The Highly Loaded Aerodynamic Design and Performance Enhancement of a Helium Compressor

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingfeng Ke ◽  
Qun Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Flow Coefficient ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Radial Compression ◽  
Aerodynamic Design ◽  
Wall Boundary ◽  
End Wall ◽  
Highly Loaded

A design study of the multistage axial helium compressor of a 300MWe nuclear gas turbine is presented in this paper. Helium compressor is characterized by shorter blades, narrow flow channels, numerous stages and longer slim rotor, which result in losses due to blade surface and end wall boundary layers growths, secondary flows and clearance leakage flows, any occurrence of flow separation and stage mismatch. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to improve and optimize the aerodynamic design of the helium compressor. The property of helium is different from that of air, so how to choose the design parameters of a helium compressor is discussed first. And then how to shorten the length of the helium compressor or how to decrease the number of stages for a certain pressure ratio by increasing the stage loading are investigated. The new highly loaded helium compressor of larger flow coefficient and high reaction is designed and optimized. The three-dimensional flow patterns in a helium stage are simulated with CFD software (NUMECA). Adjusting the position of blade maximum camber deflection position; redistributing radial compression work; modifying the configuration of blade at inlet and outlet; using CDA technique to optimize blade profile; 3D blading techniques to mitigate end wall boundary layers and corner separation have improved the performance of the first stage of the helium compressor cascades.

A Theory for Boundary Layer Growth on the Blades of a Radial Impeller Including End Wall Influence

1982 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Ekerol ◽  
J. W. Railly
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Prediction Method ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Layer Growth ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Curvature Effects ◽  
Wall Boundary ◽  
End Wall

Experimental data on the wall shear stress of a turbulent boundary layer on the suction side of a blade in a two-dimensional radial impeller is compared with the predictions of a theory which takes account of rotation and curvature effects as well as the three-dimensional influence of the end-wall boundary layers. The latter influence is assumed to arise mainly from mainstream distortion due to secondary flows created by the end-wall boundary layers and it appears as an extra term in the momentum integral equation of the blade boundary layer which has allowance, also for the Coriolis effect; an appropriate form of the Head entrainment equation is derived to obtain a solution and a comparison made. A comparison of the above theory with the Patankar-Spalding prediction method, modified to include the effects of Coriolis (including mixing length modification, MLM) is also made.

A New Approach to Predicting Annulus Wall Boundary Layers in Axial Compressors

1993 ◽  
Vol 207 (6) ◽  
pp. 413-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Dunham
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Wall Effects ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Wall Boundary ◽  
Empirical Scheme ◽  
Local Deviation ◽  
End Wall

This paper introduces a new phenomenological approach to modelling the end-wall effects. It is based on explicit calculations of the annulus wall boundary layers by Hirsch and de Ruyck's method, with significant changes to allow tip clearance effects to be represented, together with explicit calculations of the secondary flows outside the boundary layers using Marsh's equations. To achieve this, the secondary vorticity is computed throughout the compressor. A new simple model for the tip clearance vorticity is added. It is shown, by comparison with Salvage's cascade measurements and Inoue's isolated rotor measurements at varying tip clearance, that the method is capable of satisfactory predictions of the pitchwise-average local deviation and loss near the end-walls. The model is only accurate, however, when there is no significant end-wall flow separation. Two examples of complete multistage low-speed compressors are given. It is concluded that a promising foundation has been presented for a more satisfactory and more accurate way of predicting the end-wall effects than any published purely empirical scheme.

Numerical Investigation of the Interaction Between Upstream Purge Flow and Mainstream in a Highly-Loaded Turbine

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Jia ◽  
Huoxing Liu
Keyword(s):  
Computational Study ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Axial Position ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Aerodynamic Design ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Mainstream Flow ◽  
Purge Flow ◽  
Wall Profile ◽  
End Wall

In modern high pressure turbine, a certain amount of cooling air is bled off from compressor and then directly injected into the inter-stage gap between the stationary and rotating components. This paper presents a computational study of the interaction between mainstream flow and purge flow, with the objectives of evaluating the impacts of purge flow on turbine aerodynamic design parameters, tracing the loss sources involved with the injection of purge flow and describing the secondary flows near the hub region. The purge flow through the rim seal has been varied between 0–2% of the main flow and the axial position of rim seal has been also changed. Steady-state simulation using a 3D RANS solver is presented with particular emphasis on the mechanisms of loss production. It is found that purge flow has a primary effect on the spanwise distribution of turbine aerodynamic design parameters, especially near the hub region. The losses brought about by the injection of purge flow can be divided into four parts: reaction redistribution between vane and blade in one stage, a shear layer between purge flow and mainstream flow due to different circumferential momentum, hub passage vortex interaction and decrease of output work near the end wall. However these four loss sources are not independent of each other. Shear induced vortex (SIV) and slot leakage vortex (SLV) appear near the hub region after purge flow is introduced. The shear induced vortex is formed due to the shear interaction between mainstream flow and purge flow which develop into hub passage vortex. The slot leakage vortex is formed due to the relative motion of the cavity disks and its strength is relatively weak compared with the shear induce vortex. The results gained from this paper may give some useful guidelines for turbine aerodynamic design and end wall profile optimization.

