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

Author(s):  
Teng Fei ◽  
Lucheng Ji ◽  
Weilin Yi

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.

1982 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Ekerol ◽  
J. W. Railly

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.


Author(s):  
LuCheng Ji ◽  
WeiWei Shao ◽  
WeiLin Yi ◽  
Jiang Chen

This paper presents a model for describing the influences of SUC-EW dihedral angle on corner separation in turbomachinery, in which SUC-EW dihedral angle refers to the dihedral angle at the intersection line between blade ‘SUCtion’ and End-Wall surfaces. Based on the physical intuition of that the three-dimensional (3D) corner boundary layer is the conflux of both blade and end wall boundary layers, an equivalent two-dimensional(2D) corner boundary layer is put forward to predict the behavior of corner boundary layer. In this procedure, the cross flow effect in corner boundary layer and the three-dimensionality of the nearby main flow are ignored. The influence of the SUC-EW dihedral angle is included by another assumption. That is, the aero blockage and momentum loss of both blade and end wall boundary layers are conserved during the procedure of superimposing the two (both blade and end wall) 2D boundary layers to form the equivalent corner one. Then the corner separation is judged by combining the behaviors of the three boundary layers, i.e. the blade, the end wall and the equivalent 2D corner boundary layers. The present model reveals the influence of the SUC-EW dihedral angle and its streamwise gradient on the corner separation. Carefully monitoring and controlling this dihedral angle and its streamwise gradient are important ways to alleviate or even eliminate the corner separation. Simple numerical investigations show that the model is qualitatively correct.


2013 ◽  
Vol 715 ◽  
pp. 477-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zambri Harun ◽  
Jason P. Monty ◽  
Romain Mathis ◽  
Ivan Marusic

AbstractResearch into high-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layers in recent years has brought about a renewed interest in the larger-scale structures. It is now known that these structures emerge more prominently in the outer region not only due to increased Reynolds number (Metzger & Klewicki, Phys. Fluids, vol. 13(3), 2001, pp. 692–701; Hutchins & Marusic, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 579, 2007, pp. 1–28), but also when a boundary layer is exposed to an adverse pressure gradient (Bradshaw, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 29, 1967, pp. 625–645; Lee & Sung, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 639, 2009, pp. 101–131). The latter case has not received as much attention in the literature. As such, this work investigates the modification of the large-scale features of boundary layers subjected to zero, adverse and favourable pressure gradients. It is first shown that the mean velocities, turbulence intensities and turbulence production are significantly different in the outer region across the three cases. Spectral and scale decomposition analyses confirm that the large scales are more energized throughout the entire adverse pressure gradient boundary layer, especially in the outer region. Although more energetic, there is a similar spectral distribution of energy in the wake region, implying the geometrical structure of the outer layer remains universal in all cases. Comparisons are also made of the amplitude modulation of small scales by the large-scale motions for the three pressure gradient cases. The wall-normal location of the zero-crossing of small-scale amplitude modulation is found to increase with increasing pressure gradient, yet this location continues to coincide with the large-scale energetic peak wall-normal location (as has been observed in zero pressure gradient boundary layers). The amplitude modulation effect is found to increase as pressure gradient is increased from favourable to adverse.


Author(s):  
R. Pichler ◽  
Yaomin Zhao ◽  
R. D. Sandberg ◽  
V. Michelassi ◽  
R. Pacciani ◽  
...  

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.


Author(s):  
Martin Sinkwitz ◽  
Benjamin Winhart ◽  
David Engelmann ◽  
Francesca di Mare

Abstract In this study the unsteady behavior of the boundary layers developing on a LPT stator profile and their effect on secondary flow patterns in a 1.5-stage turbine configuration are investigated under the influence of periodic inflow perturbations. The experimental setup previously employed to analyze the unsteady secondary flow in the stator wake has been enhanced by hotfilm sensor arrays placed on the stator profiles at different blade height positions to provide time-resolved data from within the passage. The turbine inflow is perturbed by periodically passing circular bars and a modified T106-profile has been considered for the blading. The modified profile, labeled as T106RUB, was developed for matching the transition and separation characteristics of the original T106 profile at low flow speeds, thus facilitating measurements to be taken in a large-scale test rig with its improved accessibility. The transition phenomena occurring in the profile boundary layers are investigated under both unperturbed and periodically perturbed inflow by means of spectral analysis, the semi-quantitative characterization of the wall-stress system and an evaluation of the statistic quantities. In particular, the periodic changes of the suction side boundary layer flow region towards the trailing edge are studied in detail. Furthermore, time-resolved hot-film measurements at different blade height positions facilitate a detailed comparison of the quasi two-dimensional mid-span profile flow and the near end wall profile flow which is subject to influence of secondary flow structures. These information are employed to assess to which extent the additional turbulence originating from the wakes affects the blade boundary layers and thus the secondary flow structures. Furthermore, the role of the perturbation frequency on the coupled system of boundary layers and secondary flow structures is evaluated.


