Secondary Flow Response to Endwall Jets in a Low Pressure Turbine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Fletcher ◽  
Christopher R. Marks ◽  
Molly H. Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Flow ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Active Flow Control ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Loss Reduction ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Passage Vortex ◽  
Flow Features ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Due to the significant losses contributed by the secondary flow features, an active flow control system was implemented in a low-pressure turbine linear cascade which consisted of localized endwall jets with small mass ratios to perturb the dominant passage vortex. Benefits included significant area-averaged total pressure loss reduction and improved exit angle deviations which help to open the design envelope to application of high-lift front-loaded blades. This report looks to reveal the impact of steady and pulsed endwall blowing on the secondary flow dynamics. High-speed stereoscopic particle image velocimetry for an in-passage measurement plane was utilized to investigate the time-dependent behavior of key flow features such as the passage vortex. At baseline conditions, the passage vortex is characterized by time-varying oscillatory motion in the pitchwise direction, streamwise undulation, bursting, and fluctuating strength. Upon actuation of endwall jets, some of these defining dynamics of key flow features were greatly affected. A complementary investigation of the endwall jets mounted outside of a turbine environment in order to study the emitted structures at varying conditions was used to explain the observations found in the turbine passage. Insights into the secondary flow responsiveness demonstrated that loss reduction was realized by inducing reduced coherence of the passage vortex. Despite pulsed blowing at discrete frequencies associated with the passage vortex, there was no indication that instability excitation was exploited. Rather, the endwall jets acted as a periodic shape-change to the endwall which weakened the passage vortex and forced it closer to the suction-surface.

The Effects of Inlet Boundary Layer Condition and Periodically Incoming Wakes on Secondary Flow in a Low Pressure Turbine Cascade

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Schubert ◽  
Silvio Chemnitz ◽  
Reinhard Niehuis
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Speed Flow ◽  
Unsteady Inflow

Abstract A particular turbine cascade design is presented with the goal of providing a basis for high quality investigations of endwall flow at high-speed flow conditions and unsteady inflow. The key feature of the design is an integrated two-part flat plate serving as a cascade endwall at part-span, which enables a variation of the inlet endwall boundary layer conditions. The new design is applied to the T106A low pressure turbine cascade for endwall flow investigations in the High-Speed Cascade Wind Tunnel of the Institute of Jet Propulsion at the Bundeswehr University Munich. Measurements are conducted at realistic flow conditions (M2th = 0.59, Re2th = 2·105) in three cases of different endwall boundary layer conditions with and without periodically incoming wakes. The endwall boundary layer is characterized by 1D-CTA measurements upstream of the blade passage. Secondary flow is evaluated by Five-hole-probe measurements in the turbine exit flow. A strong similarity is found between the time-averaged effects of unsteady inflow conditions and the effects of changing inlet endwall boundary layer conditions regarding the attenuation of secondary flow. Furthermore, the experimental investigations show, that all design goals for the improved T106A cascade are met.

A Comparison of Turbulence Levels From Particle Image Velocimetry and Constant Temperature Anemometry Downstream of a Low-Pressure Turbine Cascade at High-Speed Flow Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvio Chemnitz ◽  
Reinhard Niehuis
Keyword(s):  
Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Constant Temperature ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Particle Image ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Image Velocimetry

Abstract The development and verification of new turbulence models for Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equation-based numerical methods require reliable experimental data with a deep understanding of the underlying turbulence mechanisms. High accurate turbulence measurements are normally limited to simplified test cases under optimal experimental conditions. This work presents comprehensive three-dimensional data of turbulent flow quantities, comparing advanced constant temperature anemometry (CTA) and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) methods under realistic test conditions. The experiments are conducted downstream of a linear, low-pressure turbine cascade at engine relevant high-speed operating conditions. The special combination of high subsonic Mach and low Reynolds number results in a low density test environment, challenging for all applied measurement techniques. Detailed discussions about influences affecting the measured result for each specific measuring technique are given. The presented time mean fields as well as total turbulence data demonstrate with an average deviation of ΔTu<0.4% and ΔC/Cref<0.9% an extraordinary good agreement between the results from the triple sensor hot-wire probe and the 2D3C-PIV setup. Most differences between PIV and CTA can be explained by the finite probe size and individual geometry.

