Unsteady Wet-Steam Flows Through Low Pressure Turbine Final Three Stages Considering Blade Number

Author(s):  
Satoshi Miyake ◽  
Hironori Miyazawa ◽  
Satoru Yamamoto ◽  
Yasuhiro Sasao ◽  
Kazuhiro Momma ◽  
...  

Unsteady three-dimensional wet-steam flows through stator–rotor blade rows in the final three stages of a low-pressure steam turbine, taking the blade number into consideration, are numerically investigated. In ASME Turbo Expo 2014, we presented the numerical results of the unsteady flow assuming the same blade number. Here, this previous study is extended to flow simulations using the real blade number. The flows under three flow conditions, with and without condensation and considering the same and real blade numbers are simulated, and the numerical results are compared with each other and with the experimental results. Finally, the effect of the blade number on unsteady wet-steam flows in real low-pressure steam turbines is discussed.

Author(s):  
Kevin Cremanns ◽  
Dirk Roos ◽  
Arne Graßmann

In order to meet the requirements of rising energy demand, one goal in the design process of modern steam turbines is to achieve high efficiencies. A major gain in efficiency is expected from the optimization of the last stage and the subsequent diffuser of a low pressure turbine (LP). The aim of such optimization is to minimize the losses due to separations or inefficient blade or diffuser design. In the usual design process, as is state of the art in the industry, the last stage of the LP and the diffuser is designed and optimized sequentially. The potential physical coupling effects are not considered. Therefore the aim of this paper is to perform both a sequential and coupled optimization of a low pressure steam turbine followed by an axial radial diffuser and subsequently to compare results. In addition to the flow simulation, mechanical and modal analysis is also carried out in order to satisfy the constraints regarding the natural frequencies and stresses. This permits the use of a meta-model, which allows very time efficient three dimensional (3D) calculations to account for all flow field effects.


Author(s):  
Said Havakechian ◽  
John Denton

Optimization of blade stacking in the last stage of low-pressure (LP) steam turbines constitutes one of the most delicate and time-consuming parts of the design process. This is the first of two papers focusing on the stacking strategies applied to the last stage guide vane (G0). Following a comprehensive review of the main features that characterize the LP last stage aerodynamics, the three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code used for the investigation and options related to the modeling of wet steam are described. Aerodynamic problems related to the LP last stage and the principles of 3D stacking are reviewed in detail. In this first paper, the results of a systematic study on an isolated LP stator row are used to elucidate the effects of stacking schemes, such as lean, twist, sweep, and hub profiling. These results show that stator twist not only has the most powerful influence on the reaction variation but it also produces undesirable spanwise variations in angular momentum at stator exit. These may be compensated by introducing a positive stagnation pressure gradient at entry to the last stage.


Author(s):  
Tadashi Tanuma ◽  
Yasuhiro Sasao ◽  
Satoru Yamamoto ◽  
Yoshiki Niizeki ◽  
Naoki Shibukawa ◽  
...  

The purpose of this paper is to present a numerical evaluation method for the aerodynamic design and development of high-efficiency exhaust diffusers in steam turbines, as well as to present the comparison between the numerical results and measured data in an actual real scale development steam turbine. This paper presents numerical investigation of three-dimensional wet steam flows in a down-flow-type exhaust diffuser that has non-uniform inlet flows from a typical last turbine stage. This stage has long transonic blades designed using recent aerodynamic and mechanical design technologies, including superimposed leakages and blade wakes from several upstream low pressure turbine stages. The present numerical flow analysis showed detail three-dimensional flow structures considering circumferential flow distributions caused by the down-flow exhaust hood geometry and the swirl velocity component from the last stage blades, including flow separations in the exhaust diffuser. The results were compared with experimental data measured in an actual development steam turbine. Consequently, the proposed aerodynamic evaluation method was proved to be sufficiently accurate for steam turbine exhaust diffuser aerodynamic designs.


Author(s):  
Marius Grübel ◽  
Robin M. Dovik ◽  
Markus Schatz ◽  
Damian M. Vogt

An evaluation method for CFD simulations is presented, which allows an in-depth analysis of different loss mechanisms applying the approach of entropy creation proposed by Denton. The entropy creation within each single mesh element is determined based on the entropy flux through the cell faces and therefore the locations, where losses occur, can be identified clearly. By using unique features of the different loss mechanisms present in low pressure steam turbines, the losses are categorized into boundary layer, wake mixing and shock losses as well as thermodynamic wetness losses. The suitability of the evaluation method is demonstrated by means of steady state CFD simulations of the flow through a generic last stage of a low pressure steam turbine. The simulations have been performed on streamtubes extracted from three-dimensional simulations representing the flow at 10 % span. The impact of non-equilibrium steam effects on the overall loss composition of the stator passage is investigated by comparing the results to an equilibrium steam simulation. It is shown, that the boundary layer losses for the investigated case are of similar magnitude, but the shock and wake losses exhibit significant differences.