Author(s):  
Yvan Maciel ◽  
Tie Wei ◽  
Ayse G. Gungor ◽  
Mark P. Simens

We perform a careful nondimensional analysis of the turbulent boundary layer equations in order to bring out, without assuming any self-similar behaviour, a consistent set of nondimensional parameters characterizing the outer region of turbulent boundary layers with arbitrary pressure gradients. These nondimensional parameters are a pressure gradient parameter, a Reynolds number (different from commonly used ones) and an inertial parameter. They are obtained without assuming a priori the outer length and velocity scales. They represent the ratio of the magnitudes of two types of forces in the outer region, using the Reynolds shear stress gradient (apparent turbulent force) as the reference force: inertia to apparent turbulent forces for the inertial parameter, pressure to apparent turbulent forces for the pressure gradient parameter and apparent turbulent to viscous forces for the Reynolds number. We determine under what conditions they retain their meaning, depending on the outer velocity scale that is considered, with the help of seven boundary layer databases. We find the impressive result that if the Zagarola-Smits velocity is used as the outer velocity scale, the streamwise evolution of the three ratios of forces in the outer region can be accurately followed with these non-dimensional parameters in all these flows — not just the order of magnitude of these ratios. This cannot be achieved with three other outer velocity scales commonly used for pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers. Consequently, the three new nondimensional parameters, when expressed with the Zagarola-Smits velocity, can be used to follow — in a global sense — the streamwise evolution of the stream-wise mean momentum balance in the outer region. This study provides a clear and consistent framework for the analysis of the outer region of adverse-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers.


1975 ◽  
Vol 189 (1) ◽  
pp. 305-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Kotas

A presentation of some measurements of velocities in the turbulent boundary layer on the end wall of a vortex chamber. These show that the boundary layer flow is three-dimensional with large inward radial velocities. Consequently, most of the fluid entering the vortex chamber passes into the central region through the boundary layers on the end walls rather than the main space of the vortex chamber. A momentum integral solution is used to obtain an estimate of the radial flow through the end-wall boundary layers. A comparison of the theoretical curves with the experimental results gives support to the main assumptions used in the solutions.


Author(s):  
G Persico ◽  
P Gaetani ◽  
V Dossena ◽  
G D'Ippolito ◽  
C Osnaghi

The present article proposes a novel methodology to evaluate secondary flows generated by the annulus boundary layers in complex cascades. Unlike two-dimensional (2D) linear cascades, where the reference flow is commonly defined as that measured at midspan, the problem of the reference flow definition for annular or complex 3D linear cascades does not have a general solution up to the present time. The proposed approach supports secondary flow analysis whenever exit streamwise vorticity produced by inlet endwall boundary layers is of interest. The idea is to compute the reference flow by applying slip boundary conditions at the endwalls in a viscous 3D numerical simulation, in which uniform total pressure is prescribed at the inlet. Thus the reference flow keeps the 3D nature of the actual flow except for the contribution of the endwall boundary layer vorticity. The resulting secondary field is then derived by projecting the 3D flow field (obtained from both an experiment and a fully viscous simulation) along the local reference flow direction; this approach can be proficiently applied to any complex geometry. This method allows the representation of secondary velocity vectors with a better estimation of the vortex extension, since it offers the opportunity to visualize also the region of the vortices, which can be approximated as a potential type. Furthermore, a proficient evaluation of the secondary vorticity and deviation angle effectively induced by the annulus boundary layer is possible. The approach was preliminarily verified against experimental data in linear cascades characterized by cylindrical blades, not reported for the sake of brevity, showing a very good agreement with the standard methodology based only on the experimental midspan flow field. This article presents secondary flows obtained by the application of the proposed methodology on two annular cascades with cylindrical and 3D-designed blades, stressing the differences with other definitions. Both numerical and experimental results are considered.


1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-411
Author(s):  
H. Ekerol ◽  
J. W. Railly

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 endwall boundary layers. The latter influence is assumed to arise mainly from mainstream distortion due to secondary flows created by the endwall 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.


1960 ◽  
Vol 4 (03) ◽  
pp. 37-54
Author(s):  
Robert Betchov

The stability of an incompressible boundary layer is analyzed in terms of three basic processes. These are (a) the oscillations of a boundary layer when friction is disregarded, (b) the effects of friction at the wall, and (c) the effects of friction at the critical layer. These processes are separately discussed and evaluated. Simple models are presented. A general equation leads to the eigenvalues. The neutral curves corresponding to five typical cases are determined—parabolic and Blasius boundary layers, boundary layers with suction and with adverse pressure gradient, two-dimensional Poiseuille flow. The unstable boundary layer is discussed briefly. The nonlinear effects of the oscillation on the velocity profile are evaluated. Finally, the case of a boundary layer along an elastic wall is considered, and it is found that the wall may have a significant effect on the layer. In particular, a wall with negative damping could completely stabilize the boundary layer.


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