Comparative Study Between Structured and Unstructured Meshes Applied in Turbopump’s Hydraulic Turbine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel da Silva Tonon ◽  
Jesuíno Takachi Tomita ◽  
Ezio Castejon Garcia ◽  
Cleverson Bringhenti ◽  
Rubén Bruno Díaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Hydraulic Turbine ◽  
Unstructured Meshes ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Axial Turbine ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Unstructured Tetrahedral Meshes ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Main Engine

Abstract The aim of this work is the evaluation of different mesh types applied in turbomachines area, in this case in an axial turbine stage used in turbopumps (TP) applications. The tip clearance region was considered in this study because it has high influence in turbomachines performance. Due to the complexity of the tip clearance region, structured mesh generation is not always feasible, therefore it is necessary to generate unstructured meshes that allow flow calculation through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. The use of different mesh type is an interesting topic when different rotor tip geometries are evaluated, in which the desensitization methods are applied. In this work, only the common flat-tip was consider. Thus, as a first step, unstructured tetrahedral meshes (with prismatic layers close to the surfaces) with different y+ values were generated. After this, turbulent 3-D flow calculations were performed at design and off design conditions, based con Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. The methodology used is to present in a didactic way, for under and graduate students, the advantages and disadvantages of the unstructured mesh in relation to the structured one, already used in previous research. Unstructured meshes were generated using ICEM software (ANSYS), while structured ones were generated using AxCent software developed by CONCEPTS NREC. The machine under study is the first stage of the hydraulic axial turbine used in the Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (LPOTP) of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), considering 3.0% tip clearance configuration relative to blade height. All simulations were done using CFX program (ANSYS). The result shows the comparison between the two mesh types considering the difficulty and time generation, discretization quality, effect of y+ parameter variation on flowfield, simulation time, and stage performance parameters calculation for different operating points.

Evaluation of Different Turbulence Models Applied in Turbopump’s Hydraulic Turbine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ferreira Corrêa Barbosa ◽  
Daniel da Silva Tonon ◽  
Luiz Henrique Lindquist Whitacker ◽  
Jesuino Takachi Tomita ◽  
Cleverson Bringhenti
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Turbulence Model ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Axial Turbine

Abstract The aim of this work is an evaluation of different turbulence models applied in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques in the turbomachinery area, in this case, in an axial turbine stage used in turbopump (TP) application. The tip clearance region was considered in this study because it has a high influence in turbomachinery performance. In this region, due to its geometry and the relative movement between the rotor row and casing, there are losses associated with vortices and secondary flow making the flowfield even more turbulent and complex. Moreover, the flow that leaks in the tip region does not participate in the energy transfer between the fluid and rotor blades, degradating the machine efficiency and performance. In this work, the usual flat tip rotor blade geometry was considered. The modeling of turbulent flow based on Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations predicts the variation of turbine operational characteristics that is sufficient for the present turbomachine and flow analysis. Therefore, the appropriate choice of the turbulence model for the study of a given flow is essential to obtain adequate results using numerical approximations. This comparison become important due to the fact that there is no general turbulence model for all engineering applications that has fluid and flow. The turbomachine considered in the present work, is the first stage of the hydraulic axial turbine used in the Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (LPOTP) of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), considering the 3.0% tip clearance configuration relative to rotor blade height. The turbulence models evaluated in this work were the SST (Shear Stress Transport), the k-ε Standard and the k-ε RNG. The computational domain was discretized in several control volumes based on unstructured mesh. All the simulations were performed using the commercial software developed by ANSYS, CFX v15.0 (ANSYS). All numerical settings and how the boundary conditions were imposed at different surfaces are explained in the work. The boundary conditions settings follow the same rule used in the test facility and needs some attention during the simulations to vary the Blade-Jet-Speed ratio parameter adequately. The results from numerical simulations, were synthesized and compared with the experimental data published by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in which the turbine efficiency and its jet velocity parameter are analyzed for each turbulence model result. The work fluid considered in this work was water, the same fluid used in the NASA test facility.