Numerical Investigation of Contrasting Flow Physics in Different Zones of a High-Lift Low-Pressure Turbine Blade

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiahuan Cui ◽  
V. Nagabhushana Rao ◽  
Paul Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
The State ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Flow Physics ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Flow Features ◽  
The Impact

Using a range of high-fidelity large eddy simulations (LES), the contrasting flow physics on the suction surface, pressure surface, and endwalls of a low-pressure turbine (LPT) blade (T106A) was studied. The current paper attempts to provide an improved understanding of the flow physics over these three zones under the influence of different inflow boundary conditions. These include: (a) the effect of wakes at low and high turbulence intensity on the flow at midspan and (b) the impact of the state of the incoming boundary layer on endwall flow features. On the suction surface, the pressure fluctuations on the aft portion significantly reduced at high freestream turbulence (FST). The instantaneous flow features revealed that this reduction at high FST (HF) is due to the dominance of “streak-based” transition over the “Kelvin–Helmholtz” (KH) based transition. Also, the transition mechanisms observed over the turbine blade were largely similar to those on a flat plate subjected to pressure gradients. On pressure surface, elongated vortices were observed at low FST (LF). The possibility of the coexistence of both the Görtler instability and the severe straining of the wakes in the formation of these elongated vortices was suggested. While this was true for the cases under low turbulence levels, the elongated vortices vanished at higher levels of background turbulence. At endwalls, the effect of the state of the incoming boundary layer on flow features has been demonstrated. The loss cores corresponding to the passage vortex and trailing shed vortex were moved farther from the endwall with a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) when compared to an incoming laminar boundary layer (LBL). Multiple horse-shoe vortices, which constantly moved toward the leading edge due to a low-frequency unstable mechanism, were captured.

The Influence of Reynolds Number, Mach Number and Incidence Effects on Loss Production in Low Pressure Turbine Airfoils

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rau´l Va´zquez ◽  
Antonio Antoranz ◽  
David Cadrecha ◽  
Leyre Arman˜anzas
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Mach Number ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flow Features ◽  
Mach Numbers ◽  
Turbine Airfoils ◽  
Annular Cascade ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents an experimental study of the flow field in an annular cascade of Low Pressure Turbine airfoils. The influence of Reynolds number, Mach number and incidence on profile and end wall losses have been investigated. The annular cascade consisted of 100 high lift, high aspect ratio, high turning blades that are characteristic of modern LP Turbines. The investigation was carried out for a wide range of Reynolds numbers, extending from 120k to 315k, exit Mach numbers, from 0.5 to 0.9, and incidences from −20 to +14 degrees. Results clearly indicate a significant effect of incidence and Mach number in secondary loss production; however, the Reynolds number shows it much weaker impact. It has also been found that the profile loss production is strongly influenced by both Reynolds and Mach numbers, being the impact of the incidence weaker. Finally, measured data suggest that, in order to properly reproduce the performance of these types of airfoils, annular cascades can be required as far as linear cascades may miss some essential flow features.

End Wall Loss Reduction of High Lift Low Pressure Turbine Airfoils Using Profile Contouring—Part II: Validation

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Sangston ◽  
Jesse Little ◽  
M. Eric Lyall ◽  
Rolf Sondergaard
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Loss Reduction ◽  
High Lift ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Wall Loss ◽  
Wall Flow ◽  
End Wall ◽  
Stagger Angle

The hypothesis, posed in Part I, that excessive end wall loss of high lift low pressure turbine (LPT) airfoils is due to the influence of high stagger angles on the end wall pressure distribution and not front loading is evaluated in a linear cascade at Re = 100,000 using both experimental and computational studies. A nominally high lift and high stagger angle front-loaded profile (L2F) with aspect ratio 3.5 is contoured at the end wall to reduce the stagger angle while maintaining the front loading. The contouring process effectively generates a fillet at the end wall, so the resulting airfoil is referred to as L2F-EF (end wall fillet). Although referred to as a fillet, this profile contouring process is novel in that it is designed to isolate the effect of stagger angle on end wall loss. Total pressure loss measurements downstream of the blade row indicate that the use of the lower stagger angle at the end wall reduces mixed out mass averaged end wall and passage losses approximately 23% and 10%, respectively. This is in good agreement with computational results used to design the contour which predict 18% and 7% loss reductions. The end wall flow field of the L2F and L2F-EF models is measured using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) in the passage. These data are used to quantify changes in the end wall flow field due to the contouring. PIV results show that this loss reduction is characterized by reduced inlet boundary layer separation as well as a change in strength and location of the suction side horseshoe vortex (SHV) and passage vortex (PV). The end wall profile contouring also produces a reduction in all terms of the Reynolds stress tensor consistent with a decrease in deformation work and overall flow unsteadiness. These results confirm that the stagger angle has a significant effect on high-lift front-loaded LPT end wall loss. Low stagger profiling is successful in reducing end wall loss by limiting the development and migration of the low momentum fluid associated with the SHV and PV interaction.

