An Experimental Verification of a New Design for Cantilevered Stators With Large Hub Clearances

Author(s):  
Martin Lange ◽  
Konrad Vogeler ◽  
Ronald Mailach ◽  
Sergio Elorza-Gomez

Proportionally large relative radial clearances can be found within the rear stages of multistage axial compressors of gas turbines and aero engines, with significant impact on their efficiency. A new three-dimensional design for cantilevered stators in axial compressors is presented, with the aim of improving the overall efficiency and losses of rear stage vanes with large relative hub clearances. The new vane design comprises an unconventional dihedral, with special consideration to reduce the losses caused by the hub clearance vortex. The design was tested in a 4-stage low speed axial research compressor under rear stage conditions. The results are compared to the nominal design to validate the reduction of hub clearance losses and blockage. For both designs, the hub clearances over the third and fourth stator were varied from 1.5% up to 6.0% of span. Overall performance data and flow field traverses upstream and downstream of stator 3 and rotor 4 will be presented in this article in comparison with 3D CFD results.

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lange ◽  
Konrad Vogeler ◽  
Ronald Mailach ◽  
Sergio Elorza Gomez

Proportionally large relative radial clearances can be found within the rear stages of multistage axial compressors of gas turbines and aero engines, with significant impact on their efficiency. A new three-dimensional design for cantilevered stators in axial compressors is presented, with the aim of improving the overall efficiency and losses of rear stage vanes with large relative hub clearances. The new vane design comprises an unconventional dihedral, with special consideration to reduce the losses caused by the hub clearance vortex. The design was tested in a 4-stage low speed axial research compressor under rear stage conditions. The results are compared to the nominal design to validate the reduction of hub clearance losses and blockage. For both designs, the hub clearances over the third and fourth stator were varied from 1.5% up to 6.0% of span. Overall performance data and flow field traverses upstream and downstream of stator 3 and rotor 4 will be presented in this article in comparison with 3D CFD results.


Author(s):  
Martin Lange ◽  
Ronald Mailach ◽  
Konrad Vogeler

This paper presents measurements conducted at a 4-stage low speed axial research compressor with cantilevered and shrouded stator vanes. The aim of the work is to compare these two design philosophies under rear stage conditions. To achieve blockage levels typical for rear compressor stages, the hub clearance of the first and second vane row were kept constant at 4% of channel height. The investigation were done within the third and fourth stage of the compressor. Tests were conducted at 4 different hub clearances over the third and fourth stator and subsequently with 3 different mass flow rates through the cavity of the shrouded third stator. Overall performance data and flow field traverses upstream and downstream of stator 3 and rotor 4 will be discussed.


1967 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Cooper

A model is developed for analytically determining pump inducer performance in both the single-phase and cavitating flow regimes. An equation of state for vaporizing flow is used in an approximate, three-dimensional analysis of the flow field. The method accounts for losses and yields internal distributions of fluid pressure, velocity, and density together with the resulting overall efficiency and pressure rise. The results of calculated performance of two sample inducers are presented. Comparison with recent theory for fluid thermal effects on suction head requirements is made with the aid of a resulting dimensionless vaporization parameter.


2000 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Schramm ◽  
K. Willenborg ◽  
S. Kim ◽  
S. Wittig

This paper reports numerical predictions and measurements of the flow field in a stepped labyrinth seal. The theoretical work and the experimental investigations were successfully combined to gain a comprehensive understanding of the flow patterns existing in such elements. In order to identify the influence of the honeycomb structure, a smooth stator as well as a seal configuration with a honeycomb facing mounted on the stator wall were investigated. The seal geometry is representative of typical three-step labyrinth seals of modern aero engines. The flow field was predicted using a commercial finite volume code with the standard k-ε turbulence model. The computational grid includes the basic seal geometry as well as the three-dimensional honeycomb structures.


2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hildebrandt ◽  
F. Schilling

The present paper deals with the numerical and experimental investigation of the effect of return channel (RCH) dimensions of a centrifugal compressor stage on the aerodynamic performance. Three different return channel stages were investigated, two stages comprising three-dimensional (3D) return channel blades and one stage comprising two-dimensional (2D) RCH vanes. The analysis was performed regarding both the investigation of overall performance (stage efficiency, RCH total pressure loss coefficient) and detailed flow-field performance. For detailed experimental flow-field investigation at the stage exit, six circumferentially traversed three-hole probes were positioned downstream the return channel exit in order to get two-dimensional flow-field information. Additionally, static pressure wall measurements were taken at the hub and shroud pressure and suction side (SS) of the 2D and 3D return channel blades. The return channel system overall performance was calculated by measurements of the circumferentially averaged 1D flow field downstream the diffuser exit and downstream the stage exit. Dependent on the type of return channel blade, the numerical and experimental results show a significant effect on the flow field overall and detail performance. In general, satisfactory agreement between computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-prediction and test-rig measurements was achieved regarding overall and flow-field performance. In comparison with the measurements, the CFD-calculated stage performance (efficiency and pressure rise coefficient) of all the 3D-RCH stages was slightly overpredicted. Very good agreement between CFD and measurement results was found for the static pressure distribution on the RCH wall surfaces while small CFD-deviations occur in the measured flow angle at the stage exit, dependent on the turbulence model selected.


