A New Test Rig for Time-Resolved Pressure Measurements in Rotating Cavities With Pulsed Inflow

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunar Schroeder ◽  
Wieland Uffrecht
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Rotational Frequency ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Pressure Measurements ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Air System ◽  
Unsteady Effects ◽  
Cooling Air

The improvement of the overall performance and efficiency of gas turbines, especially in the internal cooling air system is of general interest. This requires the reduction of pressure losses induced by vortices and secondary flow. The steady state effects are known from literature and experiments. But also pressure fluctuations and oscillations e.g. resonances have an impact on the efficiency of the internal cooling air system. These unsteady effects are only principally discussed in the literature. Experimental investigations of pressure fluctuations and oscillations in rotating cavities, which are part of the internal air system, are very rare. One reason might be given by the fact that the investigation of these unsteady effects is a technical challenge especially for higher rotational speeds. This paper presents a new rotor test rig with a telemetric measurement system which permits time-resolved pressure measurements in the cavity. The cavity dimensions are similar to those of a real industrial gas turbine. The design of the test rig and the telemetric system allows rotational frequencies up to 10000 rpm. The current experimental investigation is focused on pressure fluctuations and oscillations in rotating cavities with through flow and their dependency on the test parameters. The aim is to find out the relevant effects for operation and design optimisation of rotating cavities in gas turbines. The rig consists of a stationary air delivery and an axial air transfer interface between the stator and the rotor. The rotor contains one cavity. The interface acts as a flow chopper. The air is blown from the stator drillings to the rotating inlet holes of the rotor which provide the connection to the cavity inside the rotor. The rotating holes pass the stator holes periodically, causing pressure fluctuations in the cavity. The frequency of the fluctuations depends on the rotational frequency of the rotor and the number of inlet and stator drillings, which can be varied. The tests are carried out for a range of the parameter Reφ, calculated with the outer radius of the cavity, up to 1·106 and for different mass flow rates. The new test rig, the setup, the instrumentation and the first measurements are the topic of this paper. The non-stationary effects found in the cavity and their dependency on the parameters rotational frequency and mass flow will be discussed and compared with known theoretical approaches.

Time-Resolved Pressure Measurements at a Dual-Cavity Test Rig for Research on the Internal Air System of an Industrial Gas Turbine

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Günther ◽  
Wieland Uffrecht ◽  
Volker Caspary
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Pressure Measurements ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Air Supply ◽  
Internal Cavities ◽  
Air System ◽  
Cooling Air

This paper reports about time-resolved examination of the pressure in a dual-cavity test rig for research on the cooling air supply of industrial gas turbines. The test rig has stationary and telemetric instrumentation. Both systems are capable of time-resolved pressure measurement. The design of the test rig is based on a simplified geometry of the internal cavities of the high pressure turbine with receiver holes and simulates the restriction imposed by internal blade cooling flow circuits. The test rig consists of a rotor-stator cavity and a rotor-rotor cavity. The Stage One and Stage Two supplies are separated inside the rotor-stator cavity. The air enters axially without pre-swirl at the outer radius of the stator and leaves the rotor-stator cavity through three rotating, axially directed connecting holes at a radius that varies among the investigated cases. Therefore, different flow paths in the cavities are studied. The research is focused on the branched cooling air supply system, but the flow path can also be analyzed separately. The rim seal flow is not examined in the research work presented here. Pressure fluctuations in the main gas path caused, for instance, by blade passing and combustor noise, are a well-known phenomenon and therefore the subject of current research, whereas experimental examinations of the pressure fluctuations in the internal air system of gas turbines are very rare. A detailed examination of the pressure in the internal air system is significant in light of the pressure difference between the main gas path and internal air system, which is the driving force for hot gas ingestion. In that sense, the difference between the average pressure on the main gas side to the average pressure in the internal air system is not enough to avoid hot gas ingestion. Therefore, this paper focuses on pressure fluctuations in the internal cavities. The measurements of the pressure fluctuations in the rotor-stator cavity are presented for different operating conditions. The influence of the rotational speed, the mass flow rate, the flow path and the sensor position in the cavity on the time-resolved pressure is examined. Furthermore, time-resolved pressure measurements from the rotor-rotor cavity are presented. Variations of the axial gap size and the radial location of the connecting holes respective to the outlets of the rotor-stator cavity are described.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the Flow Structure and Dust Separation Inside a Pre-Swirl Cooling Air System

