Design and Characterization of an Inlet Duct for Mass Flow Measurement in a Micro Gas Turbine Test Rig

Author(s):  
C. Buratto ◽  
A. Carandina ◽  
M. Morini ◽  
C. Pavan ◽  
M. Pinelli ◽  
...  

In this paper, a test rig for experimentation on a micro gas turbine is presented. The test rig consists of a micro gas turbine Solar T-62T-32, which, coupled with a 50 kVA alternator, can supply electrical energy to a calibrated resistive load bank. Particular attention is paid to the design of the inlet duct for the mass flow rate measurement. The basic issue was to create the intake duct for a micro gas turbine (MGT) test rig, in order to provide precise data about the mass flow rate and the thermodynamic air characteristics in the MGT inlet section. The inlet duct is also designed in order to allow future tests on inlet cooling technologies. The MGT is incorporated in a chassis for noise reduction, the dimensions of which are 540 mm (height), 570 mm (width) and 940 mm (length). These small dimensions lead to problems with the insertion of the duct. Moreover, the intake of the compressor is not axial but radial, and this means that a volute must be foreseen to convey the flux into the MGT. Several shapes of volute are analyzed in this paper, considering the effects on the pressure loss and the induction of turbulence. The challenge was to develop a fluid-dynamically efficient duct with the hindrance of a very small available space between the compressor casing, the gearbox and the fuel pipes inside the narrow noise-reduction chassis. The mass flow rate will be computed by means of the differential static pressure between the upstream and the downstream section of a Venturi tube. The choice of a Venturi was due to the fact that it produces a pressure loss lower than any other device, such as orifice plates or other nozzle shapes. Furthermore, the expected mass flow rate would lead to high fluid speeds and, as a consequence, the diameter ratio between the duct and the throat of the Venturi was chosen to be as high as possible.

Author(s):  
Ryo Kubo ◽  
Fumio Otomo ◽  
Yoshitaka Fukuyama ◽  
Yuhji Nakata

A CFD investigation was conducted on the total pressure loss variation for a linear nozzle guide vane cascade of a gas turbine, due to the individual film injections from the leading edge shower head, the suction surface, the pressure surface and the trailing edge slot. The results were compared with those of low speed wind tunnel experiments. A 2-D Navier-Stokes procedure for a 2-D slot injection, which approximated a row of discrete film holes, was performed to clarify the applicable limitation in the pressure loss prediction during an aerodynamic design stage, instead of a costly 3-D procedure for the row of discrete holes. In mass flow rate ratios of injection to main flow from 0% to 1%, the losses computed by the 2-D procedure agreed well with the experimental losses except for the pressure side injection cases. However, as the mass flow rate ratio was increased to 2.5%, the agreement became insufficient. The same tendency was observed in additional 3-D computations more closely modeling the injection hole shapes. The summations of both experimental and computed loss increases due to individual row injections were compared with both experimental and computed loss increases due to all-row injection with the mass flow rate ratio ranging from 0% to 7%. Each summation agreed well with each all-row injection result. Agreement between experimental and calculated results was acceptable. Therefore, the loss due to all-row injections in the design stage can be obtained by the correlations of 2-D calculated losses from individual row injections. To improve more precisely the summation prediction for the losses due to the present all-row injections, extensive research on the prediction for the losses due to the pressure side injection should be carried out.


Author(s):  
Shuai Shao ◽  
Qinghua Deng ◽  
Zhenping Feng

In this paper, an aerodynamic optimization of the radial inflow turbine for a 100kW-class micro gas turbine is conducted based on the metamodel-semi-assisted idea. The idea is applied by first using the metamodel as a rapid exploration tool and then switching to the accurate optimization without metamodel for further exploration of the design space [1]. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to drive the optimization process and the BP neural network is used to construct the metamodel. The optimization of this radial inflow turbine is divided into two parts, the stator optimization and the rotor optimization. The stator optimization is based on the accurate optimization strategy. The minimum total pressure loss of the stator and the maximum isentropic total-to-static efficiency of the stage are considered as the objective functions with constant mass flow rate as a constraint. The rotor optimization is conducted through the metamodel-semi-assisted idea. The maximum power output and isentropic total-to-static efficiency of the stage are considered as objective functions while keeping the mass flow rate to be constant. The accurate optimization system is demonstrated to be effective for the stator optimization, and the total pressure loss is reduced by 11.6% while the mass flow rate variation is less than 1%. The rotor optimization is conducted based on the metamodel-semi-assisted optimization and the results confirm the effectiveness of this new idea. The output power of the rotor increased by 1.5%, the isentropic total-to-static efficiency of the stage increased by 1.19% and the mass flow variation is less than 1%.