Effect of Blade Profile Contouring on Endwall Flow Structure in a High-Lift Low-Pressure Turbine Cascade

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Sangston ◽  
Jesse Little ◽  
M. Eric Lyall ◽  
Rolf Sondergaard
Keyword(s):  
Total Pressure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Loss Reduction ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
High Lift ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Design Modification ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine

Previous work has shown that low-stagger contouring near the endwall of a nominally high-lift and high-stagger angle front-loaded low-pressure turbine (LPT) airfoil is successful in reducing endwall loss by limiting the development and migration of low momentum fluid associated with secondary flow structures. The design modification that leads to loss reduction in that study was determined from an intuitive approach based on the premise that reducing flow separation near the endwall will lead to reduced loss production. Those authors also relied heavily upon Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) based computational tools. Due to uncertainties inherent in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions, there is little confidence that the authors actually achieved true minimum loss. Despite recent advances in computing capability, turbulence modeling remains a shortcoming of modern design tools. As a contribution to overcoming this problem, this paper offers a three-dimensional (3D) view of the developing mean flow, total pressure, and turbulence fields that gave rise to the loss reduction of the airfoil mentioned above. Experiments are conducted in a linear cascade with aspect ratio of 3.5 and Re = 100,000. The results are derived from stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) and total pressure measurements inside the passage. Overall, the loss reduction correlates strongly with reduced turbulence production. The aim of this paper is to provide readers with a realistic view of mean flow and turbulence development that include all the components of the Reynolds stress tensor to assess, at least qualitatively, the validity of high fidelity computational tools used to calculate turbine flows.

The Effects of Inlet Boundary Layer Condition and Periodically Incoming Wakes on Secondary Flow in a Low Pressure Turbine Cascade

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Tobias Schubert ◽  
Silvio Chemnitz ◽  
Reinhard Niehuis
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Speed Flow ◽  
Unsteady Inflow

Abstract A particular turbine cascade design is presented with the goal of providing a basis for high quality investigations of endwall flow at high-speed flow conditions and unsteady inflow. The key feature of the design is an integrated two-part flat plate serving as a cascade endwall at part-span, which enables a variation of the inlet endwall boundary layer conditions. The new design is applied to the T106A low pressure turbine cascade for endwall flow investigations in the High-Speed Cascade Wind Tunnel of the Institute of Jet Propulsion at the Bundeswehr University Munich. Measurements are conducted at realistic flow conditions (M2th = 0.59, Re2th = 200 000) in three cases of different endwall boundary layer conditions with and without periodically incoming wakes. The endwall boundary layer is characterized by 1DCTA measurements upstream of the blade passage. Secondary flow is evaluated by Five-hole-probemeasurements in the turbine exit flow. A strong similarity is found between the time-averaged effects of unsteady inflow conditions and the effects of changing inlet endwall boundary layer conditions regarding the attenuation of secondary flow. Furthermore, the experimental investigations show, that all design goals for the improved T106A cascade are met.

Impact of Varying High- and Low-Pressure Turbine Purge Flows on a Turbine Center Frame and Low-Pressure Turbine System

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Z. Sterzinger ◽  
S. Zerobin ◽  
F. Merli ◽  
L. Wiesinger ◽  
A. Peters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Flow Structures ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
High Pressure Turbine ◽  
Inlet Flow ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Inflow Conditions