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Schneider ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
F.-K. Benra ◽  
D. Brillert
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Complex Flow ◽  
Air System ◽  
Cooling Air

Improvements in efficiency and performance of gas turbines require a better understanding of the internal cooling air system which provides the turbine blades with cooling air. With the increase of cooling air passing through the internal air system, a greater amount of air borne particles is transported to the film cooling holes at the turbine blade surface. In spite of their small size, these holes are critical for blockage. Blockage of only a few holes could have harmful effects on the cooling film surrounding the blade. As a result, a reduced mean time between maintenance or even unexpected operation faults of the gas turbine during operation could occur. Experience showed a complex interaction of cooling air under different flow conditions and its particle load. To get more familiar with all these influences and the system itself, a test rig has been built. With this test rig, the behavior of particles in the internal cooling air system can be studied at realistic flow conditions compared to a modern, heavy duty gas turbine. It is possible to simulate different particle sizes and dust concentrations in the coolant air. The test rig has been designed to give information about the quantity of separated particles at various critical areas of the internal air system [1]. The operation of the test rig as well as analysis of particles in such a complex flow system bear many problems, addressed in previous papers [1,2,3]. New theoretical studies give new and more accurate results, compared to the measurements. Furthermore the inspection of the test rig showed dust deposits at unexpected positions of the flow path, which will be discussed by numerical analysis.

Experimental Analysis of Dust Separation in the Internal Cooling Air System of Gas Turbines

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Schneider ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
A. W. Reichert
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Film Cooling ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Air System ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Cooling Air

For further improvements in efficiency and performance a better understanding of the internal cooling air system of gas turbines, which provides the turbine rotor blades with cooling air, is necessary. With the increase of cooling air passing through the internal air system, a greater amount of air borne particles are transported to the film cooling holes at the turbine blade surface. In spite of their small size, these holes are critical for blade cooling. Blockage of only a few holes could have harmful effects on the cooling film surrounding the blade. As a result, a reduced mean time between maintenance or even unexpected operation faults of the gas turbine during operation occurs. With a new test rig, the behaviour of particles in the internal cooling air system could be investigated at realistic flow conditions compared to a modern, real world gas turbine. It is possible to simulate different particle sizes and dust concentrations in the coolant air. A first comparison of design expectations and measurements, showing the behaviour of air borne particles in the internal cooling air system under realistic environmental conditions is given in the paper. Further the design tools for nearly a full internal air system flow path could be validated with this new test rig.

Investigations of Dust Separation in the Internal Cooling Air System of Gas Turbines

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Schneider ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
F.-K. Benra ◽  
D. Brillert
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Film Cooling ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Complex Flow ◽  
Air System ◽  
Cooling Air

Improvements in efficiency and performance of gas turbines require a better understanding of the internal cooling air system which provides the turbine blades with cooling air. With the increase of cooling air passing through the internal air system, a greater amount of air borne particles is transported to the film cooling holes at the turbine blade surface. In spite of their small size, these holes are critical for blockage. Blockage of only a few holes could have harmful effects on the cooling film surrounding the blade. As a result, a reduced mean time between maintenance or even unexpected operation faults of the gas turbine during operation could occure. Experience showed a complex interaction of cooling air under different flow conditions and its particle load. To get more familiar with all these influences and the system itself, a test rig has been built. With this test rig, the behaviour of particles in the internal cooling air system could be studied at realistic flow conditions compared to a modern, heavy duty gas turbine. It is possible to simulate different particle sizes and dust concentrations in the coolant air. The test rig has been designed to give information about the quantity of separated particles at various critical areas of the internal air system [1]. The operation of the test rig as well as analysis of particles in such a complex flow system bear many problems, addressed in the previous paper [1]. New measurements and analysis methods give new and more accurate results, which will be shown in this paper. Furthermore the inspection of the test rig shows dust deposits at unexpected positions of the flow path. Theoretical studies to characterize the flow behaviour of the disperse phase in a continuous fluid using Lagrangian Tracking were also performed. A comparison between the numerical solution and the measurements will be shown in the paper.