Time-Averaged Heat Transfer and Pressure Measurements and Comparison With Prediction for a Two-Stage Turbine

1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Dunn ◽  
J. Kim ◽  
K. C. Civinskas ◽  
R. J. Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Surface Pressure ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Stanton Number ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Pressure Measurements ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Pressure Distributions ◽  
Main Engine

Time-averaged Stanton number and surface-pressure distributions are reported for the first-stage vane row and the first-stage blade row of the Rocketdyne Space Shuttle Main Engine two-stage fuel-side turbine. These measurements were made at 10, 50, and 90 percent span on both the pressure and suction surfaces of the component. Stanton-number distributions are also reported for the second-stage vane at 50 percent span. A shock tube is used as a short-duration source of heated and pressurized air to which the turbine is subjected. Platinum thin-film gages are used to obtain the heat-flux measurements and miniature silicone-diaphragm pressure transducers are used to obtain the surface pressure measurements. The first-stage vane Stanton number distributions are compared with predictions obtained using a quasi-three dimensional Navier–Stokes solution and a version of STAN5. This same N–S technique was also used to obtain predictions for the first blade and the second vane.

Validation of the INS3D-UP Code in the Prediction of Turbulent Flow of Liquid Propellants in a Sharp Bend

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. R. Sharif ◽  
J. T. Haskew
Keyword(s):  
Turbulent Flow ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Circular Cross Section ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Navier Stokes Equation ◽  
Sharp Bend ◽  
Flow Problems ◽  
Fortran Code ◽  
Main Engine ◽  
Liquid Propellants

Abstract The capability of the INS3D-UP code in the prediction of turbulent flow in a sharp bend of circular cross-section has been investigated. The code, developed by the NASA Ames Research Center, is being used by the NASA Marshal Space Flight Center to analyze turbulent flow of liquid propellant in vaned pipe bends designed for use in the Space Shuttle Main Engine. The FORTRAN code is based on finite difference method and uses the concept of pseudocompressibility to solve incompressible Navier-Stokes equation. The Baldwin-Barth turbulence model is embedded in the code for turbulence computation. The flow field, at a Reynolds number of 43,000, in a sharp 90° bend has been predicted and compared with measurement. It is found that the agreement between the predicted and measured velocities is very well. The predicted pressures at the bend wall also compares reasonably well with the measurement. It is concluded that the INS3D-UP code is a good computational tool to analyze similar flow problems.

Navier-Stokes flow simulation of the Space Shuttle Main Engine hot gas manifold

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.-J. Yang ◽  
J. L. C. Chang ◽  
D. Kwak
Keyword(s):  
Stokes Flow ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Main Engine

Time-Averaged Heat Transfer and Pressure Measurements and Comparison With Prediction for a Two-Stage Turbine

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Dunn ◽  
J. Kim ◽  
K. C. Civinskas ◽  
R. J. Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Surface Pressure ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Stanton Number ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Pressure Measurements ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Pressure Distributions ◽  
Flux Measurements ◽  
Main Engine

Time-averaged Stanton number and surface-pressure distributions are reported for the first-stage vane row and the first-stage blade row of the Rocketdyne Space Shuttle Main Engine two-stage fuel-side turbine. These measurements were made at 10%, 50%, and 90% span on both the pressure and suction surfaces of the component. Stanton-number distributions are also reported for the second-stage vane at 50% span. A shock tube is used as a short-duration source of heated and pressurized air to which the turbine is subjected. Platinum thin-film pages are used to obtain the heat-flux measurements and miniature silicone-diaphragm pressure transducers are used to obtain the surface pressure measurements. The first-stage vane Stanton number distributions are compared with predictions obtained using a quasi-3D Navier-Stokes solution and a version of STAN5. This same N-S technique was also used to obtain predictions for the first blade and the second vane.