Author(s):  
Balbina Hampel ◽  
Stefan Bauer ◽  
Norbert Heublein ◽  
Christoph Hirsch ◽  
Thomas Sattelmayer

In recent years, renewable energy technologies have received increasing attention. However, the constant availability of renewable energies is not predictable, so that technologies for excess energy storage become increasingly important. One possibility for the technical implementation of such a storage technology is to bind hydrogen, produced using this excess energy, to liquid organic compounds, so-called Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC), where hydrogen is bound to a H2-lean LOHC molecule in an exothermal hydrogenation reaction. The dehydrogenation process releases the stored hydrogen in an endothermal reaction. This technology offers advantages such as storage and transport safety, along with the high energy density. LOHC systems can assist in the realization of future distributed energy supply networks, as well. Micro gas turbines (MGT) play an important role in distributed energy supply, so that the coupling of a hydrogen fueled MGT with a reactor for the dehydrogenation process is a desirable achievement. In such a combined system, the excess exhaust enthalpy can be used to maintain the endothermal dehydrogenation reaction without affecting the overall efficiency of the gas turbine. This paper investigates the feasibility of a direct coupling between a hydrogen fueled recuperated micro gas turbine and the dehydrogenation process using the excess exhaust heat. For this purpose, a numerical simulation based on energy balances and thermodynamic equilibrium is implemented to model the process. Primary criteria for the evaluation of the process feasibility are the MGTs exhaust gas temperature, the exhaust gas mass flow rate, and the LOHC mass flow rate through the dehydrogenation unit. These three parameters specify the mass flow rate of LOHC, which can be dehydrogenated and thus, the mass flow rate of released hydrogen. Using the implemented numerical model, the suitability of two different LOHCs, N-Ethylcarbazole and an industrial heat transfer oil is investigated at two different pressure levels with respect to thermodynamic feasibility and process efficiency. The results show that the usable excess enthalpy in the exhaust gas of the investigated Turbec T100 MGT is sufficient to release enough hydrogen for re-use as fuel in the micro turbine process for three of the four investigated cases.


Author(s):  
Massimiliano Renzi ◽  
Carlo Caligiuri ◽  
Mosè Rossi

In this work, the performances of a 100 kW Micro Gas Turbine (MGT) fed by Natural Gas (NG) and three different biomass-derived Synthesis Gases (SGs) have been assessed using a MATLAB® simulation algorithm. The set of equations in the algorithm includes the thermodynamic transformations of the working fluid in each component, the performance maps that describe the turbomachines’ isentropic efficiencies and pressure ratios as a function of the reduced mass flow rate and the reduced rotational speed, the performance and the pressure losses in each component, as well as the consumption of the other auxiliary devices. The electric power output, achieved using SGs, turns out to be lower or higher with respect to the one produced with the NG, depending on the fuel Lower Heating Value (LHV) but also largely on the variation of the working fluid composition. In this work, the effect of the steam injection on the MGT performance characteristics has been also investigated. Steam injection allows to obtain higher power and efficiencies using both NG and SGs at the rated rotational speed, mainly thanks to the increase of the turbine enthalpy drop and the reduction of the compressor consumption. Attention must be paid to the risk of the compressor stall, especially when using SGs, as the mass flow rate processed by the compressor decreases significantly. Moreover, another advantage of adopting the steam injection technique lies in the increased flexibility of the system: according to the users’ needs, the discharged heat can be exploited to generate steam, thus to enhance the electric performances, or to supply thermal power.


