The Effect of Mach Number on the Loss Generation of LP Turbines

Author(s):  
Raúl Vázquez ◽  
Diego Torre

The effect of Mach number on the loss generation of Low Pressure (LP) Turbines has been investigated experimentally in a pair of turbine high-speed rigs. Both rigs consist of a rotor-stator configuration. All the airfoils are high lift, high aspect ratio and high turning blades that are characteristic of state of the art LP Turbines. Both rigs are identical with exception of the stator. Two sets of stators have been manufactured and tested. The aerodynamic shape of both stators have been designed in order to achieve the same spanwise distribution of Cp (Compressible Pressure coefficient) over the airfoil surface, each one to its corresponding design Mach number (0.61 and 0.88 respectively). The aim of this experiment is to obtain the sensitivity of profile and endwall losses to Mach number by means of a back-to-back comparison between both sets of airfoils. Because the two sets of stators maintain the same pressure coefficient distribution, Reynolds number and velocity triangles, each one to its corresponding design Mach number; one can state that the results are only affected by the compressibility. Experimental results are presented and compared in terms of area average, radial pitchwise average distributions and exit plane contours of total pressure losses. To complete the paper, the impact of the results on the design of LP Turbines is discussed and presented.

Author(s):  
Diego Torre ◽  
Guillermo Garcia-Valdecasas ◽  
David Cadrecha

The effect of turning angle on the loss generation of Low Pressure (LP) Turbines has been investigated experimentally in a couple of turbine high-speed rigs. Both rigs consisted of a rotor-stator configuration. All the airfoils are high lift and high aspect ratio blades that are characteristic of state of the art LP Turbines. Both rigs are identical with exception of the stator. Therefore, two sets of stators have been manufactured and tested. The aerodynamic shape of both stators has been designed in order to achieve the same spanwise distribution of Cp (Pressure coefficient) over the airfoil surface, each one to its corresponding turning angles. Exit angle in both stators is the same. Therefore the change in turning is obtained by a different inlet angle. The aim of this experiment is to obtain the sensitivity of profile and endwall losses to turning angle by means of a back-to-back comparison between both sets of airfoils. Because the two sets of stators maintain the same pressure coefficient distribution, Reynolds number and Mach number, each one to its corresponding velocity triangles, one can state that the results are only affected by the turning angle. Experimental results are presented and compared in terms of area average, radial pitchwise average distributions and exit plane contours of total pressure losses. CFD simulations for the two sets of stators are also presented and compared with the experimental results.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil Ligrani

The influences of a variety of different physical phenomena are described as they affect the aerodynamic performance of turbine airfoils in compressible, high-speed flows with either subsonic or transonic Mach number distributions. The presented experimental and numerically predicted results are from a series of investigations which have taken place over the past 32 years. Considered are (i) symmetric airfoils with no film cooling, (ii) symmetric airfoils with film cooling, (iii) cambered vanes with no film cooling, and (iv) cambered vanes with film cooling. When no film cooling is employed on the symmetric airfoils and cambered vanes, experimentally measured and numerically predicted variations of freestream turbulence intensity, surface roughness, exit Mach number, and airfoil camber are considered as they influence local and integrated total pressure losses, deficits of local kinetic energy, Mach number deficits, area-averaged loss coefficients, mass-averaged total pressure loss coefficients, omega loss coefficients, second law loss parameters, and distributions of integrated aerodynamic loss. Similar quantities are measured, and similar parameters are considered when film-cooling is employed on airfoil suction surfaces, along with film cooling density ratio, blowing ratio, Mach number ratio, hole orientation, hole shape, and number of rows of holes.


Author(s):  
Saqib Jamshed ◽  
Amit Dhiman

Abstract The current research focuses on the laminar flow through permeable side-by-side bars of a square cross-section in a channel-confined domain. Vorticity generation on the leeward sides of the permeable bodies further necessitates the study for a better understanding of underlying physics. Reynolds number Re and Darcy number Da are varied from 5 to 150 and 10-6 to 10-2, respectively, at transverse gap ratios s/d=2.5-10. In the perspective of periodic unsteady flow, critical Re for the onset of vortex shedding is analyzed. Streamlines, vorticity, pressure coefficient distribution, and velocity profiles are discussed to identify the wake patterns. In lower permeability level, vortex-shedding from the permeable square cylinders is observed either in synchronized anti-phase mode or a single large vortex street with a synchronized in-phase pattern in the near wake. A steady-state wake pattern symmetric and flocked towards the centerline is observed for all s/d at a higher permeability level regardless of Re. Wake patterns are not altered for Da=10-6-10-3; instead, prompt extermination of the two vortex streets downstream is observed at Da=10-3 as compared to Da=10-6. The impact of s/d, Re, and permeability on the drag is examined. A jump in the flow characteristics and drag forces is noticed at higher Re for the mid-range Da remarkably at lower s/d. For the extent of high permeability, the drag coefficient asymptotically gets closer to zero.


