Effects of Mach Number and Secondary Flows on Ultra-Low Aspect Ratio Radial Outflow Turbine Cascade Aerodynamics

Author(s):  
Aki Grönman ◽  
Jonna Tiainen ◽  
Antti Uusitalo

Abstract Radial outflow turbines are an alternative for axial turbines for example in heat recovery applications. They are, however, also often characterized by ultra-low aspect ratios. In these designs, the secondary losses dominate the overall loss share, and under a certain aspect ratio, the secondary structures from the hub and shroud begin to interact. This interaction causes a decrease in aerodynamic performance. Previous studies have suggested that the general flow phenomena between radial outflow and axial turbines could share several similarities due to observed trends in performance prediction. The blade outlet Mach number is known to affect the spanwise positions of the secondary vortices in axial turbine blading and therefore, its effect is also tested here for an ultra-low aspect ratio radial outflow turbine cascade. In addition, there are currently no cascade level experimental data publicly available, and the suitability of axial turbine loss correlations under these conditions remains an open question. From this background, the current study presents an experimental, numerical, and loss correlation analysis of the effects of an isentropic Mach number in a radial outflow turbine cascade. An experimental campaign is used to validate the numerical model both quantitatively and qualitatively. In addition, the validity of the axial turbine loss correlation is extended to ultra-low aspect ratios by introducing a new variable called penetration length. The main findings are: 1. The flow phenomena do not differ significantly from what has been observed with axial turbines, 2. The effect of penetration length calculation method on the loss breakdown is relatively low, and 3. With ultra-low aspect ratio radial outflow turbines, the loss breakdown is markedly changed when the extended Benner’s approach is employed.

1964 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar O. Ohlsson

Four different axial, impulse turbines with extremely low aspect ratios (between 0.07 and 0.70) were tested over wide ranges of pressure and speed ratios. The influence on mass rate of flow and efficiency of Reynolds number and axial distance between stator and rotor is given. Stator and rotor efficiency, Mach number, and flow angles, as well as other quantities, are obtained by means of a wheel with axial outlet. Semiempirical formulas are given for turbine efficiency, stator efficiency, and rotor efficiency as functions of aspect ratio.


Author(s):  
Rodolfo T. Gonçalves ◽  
Dênnis M. Gambarine ◽  
Felipe P. Figueiredo ◽  
Fábio V. Amorim ◽  
André L. C. Fujarra

Experiments regarding flow-induced vibration on floating squared section cylinders with low aspect ratio were carried out in an ocean basin with rotating-arm apparatus. The floating squared section cylinders were elastically supported by a set of linear springs to provide low structural damping to the system. Three different aspect ratios were tested, namely L/D = 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, and two different incidence angles, namely 0 and 45 degrees. The aims were to understanding the flow-induced vibration around single columns of multi-column platforms, such as semi-submersible and TLP. VIV on circular cylinders were also carried out to compare the results. The range of Reynolds number covered was 2,000 < Re < 27,000. The in-line and transverse amplitude results showed to be higher for 45-degree incidence compared with 0-degree, but the maximum amplitudes for squared section cylinders were lower compared with the circular ones. The double frequency in the in-line motion was not verified as in circular cylinders. The yaw amplitudes cannot be neglected for squared section cylinders, maximum yaw amplitudes around 10 degrees were observed for reduced velocities up to 15.


Author(s):  
Marie Pinti ◽  
Shaurya Prakash

Hybrid microfluidic and nanofluidic devices have a variety of applications including water desalination, molecular gates and DNA sieving among several other lab-on-chip uses. Most microfluidic and nanofluidic devices currently are fabricated in glass, silicon, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or with a combination of these materials. In order to impart functionality, metals, polymers or auxiliary components are often integrated with these devices. Ultra-low aspect ratio channels have several advantages including critical dimensions on the nanoscale but increased throughput compared to higher aspect ratio channels with the same critical dimension, which is important for applications where a higher volumetric flow rate is desired. Additionally, theoretical analysis is significantly easier as ultra-low aspect ratio channels can be modeled as 1-D systems. The fabrication methods for achieving low aspect ratios (< 0.005) usually require extensive facilities with several innovative fabrication and bonding schemes being previously reported. In this paper, we report on fabrication and bonding of ultra-low aspect ratio microfluidic and nanofluidic devices with aspect ratios at 0.0005 in glass/PDMS devices in contrast to the previous best reported result of 0.005 achieved in a silica device using stamp and stick PDMS bonding. The simplicity of our approach presents a new pathway to achieving the lowest aspect ratio nanochannels ever reported for channels fabricated using an interfacial layer for bonding. Centimeter long nanochannels on a borosilicate substrate were fabricated by standard UV photolithography followed by wet etching. Surface roughness of the fabricated channels is on the same order as the roughness of the initial substrate (2–3 nm) and therefore can enable fabrication of channels with critical dimensions approaching 15 nm or less. Devices were then bonded using a second borosilicate substrate with a thin PDMS adhesion layer (∼ 2 μm). The PDMS adhesion layer allows rapid, facile, and alignment-free bonding compared to traditional fusion or anodic bonds. Successful verification of device operation and functionality was determined by verifying flow in operational devices and with scanning electron microscopy to confirm bonding for the formation of nanochannels.