Author(s):  
Martin von Hoyningen-Huene ◽  
Wolfram Frank ◽  
Alexander R. Jung

Unsteady stator-rotor interaction in gas turbines has been investigated experimentally and numerically for some years now. Most investigations determine the pressure fluctuations in the flow field as well as on the blades. So far, little attention has been paid to a detailed analysis of the blade pressure fluctuations. For further progress in turbine design, however, it is mandatory to better understand the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, computed space–time maps of static pressure are presented on both the stator vanes and the rotor blades for two test cases, viz the first and the last turbine stage of a modern heavy duty gas turbine. These pressure fluctuation charts are used to explain the interaction of potential interaction, wake-blade interaction, deterministic pressure fluctuations, and acoustic waveswith the instantaneous surface pressure on vanes and blades. Part I of this two-part paper refers to the same computations, focusing on the unsteady secondary now field in these stages. The investigations have been performed with the flow solver ITSM3D which allows for efficient simulations that simulate the real blade count ratio. Accounting for the true blade count ratio is essential to obtain the correct frequencies and amplitudes of the fluctuations.


Author(s):  
B. Beecher ◽  
W. Tabakoff ◽  
A. Hamed

Trajectories of small coal ash particles encountered in coal-fired gas turbines are calculated with an improved computer analysis currently under development. The analysis uses an improved numerical grid and mathematical spline-fitting techniques to account for three-dimensional gradients in the flow field and blade geometry. The greater accuracy thus achieved in flow field definition improves the trajectory calculations over previous two-dimensional models by allowing the small particles to react to radial variations in the flow properties. A greater accuracy thus achieved in the geometry definition permits particle rebounding in a direction perpendicular to the blade and flow path surfaces rather than in a two-dimensional plane. The improved method also accounts for radial variations in airfoil chord, stagger, and blade thickness when computing particle impact at a blade location.


Author(s):  
M DaqiqShirazi ◽  
R Torabi ◽  
A Riasi ◽  
SA Nourbakhsh

In this paper, the flow in the impeller sidewall gap of a low specific speed centrifugal pump is analyzed to study the effect of wear ring clearance and the resultant through-flow on flow field in this cavity and investigate the overall efficiency of the pump. Centrifugal pumps are commonly subject to a reduction in the flow rate and volumetric efficiency due to abrasive liquids or working conditions, since the wear rings are progressively worn, the internal leakage flow is increased. In the new operating point, the overall efficiency of the pump cannot be predicted simply by using the pump characteristic curves. The flow field is simulated with the use of computational fluid dynamics and the three-dimensional full Navier–Stokes equations are solved using CFX software. In order to verify the numerical simulations, static pressure field in volute casing and pump performance curves are compared with the experimental measurements. The results show that, for the pump with minimum wear ring clearance, the disk friction efficiency is the strongest factor that impairs the overall efficiency. Therefore, when the ring clearance is enlarged more than three times, although volumetric efficiency decreases effectively but the reduction in overall efficiency is remarkably smaller due to improvement in the disk friction losses.


1982 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Beacher ◽  
W. Tabakoff ◽  
A. Hamed

Trajectories of small coal ash particles encountered in coal-fired gas turbines are calculated with an improved computer analysis currently under development. The analysis uses an improved numerical grid and mathematical spline-fitting techniques to account for three-dimensional gradients in the flow field and blade geometry. The greater accuracy thus achieved in flow field definition improves the trajectory calculations over previous two-dimensional models by allowing the small particles to react to radial variations in the flow properties. A greater accuracy thus achieved in the geometry definition permits particle rebounding in a plane perpendicular to the blade and flow path surfaces rather than in a two-dimensional plane. The improved method also accounts for radial variations in airfoil chord, stagger, and blade thickness when computing particle impact at a blade location.


Author(s):  
Michael M. Cui

To reduce vibration and noise level, the impeller and diffuser blade numbers inside an industrial compressor are typically chosen without common divisors. The shapes of volutes or collectors in these compressors are also not axis-symmetric. When impeller blades pass these asymmetric structures, the flow field in the compressor is time-dependent and three-dimensional. To obtain a fundamental physical understanding of these three-dimensional unsteady flow fields and assess their impact on the compressor performance, the flow field inside the compressors needs to be studied as a whole to include asymmetric and unsteady interaction between the compressor components. In current study, a unified three-dimensional numerical model was built for a transonic centrifugal compressor including impeller, diffusers, and volute. HFC 134a was used as the working fluid. The thermodynamic and transport properties of the refrigerant gas were modeled by the Martin-Hou equation of state and power laws, respectively. The three-dimensional unsteady flow field was simulated with a Navier-Stokes solver using the k-ε turbulent model. The overall performance parameters are obtained by integrating the field quantities. Both unsteady flow field and overall performance are analyzed comparatively for each component. The compressor was tested in a water chiller system instrumented to obtain both overall performance data and local flow field quantities. The experimental and numerical results agree well. The correlation between the overall compressor performance and local flow field quantities is defined. The methodology developed and data obtained in these studies can be applied to centrifugal compressor design and optimization.


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