Author(s):  
Kevin Keadle ◽  
Mark McQuilling

High lift low pressure turbine airfoils have complex flow features that can require advanced modeling capabilities for accurate flow predictions. These features include separated flows and the transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layers. Recent applications of computational fluid dynamics based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes formulation have included modeling for attached and separated flow transition mechanisms in the form of empirical correlations and two- or three-equation eddy viscosity models. This study uses the three-equation model of Walters and Cokljat [1] to simulate the flow around the Pack B and L2F low pressure turbine airfoils in a two-dimensional cascade arrangement at a Reynolds number of 25,000. This model includes a third equation for the development of pre-transitional laminar kinetic energy (LKE), and is an updated version of the Walters and Leylek [2] model. The aft-loaded Pack B has a nominal Zweifel loading coefficient of 1.13, and the front-loaded L2F has a nominal loading coefficient of 1.59. Results show the updated LKE model improves predicted accuracy of pressure coefficient and velocity profiles over its previous version as well as two-equation RANS models developed for separated and transitional flows. Transition onset behavior also compares favorably with experiment. However, the current model is not found suitable for wake total pressure loss predictions in two-dimensional simulations at extremely low Reynolds numbers due to the predicted coherency of suction side vortices generated in the separated shear layers which cause a local gain in wake total pressure.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 340-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Vera ◽  
Xue Feng Zhang ◽  
Howard Hodson ◽  
Neil Harvey

This paper presents the second part of an investigation of the combined effects of unsteadiness and surface roughness on an aft-loaded ultra-high-lift low-pressure turbine (LPT) profile at low Reynolds numbers. The investigation has been performed using low- and high-speed cascade facilities. The low- and high-speed profiles have been designed to have the same normalized isentropic Mach number distribution. The low-speed results have been presented in the first part (Zhang, Vera, Hodson, and Harvey, 2006, ASME J. Turbomach., 128, pp. 517–527). The current paper examines the effect of different surface finishes on an aft-loaded ultra-high-lift LPT profile at Mach and Reynolds numbers representative of LPT engine conditions. The surface roughness values are presented along with the profile losses under steady and unsteady inflow conditions. The results show that the use of a rough surface finish can be used to reduce the profile loss. In addition, the results show that the same quantitative values of losses are obtained at high- and low-speed flow conditions. The latter proves the validity of the low-speed approach for ultra-high-lift profiles for the case of an exit Mach number of the order of 0.64. Hot-wire measurements were carried out to explain the effect of the surface finish on the wake-induced transition mechanism.


1999 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Jackson ◽  
K. L. Lee ◽  
P. M. Ligrani ◽  
P. D. Johnson

The effects of suction surface film cooling on aerodynamic losses are investigated using an experimental apparatus designed especially for this purpose. A symmetric airfoil with the same transonic Mach number distribution on both sides is employed. Mach numbers range from 0.4 to 1.24 and match values on the suction surface of airfoils from operating aeroengines. Film cooling holes are located on one side of the airfoil near the passage throat where the free-stream Mach number is nominally 1.07. Round cylindrical and conical diffused film cooling hole configurations are investigated with density ratios from 0.8 to 1.3 over a range of blowing ratios, momentum flux ratios, and Mach number ratios. Also included are discharge coefficients, local and integrated total pressure losses, downstream kinetic energy distributions, Mach number profiles, and a correlation for integral aerodynamic losses as they depend upon film cooling parameters. The contributions of mixing and shock waves to total pressure losses are separated and quantified. These results show that losses due to shock waves vary with blowing ratio as shock wave strength changes. Aerodynamic loss magnitudes due to mixing vary significantly with film cooling hole geometry, blowing ratio, Mach number ratio, and (in some situations) density ratio. Integrated mixing losses from round cylindrical holes are three times higher than from conical diffused holes, when compared at the same blowing ratio. Such differences depend upon mixing losses just downstream of the airfoil, as well as turbulent diffusion of streamwise momentum normal to the airfoil symmetry plane. [S0889-504X(00)02202-9]