Author(s):  
Rodolfo T. Gonçalves ◽  
Dennis M. Gambarine ◽  
Aline M. Momenti ◽  
Felipe P. Figueiredo ◽  
André L. C. Fujarra

Experiments regarding flow-induced vibration on floating rounded squared section cylinders with low aspect ratio were carried out in an ocean basin equipped with a rotating-arm apparatus. Floating squared section cylinders with rounded edges and aspect ratios of L/D = 2.0 were elastically supported by a set of linear springs in order to provide low structural damping to the system. Two different incidence angles were tested, namely 0 and 45 degrees. The Reynolds numbers covered the range from 2,000 to 30,000. The aim was to understand the flow-induced vibrations around single columns, gathering information for further understanding the causes for the Vortex-Induced Motions in semi-submersible and TLP platforms. Experiments on circular and squared sections cylinders (without rounded edges) were also carried out to compare the results with the rounded square section cylinders (with rounded edges). The amplitude results for in-line, transverse and yaw amplitude for 0-degree models showed to be higher for squared section cylinders compared to those for the rounded square section cylinders. No significant difference between the 45-degree models was observed. The results of ratio between frequency of motion in the transverse direction and natural frequency in still water confirmed the vortex-induced vibration behavior for the squared and rounded square section cylinders for 45-degree incidence; and also the galloping characteristics for 0-degree incidence cases. The rounded effect on the square section cylinders showed to be important only for reduced velocity larger than 8, which is probably related to the position of the separation point that changes around the rounded edge, behavior that did not occurr for the squared edge that fixed the separation point for any reduced velocity.


1969 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. Runstadler ◽  
R. C. Dean

Measurements have been made of the pressure recovery of straight wall, single plane divergence diffusers with inlet Mach numbers between 0.2 and choking (0.2 ≤ Mt < 1.0). In contrast to the widely held assertion in the literature, there is no “critical” inlet subsonic Mach number above which pressure recovery decreases drastically. Two aspect ratios, AS = 0.25 and 1.0, have been studied for a range of length-to-throat-width ratios L/W1 and divergence angles 2θ around the regions of peak recovery. Diffuser performance maps are given showing pressure recovery Cp as a function of diffuser geometry for fixed values of throat Mach number Mt, throat blockage B, and aspect ratio AS. Significant changes in the location and magnitude of pressure recovery do occur with variations in Mt, B, and AS. The importance to the designer of a knowledge of how diffuser performance depends upon geometric and diffuser inlet parameters is discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo T. Gonçalves ◽  
Guilherme F. Rosetti ◽  
André L. C. Fujarra ◽  
Guilherme R. Franzini ◽  
César M. Freire ◽  
...  

Vortex-induced motion (VIM) is a specific way for naming the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) acting on floating units. The VIM phenomenon can occur in monocolumn production, storage and offloading system (MPSO) and spar platforms, structures presenting aspect ratio lower than 4 and unity mass ratio, i.e., structural mass equal to the displaced fluid mass. These platforms can experience motion amplitudes of approximately their characteristic diameters, and therefore, the fatigue life of mooring lines and risers can be greatly affected. Two degrees-of-freedom VIV model tests based on cylinders with low aspect ratio and small mass ratio have been carried out at the recirculating water channel facility available at NDF-EPUSP in order to better understand this hydro-elastic phenomenon. The tests have considered three circular cylinders of mass ratio equal to one and different aspect ratios, respectively L/D = 1.0, 1.7, and 2.0, as well as a fourth cylinder of mass ratio equal to 2.62 and aspect ratio of 2.0. The Reynolds number covered the range from 10 000 to 50 000, corresponding to reduced velocities from 1 to approximately 12. The results of amplitude and frequency in the transverse and in-line directions were analyzed by means of the Hilbert-Huang transform method (HHT) and then compared to those obtained from works found in the literature. The comparisons have shown similar maxima amplitudes for all aspect ratios and small mass ratio, featuring a decrease as the aspect ratio decreases. Moreover, some changes in the Strouhal number have been indirectly observed as a consequence of the decrease in the aspect ratio. In conclusion, it is shown that comparing results of small-scale platforms with those from bare cylinders, all of them presenting low aspect ratio and small mass ratio, the laboratory experiments may well be used in practical investigation, including those concerning the VIM phenomenon acting on platforms.


Author(s):  
Rodolfo T. Gonçalves ◽  
André L. C. Fujarra

Experiments regarding vortex-induced vibration on floating circular cylinders with low aspect ratio were carried out in a recirculation water channel. The floating circular cylinders were elastic supported by a set of linear springs to provide low structural damping on the system. Eight different aspect ratios were tested, namely L/D = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0. These aspect ratios were selected to cover the aspect ratio range of the main offshore circular platforms, such as spar and monocolumn. The aims were understanding the VIM of such platforms; due to this, the cylinders were floating, or m* = 1. The range of Reynolds number covered 2,800 < Re < 55,400. The amplitude results showed a decrease in amplitude with decreasing aspect ratio in both directions. The frequency results confirm a different behavior for cylinders with L/D ≤ 0.5; in these cases, the cylinder free-end effects were predominant. The resonant behaviour was no longer observed for L/D ≤ 0.2. The decrease in Strouhal number with decreasing aspect ratio is also verified. All the results presented here complement the work presented previously for stationary circular cylinder with low aspect ratio presented by Gonçalves et al. (2013), Experimental Study on Flow around Circular Cylinders with Low Aspect Ratio, OMAE2013-10454.


1970 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 390-398
Author(s):  
H. F. L. Griepentrog

This paper describes a method for the prediction of the transonic flow field in a high solidity, high turning cascade, suitable for use as stator of a shock-in-rotor supersonic compressor stage. Effects of shock boundary layer interaction is taken into account by empirical correlation, valid for blade aspect ratios below unity. Use of partial slots for reduction of the secondary flows is briefly discussed and a correlation on slot efficiency is presented.


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