scholarly journals LES and RANS Analysis of the End-Wall Flow in a Linear LPT Cascade: Part I — Flow and Secondary Vorticity Fields Under Varying Inlet Condition

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Pichler ◽  
Yaomin Zhao ◽  
R. D. Sandberg ◽  
V. Michelassi ◽  
R. Pacciani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Flow Region ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Wall Boundary Layer ◽  
Wall Boundary ◽  
Wall Flow ◽  
End Wall ◽  
The Impact

In low-pressure-turbines (LPT) around 60–70% of losses are generated away from end-walls, while the remaining 30–40% is controlled by the interaction of the blade profile with the end-wall boundary layer. Experimental and numerical studies have shown how the strength and penetration of the secondary flow depends on the characteristics of the incoming end-wall boundary layer. Experimental techniques did shed light on the mechanism that controls the growth of the secondary vortices, and scale-resolving CFD allowed to dive deep into the details of the vorticity generation. Along these lines, this paper discusses the end-wall flow characteristics of the T106 LPT profile at Re = 120K and M = 0.59 by benchmarking with experiments and investigating the impact of the incoming boundary layer state. The simulations are carried out with proven Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) solvers to determine if Reynolds Averaged models can capture the relevant flow details with enough accuracy to drive the design of this flow region. Part I of the paper focuses on the critical grid needs to ensure accurate LES, and on the analysis of the overall time averaged flow field and comparison between RANS, LES and measurements when available. In particular, the growth of secondary flow features, the trace and strength of the secondary vortex system, its impact on the blade load variation along the span and end-wall flow visualizations are analysed. The ability of LES and RANS to accurately predict the secondary flows is discussed together with the implications this has on design.

Investigation of the Dihedral Angle Effect on the Boundary Layer Development Using Special-Shaped Expansion Pipes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teng Fei ◽  
Lucheng Ji ◽  
Weilin Yi
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Dihedral Angle ◽  
Adverse Pressure Gradient ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Flow Structures ◽  
Wall Surface ◽  
Geometric Structures ◽  
Corner Region ◽  
End Wall

The corners between the blades and end walls are common geometric structures in turbomachinery, where boundary layers on the blade and end wall surface interact with each other. This boundary layer interaction enlarges the region of low momentum fluid which leads to the boundary layers grow thicker at the corner region. Then the corner separation is likely to occur, and even worse by the adverse pressure gradient along the streamwise as well as secondary flows along the pitchwise. The key issue to design the geometric structures of the corner region is to control the dihedral angle between the blade and end wall surface. However, from the current published literature, few researchers have studied the influence of dihedral angle on the flow structures at the corner region in detail. In this paper, a series of expansion pipes with different cross sections which represent different dihedral angles are simulated. Then, some useful conclusions about how the dihedral angle affects the flow structures at the corner region are drawn. Moreover, a new method to predict the boundary layer thickness at the corner region is introduced, and the predicted results are in good agreement with simulation results.

An Axial Compressor End-Wall Boundary Layer Theory

1971 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Mellor ◽  
G. M. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Jump Condition ◽  
Present Theory ◽  
Boundary Layer Theory ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Wall Boundary ◽  
End Wall

The essential ingredient missing in existing prediction methods for the performance of multistage axial compressors is that which would account for the effect of end-wall boundary layers. It is, in fact, believed that end-wall boundary layers play a major role in compressor performance and the absence of an adequate theory represents a handicap to turbomachinery designers that might be likened to the handicap that designers of wings, for example, would face if Prandtl had not introduced the idea of a boundary layer. In this paper a new theory is developed which retains all elements of classical boundary layer theory; for example, we discuss variables such as momentum thickness and wall shear stress. However, the present theory introduces new concepts such as axial and tangential defect force thickness, a rotor exit-stator inlet “jump condition” and the importance of these concepts is demonstrated. Inherent in the derivation is an identification of the role of secondary flow and tip clearance flow. A proper means of matching the boundary layer calculations to conventional main stream calculations is suggested. Independent of empirical parametization it appears that the theory is capable of correctly modeling boundary layer blockage, losses, and end-wall stall. Near stall, the main stream-boundary layer interaction is very strong.

scholarly journals Aeroloads and Secondary Flows in a Transonic Mixed Flow Turbine Stage

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Kirtley ◽  
T. A. Beach ◽  
Cass Rogo
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Design System ◽  
Turbine Stage ◽  
Mixed Flow ◽  
Nozzle Vane ◽  
Highly Loaded

A numerical simulation of a transonic mixed flow turbine stage has been carried out using an average passage Navier-Stokes analysis. The mixed flow turbine stage considered here consists of a transonic nozzle vane and a highly loaded rotor. The simulation was run at the design pressure ratio and is assessed by comparing results with those of an established throughflow design system. The three-dimensional aerodynamic loads are studied as well as the development and migration of secondary flows and their contribution to the total pressure loss. The numerical results indicate that strong passage vortices develop in the nozzle vane, mix out quickly, and have little impact on the rotor flow. The rotor is highly loaded near the leading edge. Within the rotor passage, strong spanwise flows and other secondary flows exist along with the tip leakage vortex. The rotor exit loss distribution is similar in character to that found in radial inflow turbines. The secondary flows and non-uniform work extraction also tend to significantly redistribute a non-uniform inlet total temperature profile by the exit of the stage.

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