Author(s):  
Mario L. Ferrari ◽  
Alessandro Sorce ◽  
Matteo Pascenti ◽  
Aristide F. Massardo

The aim of this work is the experimental analysis of steady-state and transient behavior of a primary surface recuperator installed in a 100 kW commercial micro gas turbine. The machine is integrated in an innovative test rig for high temperature fuel cell hybrid system emulation. It was designed and installed by the Thermochemical Power Group (TPG), at the University of Genoa, within the framework of the Felicitas and LARGE-SOFC European Integrated Projects. The high flexibility of the rig was exploited to perform tests on the recuperator operating in the standard cycle. Attention is mainly focused on its performance in transient conditions (start-up operations and load rejection tests). Start-up tests were carried out in both electrical grid-connected and stand-alone conditions, operating with different control strategies. Attention is focused on system response due to control strategy and on boundary temperature variation because of its influence on component life consumption. Further tests were carried out using the valves installed on the test rig to bypass the air side of the unit. Different operative conditions were analyzed to show the effect of different mass flow rates on recuperator behavior. Attention is mainly focused on recuperator performance when it operates in unbalanced flow rate conditions (i.e. different mass flow rate values in recuperator sides), as well as during advanced cycle start-up and shutdown operations.


Author(s):  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Ye Feng ◽  
Lijun Wu

In a modern gas turbine, the air bled through High Pressure Compressor (HPC) rotor drums from the main flow is transported radially inwards and then transferred to cool the High Pressure Turbine (HPT). The centripetal air flow creates a strong vortex, which results in huge pressure losses. This not only restricts the mass flow rate, but also reduces the cooling air pressure for down-stream hot components. Adding vortex reducer tubes to the centripetal air bleed can reduce the pressure loss and ensure the pressure and mass flow rate of the supply air. Design optimization of the tubed vortex reducer is essential in minimizing the pressure losses. This paper describes experimental investigations of different configurations of tubed vortex reducers at different rotational speeds and mass flow rates. Particular attention is paid to the shape of the drum hole, the length of the tubed vortex reducers at the same installation location, and the angles of the nozzle guide vane outlets. The core section of test rig is comprised of two steel disks, one drum rotor and stationary cases with nozzle guide vanes. It operates at representative engine parameters, such as the turbulent flow parameter, λT(0.2–1.8) and the Rossby number Ro(0.05–0.08). Three conclusions can be drawn based on the experimental results. 1) The shape of the drum hole is a key factor of the bleed system pressure loss. An oval hole configuration has less flow resistance and results in lower pressure losses compared with a circular hole design. 2) The tests prove that tubed vortex reducers are instrumental in minimizing centripetal air flow. These components effectively restrain the free vortex development and decrease the pressure losses in the cavity. 3) Basically, the flow field consists of a free vortex and a forced vortex. The length of the tube influences the flow field and the pressure losses at the inlet and outlet of the tubed vortex reducer. However, the tube length is less important when compared with the shape of drum hole.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadham Usean R ◽  
Prasad B. V. S. S. S. ◽  
Milind Dhabade ◽  
Amit Kurvinkop ◽  
Vishnuvardhan Tatiparthi

Abstract In a typical air turbine starter (ATS) engine testing application, compressed air is supplied to the turbine by means of an inlet duct usually with a 90 degree bend and discharged from the turbine into the exhaust chimney through a combination of two duct passages. The primary duct is integral to the engine for connecting to the containment ring. The secondary duct is a transition piece for connecting to the exhaust chimney. As these ducts consume additional pressure and adversely affect the performance of the ATS under test. The design of pressure-efficient outlet ducts is therefore essential, and is the topic of present study. The aerodynamic performance of the overall passage depends on the (i) angle of bend, (ii) the shape of the connecting bolt, (iii) the outlet area and shape of the exhaust duct transiting between the bend and the chimney. Combinations of different angular bends, different shaped bolts and varying size of transition pieces are analyzed using the enterprise version of CFD tool, ANSYS. Three dimensional mesh independent simulations using k-epsilon turbulence model are carried out for a combined geometry of inlet duct, rotor-stator combination, outlet ducts together with the bolts. A combination of the duct passages that has resulted in lowest possible pressure drop is suggested as result of the study i.e. the 90 degree bend duct gives 9% pressure difference between inlet and outlet and this might slightly affect the efficiency of the air turbine stator, however the mass flow rate values remains similar to the stator inlet mass flow rate. Hence the 90 degree bend duct is suitable for the test rig. The static pressure loss and total pressure gain is about 0.04% and −0.004% respectively for baseline and aggressive duct of stator and rotor, hence the baseline duct profile is better than aggressive duct. Among different shapes of connecting bolt, the baseline geometry gives slightly lower efficiency of 85.6% when compared to all other models. But due to manufacturing feasibility the baseline geometry is preferred. Exhaust duct model 7 gives pressure drop as 0.062 bar twice the amount of pressure drop in model 6, but it does not affect the efficiency of air turbine starter. The shapes and sizes of the bend, bolts and the transition piece are recommended.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Carcasci ◽  
Lapo Cheli ◽  
Pietro Lubello ◽  
Lorenzo Winchler