Abstract This paper presents the experimental and numerical evaluation and comparison of the different flow fields downstream of a turbine center frame duct and a low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage, generated by varying the inlet flow conditions to the turbine center frame (TCF) duct. The measurements were carried out in an engine-representative two-stage two-spool test turbine facility at the Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics at Graz University of Technology. The rig consists of a high-pressure turbine (HPT) and a LPT turbine stage, connected via a TCF with non-turning struts. Four individual high-pressure turbine purge flowrates and two low-pressure turbine purge flowrates were varied to achieve different engine-relevant TCF and LPT inlet flow conditions. The experimental data were acquired by means of five-hole-probe (5HP) area traverses upstream and downstream of the TCF and downstream of the LPT. A steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulation taking all purge flows in account was used for comparison, and additional insights are gained from a numerical variation of the HPT and LPT purge flowrates. The focus of this study is on the impact of the variations in TCF inlet conditions on the secondary flow generation through the TCF duct and the carryover effects on the exit flow field and performance of the LPT stage. Existing work is limited by either investigating multistage LPT configurations with generally very few measurements behind the first stage or by not including relevant HPT secondary flow structures in setting up the LPT inflow conditions. This work addresses both of these shortcomings and presents new insight into the TCF and LPT aerodynamic behavior at varying the HPT and LPT purge flows. The results demonstrate the importance of the HPT flow structures and their evolution through the TCF duct for setting up the LPT inflow conditions and ultimately for assessing the performance of the first LPT stage.

A Comparison of Turbulence Levels From PIV and CTA Downstream of a Low-Pressure Turbine Cascade at High-Speed Flow Conditions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvio Chemnitz ◽  
Reinhard Niehuis
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine

Abstract The development and verification of new turbulence models for RANS equations based numerical methods require reliable experimental data with a deep understanding of the underlying turbulence mechanisms. High accurate turbulence measurements are normally limited to simplified test cases under optimal experimental conditions. This work presents comprehensive three-dimensional data of turbulent flow quantities, comparing advanced constant temperature anemometry (CTA) and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) methods under realistic test conditions. The experiments are conducted downstream of a linear, low-pressure turbine cascade at engine relevant high speed operating conditions. The special combination of high subsonic Mach and low Reynolds number results in a low density test environment, challenging for all applied measurement techniques. Detailed discussions about influences affecting the measured result for each specific measuring technique is given. The presented time mean fields, as well as total turbulence data demonstrate with an average deviation of ΔTu < 0.4% and ΔC/Cref < 0.9% an extraordinary good agreement between the results from the triple sensor hot-wire probe and the 2D3C-PIV setup. Most differences between PIV and CTA can be explained by the finite probe size and individual geometry.

Endwall Loss Reduction of High Lift Low Pressure Turbine Airfoils Using Profile Contouring: Part II — Validation

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Sangston ◽  
Jesse Little ◽  
M. Eric Lyall ◽  
Rolf Sondergaard
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Boundary Layer Separation ◽  
Horseshoe Vortex ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Loss Reduction ◽  
High Lift ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Stagger Angle

The hypothesis, posed in Part I [1], that excessive endwall loss of high lift low pressure turbine (LPT) airfoils is due to the influence of high stagger angles on the endwall pressure distribution and not front-loading is evaluated in a linear cascade at Re = 100,000 using both experimental and computational studies. A nominally high lift and high stagger angle front-loaded profile (L2F) with aspect ratio 3.5 is contoured at the endwall to reduce the stagger angle while maintaining the front loading. The contouring process effectively generates a fillet at the endwall, so the resulting airfoil is referred to as L2F-EF (Endwall Fillet). Although referred to as a fillet, this profile contouring process is novel in that it is designed to isolate the effect of stagger angle on endwall loss. Total pressure loss measurements downstream of the blade row indicate that the use of the lower stagger angle at the endwall reduces mixed out mass averaged endwall and passage losses approximately 23% and 10% respectively. This is in good agreement with computational results used to design the contour which predict 18% and 7% loss reductions. The endwall flow field of the L2F and L2F-EF models is measured using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) in the passage. These data are used to quantify changes in the endwall flow field due to the contouring. PIV results show that this loss reduction is characterized by reduced inlet boundary layer separation as well as a change in strength and location of the suction side horseshoe vortex (SHV) and passage vortex (PV). The endwall profile contouring also produces a reduction in all terms of the Reynolds stress tensor consistent with a decrease in deformation work and overall flow unsteadiness. These results confirm that the stagger angle has a significant effect on high-lift front-loaded LPT endwall loss. Low stagger profiling is successful in reducing endwall loss by limiting the development and migration of the low momentum fluid associated with the SHV and PV interaction.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document