1984 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
pp. 716-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Yeoh ◽  
J. B. Young

The paper describes a throughflow computational method that combines wet steam theory with an axisymmetric streamline curvature technique in order to predict nonequilibrium effects in low-pressure steam turbines. The computer program developed is able to deal with both subsonic and fully choked supersonic flows, and steam properties are represented by a truncated virial equation of state. A number of theoretical test cases have been investigated, including the nonequilibrium flow in the primary nucleating stage of a low-pressure turbine and the complete analysis of a six-stage, 320-MW operational turbine. The calculations are the first of their kind in being able to provide information on the spanwise variation of the Wilson point, the average droplet size nucleated, the degree of supercooling throughout the flowfield, the thermodynamic wetness loss, and the nonequilibrium choking mass flow rate in addition to the aerodynamic parameters which are of interest to the designer.


Author(s):  
Jo¨rg Starzmann ◽  
M. Schatz ◽  
M. V. Casey ◽  
J. F. Mayer ◽  
Frank Sieverding

Results of numerical investigations of the wet steam flow in a three stage low pressure steam turbine test rig are presented. The test rig is a scale model of a modern steam turbine design and provides flow measurements over a range of operating conditions which are used for detailed comparisons with the numerical results. For the numerical analysis a modern CFD code with user defined models for specific wet steam modelling is used. The effect of different theoretical models for nucleation and droplet growth are examined. It is shown that heterogeneous condensation is highly dependent on steam quality and, in this model turbine with high quality steam, a homogeneous theory appears to be the best choice. The homogeneous theory gives good agreement between the test rig traverse measurements and the numerical results. The differences in the droplet size distribution of the three stage turbine are shown for different loads and modelling assumptions. The different droplet growth models can influence the droplet size by a factor of two. An estimate of the influence of unsteady effects is made by means of an unsteady two-dimensional simulation. The unsteady modelling leads to a shift of nucleation into the next blade row. For the investigated three stage turbine the influence due to wake chopping on the condensation process is weak but to confirm this conclusion further investigations are needed in complete three dimensions and on turbines with more stages.


Author(s):  
Said Havakechian ◽  
John Denton

Optimization of blade stacking in low-pressure (LP) steam turbine development constitutes one of the most delicate and time-consuming parts of the design process. This is the second part of two papers focusing on stacking strategies applied to the last stage guide vane and represents an attempt to discern the aerodynamic targets that can be achieved by each of the well-known and most often used basic stacking schemes. The effects of lean and twist have been investigated through an iterative process, involving comprehensive 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the last two stages of a standard LP, where the basic lean and twist stacking schemes were applied on the last stage guide vanes while keeping the throat area (TA) unchanged. It has been found that it is possible to achieve the same target value and pattern of stage reaction by applying either tangential lean or an equivalent value of twist. Moreover, the significance of axial sweep on hub reaction has been found to become pronounced when the blade sweep is carried out at constant TA. The importance of hub-profiling has also been demonstrated and assessed. Detailed analysis of the flow fields has provided an overall picture, revealing the differences in the main flow parameters as produced by each of the alternative basic stacking schemes.


Author(s):  
Satoshi Miyake ◽  
Itsuro Koda ◽  
Satoru Yamamoto ◽  
Yasuhiro Sasao ◽  
Kazuhiro Momma ◽  
...  

A practical unsteady 3-D wet-steam flow through stator-rotor blade rows in a low-pressure steam turbine final three stages is numerically investigated. In ASME Turbo Expo 2013, we presented numerical results of unsteady 3-D wet-steam flows through three-stage stator-rotor low-aspect blade rows in a low-pressure steam turbine model designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI) assuming nonequilibrium condensation. The last study is extended to the final three stages with large aspect blade rows. The discussion in this paper is mainly focused on the effect of unsteady wake and vortex interactions on nonequilibrium condensation computed by our in-house code “Numerical Turbine System (NTS)”. In addition, the NTS and the future perspective are also briefly introduced.


1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. G. Steltz ◽  
P. K. Lee ◽  
W. T. Lindsay

The problem of corrosion-assisted low-pressure blade failures is discussed from the water chemistry and aerothermodynamic viewpoints. The physical chemistry of particular steam impurities existing in low-pressure steam turbines is reviewed with special applicability to blade path steam conditions. The interaction of the turbine expansion line with the salt solution zone has been verified by field testing which has, for the first time, demonstrated the existence of concentrated impurities within the low pressure turbine blade path. In addition, the existence of low levels of moisture as measured by an optical moisture probe offers strong evidence that the expansion process in low-pressure steam turbines takes place, on the average, in thermodynamic equilibrium, at least in the vicinity of the saturated vapor line.


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