This paper presents an off-design analysis of a gas turbine Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) combined cycle. Combustion turbine performances are significantly affected by fluctuations in ambient conditions, leading to relevant variations in the exhaust gases’ mass flow rate and temperature. The effects of the variation of ambient air temperature have been considered in the simulation of the topper cycle and of the condenser in the bottomer one. Analyses have been performed for different working fluids (toluene, benzene and cyclopentane) and control systems have been introduced on critical parameters, such as oil temperature and air mass flow rate at the condenser fan. Results have highlighted similar power outputs for cycles based on benzene and toluene, while differences as high as 34% have been found for cyclopentane. The power output trend with ambient temperature has been found to be influenced by slope discontinuities in gas turbine exhaust mass flow rate and temperature and by the upper limit imposed on the air mass flow rate at the condenser as well, suggesting the importance of a correct sizing of the component in the design phase. Overall, benzene-based cycle power output has been found to vary between 4518 kW and 3346 kW in the ambient air temperature range considered.


Author(s):  
K. V. L. Narayana Rao ◽  
N. Ravi Kumar ◽  
G. Ramesha ◽  
M. Devathathan

Can type combustors are robust, with ease of design, manufacturing and testing. They are extensively used in industrial gas turbines and aero engines. This paper is mainly based on the work carried out in designing and testing a can type combustion chamber which is operated using JET-A1 fuel. Based on the design requirements, the combustor is designed, fabricated and tested. The experimental results are analysed and compared with the design requirements. The basic dimensions of the combustor, like casing diameter, liner diameter, liner length and liner hole distribution are estimated through a proprietary developed code. An axial flow air swirler with 8 vanes and vane angle of 45 degree is designed to create a re-circulation zone for stabilizing the flame. The Monarch 4.0 GPH fuel nozzle with a cone angle of 80 degree is used. The igniter used is a high energy igniter with ignition energy of 2J and 60 sparks per minute. The combustor is modelled, meshed and analysed using the commercially available ansys-cfx code. The geometry of the combustor is modified iteratively based on the CFD results to meet the design requirements such as pressure loss and pattern factor. The combustor is fabricated using Ni-75 sheet of 1 mm thickness. A small combustor test facility is established. The combustor rig is tested for 50 Hours. The experimental results showed a blow-out phenomenon while the mass flow rate through the combustor is increased beyond a limit. Further through CFD analysis one of the cause for early blow out is identified to be a high mass flow rate through the swirler. The swirler area is partially blocked and many configurations are analysed. The optimum configuration is selected based on the flame position in the primary zone. The change in swirler area is implemented in the test model and further testing is carried out. The experimental results showed that the blow-out limit of the combustor is increased to a good extent. Hence the effect of swirler flow rate on recirculation zone length and flame blow out is also studied and presented. The experimental results showed that the pressure loss and pattern factor are in agreement with the design requirements.


Author(s):  
Chihiro Myoren ◽  
Yasuo Takahashi ◽  
Manabu Yagi ◽  
Takanori Shibata ◽  
Tadaharu Kishibe

An axial compressor was developed for an industrial gas turbine equipped with a water atomization cooling (WAC) system, which is a kind of inlet fogging technique with overspray. The compressor performance was evaluated using a 40MW-class test facility for the advanced humid air turbine system. A prediction method to estimate the effect of WAC was developed for the design of the compressor. The method was based on a streamline curvature (SLC) method implementing a droplet evaporation model. Four test runs with WAC have been conducted since February 2012. The maximum water mass flow rate was 1.2% of the inlet mass flow rate at the 4th test run, while the design value was 2.0%. The results showed that the WAC decreased the inlet and outlet temperatures compared with the DRY (no fogging) case. These decreases changed the matching point of the gas turbine, and increased the mass flow rate and the pressure ratio by 1.8% and 1.1%, respectively. Since prediction results agreed with the results of the test run qualitatively, the compressor performance improvement by WAC was confirmed both experimentally and analytically. The test run with the design water mass flow rate is going to be conducted in the near future.


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