Dust Separation in a Gas Turbine Pre-Swirl Cooling Air System: A Parameter Variation

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Schneider ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
F.-K. Benra ◽  
D. Brillert
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Film Cooling ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Swirl Generator ◽  
Air System ◽  
Heavy Duty Gas Turbine ◽  
Cooling Air

With the increase of cooling air passing through the internal air system of modern gas turbines, a greater amount of air borne particles is transported to the film cooling holes at the turbine blade surface. In spite of their small size, these holes are critical for blockage. A test rig has been designed to give information about the quantity of separated particles at various critical areas of the internal air system. With this test rig, the behavior of particles in the internal cooling air system could be studied at realistic flow conditions compared to a modern, heavy duty gas turbine. It is possible to simulate different particle sizes and dust concentrations in the coolant air. Numerical studies to characterize the flow behavior of the disperse phase in a continuous fluid using Lagrange Tracking were performed. The main influencing parameters, which are the mass flow through the system, the rotor speed and the nozzle angle of the pre-swirl generator, were varied. Furthermore to validate the theoretical studies, based on the presented variations a special point of operation was selected to get a comparable measurement, which is presented in the paper. Comparison between simulation and measurement shows additional influences of the particle shape, which were discussed. The resulting enhanced model and the comparison to the measurement is presented in the paper.

A Contribution to the Abrasive Effect of Particles in a Gas Turbine Pre-Swirl Cooling Air System

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Schneider ◽  
F.-K. Benra ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
K. Jarzombek
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Flow Structure ◽  
Film Cooling ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Critical Areas ◽  
Air System ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Film Cooling Holes ◽  
Cooling Air

With the increase of cooling air passing through the internal air system of modern gas turbines, a greater number of airborne particles is transported to the film cooling holes in the turbine blade surface. In spite of their small size, these holes are critical for airflow and must be free of blockage. A test rig has been designed to study the quantity of separated particles at various critical areas of the internal air system. Former publications for this conference gave detailed insight into the test rig, the flow structure and the particle motion during separation. The process of separation generates abrasion on the rotating and stationary parts of the system. When considering service and maintenance or even unexpected operation faults of the gas turbine, it is important to know the location and abrasion rate of these critical areas. The flow structure within the pre-swirl cooling air system results in locally focused abrasion regions, which are investigated in this paper. New simulations, taking additional physical effects into account, are discussed in the paper. The simulation results are compared to results obtained by measurements and observations within the test rig. Qualitative and quantitative results show the ability to predict the quantity of abrasion during operation on various critical areas of the system.

scholarly journals Swirling Flow Field inside a Hollow Turbine Shaft for an Internal Cooling Air System

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-226
Author(s):  
Tadaharu Kishibe ◽  
Shojiro Kaji
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Tvd Scheme ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Hollow Shaft ◽  
Spiral Vortex ◽  
Air System ◽  
Turbine Shaft ◽  
Cooling Air

The swirling flow field in an internal cooling air system in which the fluid passes through an inducer, a hollow turbine shaft, and a cavity between two disks (referred to as a wheel space) is solved using computational fluid dynamics and the pressure fluctuations on the hollow shaft wall surface are measured.The three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations are adopted and discretized by an implicit TVD scheme. The region of the cooling air system is divided into two computational domains: one from the inducer to the hollow shaft, and the other from the hollow shaft to the wheel space. In the analysis of the former computational domain, the roles of components such as inducer blades are shown. In the analysis of the latter, the existence of a rotating spiral vortex at the place where the swirling flow turns radially outward is shown and its characteristics are described.The main part of the internal cooling air system of a gas turbine is used as an experimental apparatus. Pressure sensors are embedded axially and circumferentially in the hollow turbine shaft to measure unsteady wall pressures. The existence and characteristics of the rotating spiral vortex are confirmed experimentally. The pressure fluctuations due to instability in the rotating wall boundary layer, whose waves propagate both in the positive and negative directions of the shaft rotation, are captured.