Performance Improvement Through Indexing of Turbine Airfoils: Part 2 — Numerical Simulation

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa W. Griffin ◽  
Frank W. Huber ◽  
Om P. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Computational Procedure ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Turbine Airfoils ◽  
Main Engine ◽  
Computational Analyses

An experimental/analytical study has been conducted to determine the performance improvements achievable by circumferentially indexing succeeding rows of turbine stator airfoils. A series of tests was conducted to experimentally investigate stator wake clocking effects on the performance of the space shuttle main engine (SSME) alternate turbopump development (ATD) fuel turbine test article (TTA). The results from this study indicate that significant increases in stage efficiency can be attained through application of this airfoil clocking concept. Details of the experiment and its results are documented in part 1 of this paper. In order to gain insight into the mechanisms of the performance improvement, extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were executed. The subject of the present paper is the initial results from the CFD investigation of the configurations and conditions detailed in part 1 of the paper. To characterize the aerodynamic environments in the experimental test series, two-dimensional (2D), time-accurate, multistage, viscous analyses were performed at the TTA midspan. Computational analyses for five different circumferential positions of the first stage stator have been completed. Details of the computational procedure and the results are presented. The analytical results verify the experimentally demonstrated performance improvement and are compared with data whenever possible. Predictions of time-averaged turbine efficiencies as well as gas conditions throughout the flow field are presented. An initial understanding of the turbine performance improvement mechanism based on the results from this investigation is described.

Experimental and Theoretical Comparison of Two Swirl Brake Designs

2000 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. K. Nielsen ◽  
D. W. Childs ◽  
C. M. Myllerup
Keyword(s):  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Theoretical Data ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Swirl Ratio ◽  
Strong Separation ◽  
Inlet Swirl ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Brake Performance ◽  
Main Engine ◽  
Better Than

Experimental and theoretical data are presented for two interchangeable swirl brakes designed in connection with the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Alternate Turbopump Development (ATD) High-Pressure Fuel Turbopump (HPFTP) program. The experimental data includes rotordynamic data for a extensive variation of test variables. Comparison of the swirl brake performance revealed that a nonaerodynamic swirl brake design proved as efficient and at times better than an aerodynamic design. For this reason a theoretical investigation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was recently carried out. This modeling focused on predicting the seal inlet swirl ratio which is the primary swirl brake performance parameter. The nonaerodynamic swirl brake showed superior performance for a variety of test variable conditions. Strong separation vortices within the swirl vanes are the main reason for this finding.

scholarly journals MPI to Coarray Fortran: Experiences with a CFD Solver for Unstructured Meshes

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuj Sharma ◽  
Irene Moulitsas
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Message Passing ◽  
Message Passing Interface ◽  
Parallel Implementation ◽  
Unstructured Meshes ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Performance Measurements ◽  
Partitioned Global Address Space ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
And Performance

High-resolution numerical methods and unstructured meshes are required in many applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). These methods are quite computationally expensive and hence benefit from being parallelized. Message Passing Interface (MPI) has been utilized traditionally as a parallelization strategy. However, the inherent complexity of MPI contributes further to the existing complexity of the CFD scientific codes. The Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) parallelization paradigm was introduced in an attempt to improve the clarity of the parallel implementation. We present our experiences of converting an unstructured high-resolution compressible Navier-Stokes CFD solver from MPI to PGAS Coarray Fortran. We present the challenges, methodology, and performance measurements of our approach using Coarray Fortran. With the Cray compiler, we observe Coarray Fortran as a viable alternative to MPI. We are hopeful that Intel and open-source implementations could be utilized in the future.

scholarly journals Three-Dimensional Separations in Axial Compressors

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Semiu A. Gbadebo ◽  
Nicholas A. Cumpsty ◽  
Tom P. Hynes
Keyword(s):  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Compressor Blades ◽  
Navier Stokes Equations ◽  
Axial Compressors ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Limiting Streamlines

Flow separations in the corner regions of blade passages are common. The separations are three dimensional and have quite different properties from the two-dimensional separations that are considered in elementary courses of fluid mechanics. In particular, the consequences for the flow may be less severe than the two-dimensional separation. This paper describes the nature of three-dimensional (3D) separation and addresses the way in which topological rules, based on a linear treatment of the Navier-Stokes equations, can predict properties of the limiting streamlines, including the singularities which form. The paper shows measurements of the flow field in a linear cascade of compressor blades and compares these to the results of 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD). For corners without tip clearance, the presence of three-dimensional separation appears to be universal, and the challenge for the designer is to limit the loss and blockage produced. The CFD appears capable of predicting this.

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