpsty
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Blade Vibration ◽  
Stall Flutter ◽  
Fan Blade

This paper describes stall flutter, which can occur at part speed operating conditions near the stall boundary. Although it is called stall flutter, this phenomenon does not require the stalling of the fan blade in the sense that it can occur when the slope of the pressure rise characteristic is still negative. This type of flutter occurs with low nodal diameter forward traveling waves and it occurs for the first flap (1F) mode of blade vibration. For this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been applied to a real fan of contemporary design; the code has been found to be reliable in predicting mean flow and aeroelastic behavior. When the mass flow is reduced, the flow becomes unstable, resulting in flutter or in stall (the stall perhaps leading to surge). When the relative tip speed into the fan rotor is close to sonic, it is found (by measurement and by computation) that the instability for the fan blade considered in this work results in flutter. The CFD has been used like an experimental technique, varying parameters to understand what controls the instability behavior. It is found that the flutter for this fan requires a separated region on the suction surface. It is also found that the acoustic pressure field associated with the blade vibration must be cut-on upstream of the rotor and cut-off downstream of the rotor if flutter instability is to occur. The difference in cut off conditions upstream and downstream is largely produced by the mean swirl velocity introduced by the fan rotor in imparting work and pressure rise to the air. The conditions for instability therefore require a three-dimensional geometric description and blades with finite mean loading. The third parameter that governs the flutter stability of the blade is the ratio of the twisting motion to the plunging motion of the 1F mode shape, which determines the ratio of leading edge (LE) displacement to the trailing edge (TE) displacement. It will be shown that as this ratio increases the onset of flutter moves to a lower mass flow.

The Aerodynamic Interaction of Tip Leakage and Mainstream Flows in a Fully-Ducted Axial Fan

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Corsini ◽  
Franco Rispoli ◽  
Geoff Sheard ◽  
Iain Kinghorn
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Vortical Flow ◽  
Aerodynamic Noise ◽  
Axial Fan ◽  
Noise Emission ◽  
Flow Mechanisms ◽  
Flow Effects

The three dimensional structures of the blade tip vortical flow field is herein discussed for an axial fan in a fully-ducted configuration. The investigation has been carried-out using an accurate in-house developed multi-level parallel finite element RANS solver, with the adoption of a non-isotropic two-equation turbulence closure. Due to the fully-ducted configuration the fan has a complex vortical flow field near the rotor tip. The tip clearance flows have been detected for operating conditions near peak efficiency and near stall, with multiple vortex formations being identified in both cases. The nature of the flow mechanisms in the fan tip region is correlated to the specific blade design features that promote reduced aerodynamic noise. It was found that the blade lean at the higher radii attenuates the sensitivity to leakage flow effects. Consequently, the rotor operates efficiently and with nearly unchanged noise emission approaching its throttling limit. The rotor loss behaviour, within the passage and downstream of it, is also discussed at both near design and part-load conditions.

Winglets for Improved Aerothermal Performance of High Pressure Turbines

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Coull ◽  
Nick R. Atkins ◽  
Howard P. Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
High Heat ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Wall Flows ◽  
High Heat Transfer

This paper investigates the design of winglet tips for unshrouded high pressure turbine rotors considering aerodynamic and thermal performance simultaneously. A novel parameterization method has been developed to alter the tip geometry of a rotor blade. A design survey of uncooled, flat-tipped winglets is performed using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) calculations for a single rotor at engine representative operating conditions. Compared to a plain tip, large efficiency gains can be realized by employing an overhang around the full perimeter of the blade, but the overall heat load rises significantly. By employing an overhang on only the early suction surface, significant efficiency improvements can be obtained without increasing the overall heat transfer to the blade. The flow physics are explored in detail to explain the results. For a plain tip, the leakage and passage vortices interact to create a three-dimensional impingement onto the blade suction surface, causing high heat transfer. The addition of an overhang on the early suction surface displaces the tip leakage vortex away from the blade, weakening the impingement effect and reducing the heat transfer on the blade. The winglets reduce the aerodynamic losses by unloading the tip section, reducing the leakage flow rate, turning the leakage flow in a more streamwise direction, and reducing the interaction between the leakage fluid and end wall flows. Generally, these effects are most effective close to the leading edge of the tip where the leakage flow is subsonic.

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