Investigation of Internal Cooling Air Flow of Gas Turbines With Attention to Heat Transfer

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Brillert ◽  
F.-K. Benra ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
O. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Internal Cooling ◽  
Flow Physics ◽  
Cooling Flow ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
Cooling Air ◽  
Material Temperature

The cooling air in the secondary air system of gas turbines is routed through the inside of the rotor shaft. The air enters the rotor through an internal extraction in the compressor section and flows through different components to the turbine blades. Constant improvements of the secondary air system is a basic element to increase efficiency and power of heavy duty gas turbines. It is becoming more and more important to have a precise calculation of the heat transfer and air temperature in the internal cooling air system. This influences the cooling behavior, the material temperature and consequently the cooling efficiency. The material temperature influences the stresses and the creep behavior which is important for the life time prediction and the reliability of the components of the engine. Furthermore, the material temperature influences the clearances and again the cooling flow, e.g. the amount of mass flow rate, hot gas ingestion etc. This paper deals with an investigation of the influence of heat transfer on the internal cooling air system and on the material temperature. It shows a comparison between numerical calculations with and without heat transfer. Firstly, the Navier-Stokes CFD calculation shows the cooling flow physics of different parts of the secondary air system passages with solid heat transfer. In the second approach, the study is expanded to consider the cooling flow physics under conditions without heat transfer. On the basis of these investigations, the paper shows a comparison between the flow with and without heat transfer. The results of the simulation with heat transfer show a negligible influence on the cooling flow temperature and a stronger influence on the material temperature. The results of the calculations are compared with measured data. The influence on the material temperature is verified with measured material temperatures from a Siemens Model V84.3A gas turbine prototype.

Strut Influences Within a Diffusing Annular S-Shaped Duct

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Norris ◽  
R. G. Dominy ◽  
A. D. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Pressure Measurements ◽  
Computational Results ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
General Flow ◽  
Flow Phenomena ◽  
Physical Features ◽  
Cooling Air

Inter-turbine diffusers which provide flow continuity between the H.P. and L.P. turbines, are increasingly important within modern aero gas turbines, as the fan and hence L.P. turbine diameters increase with thrust. These gas turbines rely on struts within the inter-turbine diffuser to serve both as load bearing supports for inner spools and as passages to supply the engine with vital services such as cooling air and lubrication oil. Experimental measurements have been made on a representative test rig in order to investigate the affect of a ring of struts on both the local and general flow phenomena as well as investigating their effect on overall duct performance. More realistic flow conditions are made available by the use of inlet wakes representative of those created by an upstream turbine row. Measurements include static pressures on the strut and duct surfaces along with velocity and total pressure measurements at various axial locations. From these results calculations of total pressure loss have been made. The experimental results presented in this paper have been used to validate C.F.D. flow predictions on the duct with and without struts. The computational results included, capture the main physical features of the flow but clear limitations are observed and are discussed in this paper.

First Results of a New Test Rig for the Research on the Internal Air System of an Industrial Gas Turbine

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Günther ◽  
Wieland Uffrecht ◽  
Stefan Odenbach ◽  
Volker Caspary
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Flow Parameter ◽  
Outer Radius ◽  
Gap Size ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Air Supply ◽  
Air System ◽  
Cooling Air

Improvement of the internal air system has great impact on the efficiency and power of gas turbines. This paper describes a new two-stage test rig for research on the cooling air supply of industrial gas turbines. The design is modeled on a simplified geometry of the internal cavities of the high pressure turbine with receiver holes simulating the restriction imposed by internal blade cooling flow circuits. The test rig consists of a rotor-stator cavity and a full rotating cavity. The Stage One supply and the Stage Two supply are separated inside the rotorstator cavity. The intended aim of the research is the branched cooling air supply. The rim seal flow, which effect on cavity flows is known to be non-trivial, is outside the scope of this area of interest. This paper concentrates on the flow path supplying the Stage Two. Variations of the axial gap size and the radial location of the connecting holes respectively the outlets of the rotor-stator cavity are described here. The air enters axially without pre-swirl at the outer radius of the stator and leaves the rotor-stator cavity through three rotating, axially directed connecting holes at a radius depending on the investigated case, which causes axial throughflow in Case 1 and radial inflow in Case 2. The experimental results show that the net cavity mass flow, presented in terms of a reduced mass flow parameter, increases with increasing pressure ratio, rotational Reynolds number and gap size. The increase due to a larger gap size depends on the rotation and is less prominent at higher rotational Reynolds numbers. An axial throughflow at the outer radius results in higher values of the reduced mass flow parameter, as compared to the case with radial inflow. The difference between the two cases increases with increasing rotational Reynolds number. Measured static pressure fluctuations inside the rotor-stator cavity due to the rotating nozzles can be raised up to ± 4% of the mean in the case with the small gap and the outlet at outer radius. The Pitot probe measurements show a low swirl ratio, radial outflow near the rotor and radial inflow close to the stator, which is consistent with Batchelor-type flow.

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