2013 ◽  
Vol 117 (1188) ◽  
pp. 193-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. N. Desikan ◽  
J. Kurian

AbstractThis paper presents the experimental results of the role of struts in supersonic mixing. Experiments were carried out with novel strut configurations to show their capabilities on mixing with reasonable total pressure losses. The performances were compared with the Baseline Strut configurations (BSPI and BSNI). The analysis presented includes the mixing quantifications using Mie scattering signature, flow field visualisation, measurement of wall static pressure and the total pressure loss calculations. The results clearly demonstrated that the proposed strut configurations achieved increased mixing (7-8%) compared to BSPI with increase in total pressure loss (2%). On the other hand, when compared with BSNI, the mixing performance was found to be decreased by 6% with reduced total pressure loss (12%).


Author(s):  
D. Holst ◽  
A. B. Bach ◽  
C. N. Nayeri ◽  
C. O. Paschereit

The results of surface pressure measurements are presented in this paper to gain further insight into the lift changing influence of finite width micro-tabs, especially in adjacent airfoil sections. Micro-tabs are a promising concept for load control on wind turbines. Local pressure distributions were measured in several rows of pressure taps in the vicinity of the finite width micro-tab attached to a FX 63-137 profile at low Reynolds numbers. The investigation focuses on length dependency, chordwise position, and interaction between two micro-tabs. Additionally, stereo Particle-Image-Velocimetry measurements were conducted to study the structure, sense of rotation, and influence of tab-induced tip vortices, as well as the impact of a finite width micro-tab on the model’s near wake. Experiments reveal relative changes of more than 30 % in the pressure coefficient distribution upstream of several micro-tab configurations. Furthermore, increments of 20 % are recorded in neighbouring sections not directly controlled by micro-tabs. Even higher changes are obtained in the region between two tabs. These improvements are attained due to local and global changes in the effective camber.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 72-81
Author(s):  
Pavel V. Kosykh

Present-day achievements in the field of strength calculation and structural optimization allow creating main mine fans with higher tip speed than in currently used machines. The paper considers the features of calculating the aerodynamic diagrams of mine reverse axial fans with a tip speed over 200 m/s. It is shown that at such speed it is possible to obtain high-flow fans with significantly smaller dimensions than their existing counterparts. Aerodynamic diagrams with high reverse characteristics (flow rate of more than 0.7 from the direct mode for the network of the same aerodynamic characteristics as in direct mode) are developed. The aerodynamic characteristics of the developed diagrams are calculated in the ANSYS software package. It is shown that an increase in the tip speed contributes to an increase in reverse properties of fans compared to less high-speed machines designed for the same total pressure. The limiting values of axial velocity coefficient and pressure coefficient are determined, at which it is possible to obtain a fan without an inlet guide vane, with a monotonic dependence of total pressure on flow rate.


Author(s):  
D. J. Jackson ◽  
K. L. Lee ◽  
P. M. Ligrani ◽  
P. D. Johnson ◽  
F. O. Soechting

The effects of suction surface film cooling on aerodynamic losses are investigated using an experimental apparatus designed especially for this purpose. A symmetric airfoil with the same transonic Mach number distribution on both sides is employed. Mach numbers along the airfoil surface range from 0.4 to 1.24 and match values on the suction surface of airfoils from operating aeroengines. Film cooling holes are located on one side of the airfoil near the passage throat where the freestream Mach number is nominally 1.07. Round cylindrical, and conical diffused film cooling hole configurations are investigated with density ratios from 0.8 to 1.3 over a range of blowing ratios, momentum flux ratios, and Mach number ratios. Also included are discharge coefficients, local and integrated total pressure losses, downstream kinetic energy distributions, Mach number profiles, and n correlation for integral aerodynamic losses as they depend upon film cooling parameters. The contributions of mixing and shock waves to total pressure losses are separated and quantified. These results show that losses due to shock waves vary with blowing ratio as shock wave strength changes. Aerodynamic loss magnitudes due to mixing vary significantly with film cooling hole geometry, blowing ratio, Mach number ratio, and (in some situations) density ratio. Integrated mixing losses from round cylindrical boles are three times higher than from conical diffused holes, when compared at the same blowing ratio. Such differences depend upon mixing losses just downstream of the airfoil as well as turbulent diffusion of streamwise momentum normal to the airfoil symmetry plane.


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