Process Automation for Aero Engine Secondary Air System Seal Design

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adele Nasti
Keyword(s):  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
System Level ◽  
Process Automation ◽  
Seal Design ◽  
Aero Engine ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Secondary air system seals are crucial in aero engine design as they have a direct impact on specific fuel consumption. Their behavior is affected by several aspects of the physics of the system: the air system, the engine thermal physics, the effect of flight loads and several other effects. As a consequence, their design is a complex and iterative process, which is highly dependent on the location of the seal in the engine, on the system requirements and on the system behavior. This paper describes a methodology for multi-disciplinary assessment of secondary air system seals within an engine environment and supports standard seal design, trade-off studies on novel concepts and system-level optimization. Defining the seal design intent for a specific engine location in the form of objectives, it is possible to embed process automation into traditionally manual multi-disciplinary design processes. This allows transforming modelling and simulation tools, which typically provide predictions for a specific seal design over reference cycles, into design and optimization tools, which can provide the optimum seal design for a specific set of requirements. This approach provides predictive models of both seal performance and performance degradation and is capable of taking into account all sources of variation, for instance manufacturing variations or engine operating conditions, delivering a robust design, specific to the engine location. The methodology enables a holistic approach to system and sub-system design and provides a deeper understanding of the impact of the seal onto system and of the system onto the seal, allowing optimization of the overall solution and informing the business case for introduction of different sealing strategies. Examples of the application of this methodology are provided for both labyrinth seals and leaf seals.

Impact of the Secondary Air System Design Parameters on the Calculation of Turbine Discs Windage

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Maria Rey Villazón ◽  
Toni Wildow ◽  
Robert Benton ◽  
Moritz Göhler ◽  
Arnold Kühhorn
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Network Model ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Integral Model ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Flow Network ◽  
Aero Engine ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
The Impact

The rotating components in gas turbines are very highly stressed as a result of the centrifugal and thermal loads. One of the main functions of the secondary air system (SAS) is to ensure that the rotating components are surrounded by air that optimizes disc lifing and integrity. The SAS is also responsible for the blade cooling flow supply, preventing hot gas ingestion from the main annulus into the rotor-stator cavities, and for balancing the net axial load in the thrust bearings. Thus, the SAS design requires a multidisciplinary compromise to provide the above functions, while minimizing the penalty of the secondary flows on engine performance. The phenomenon known as rotor-stator drag or windage is defined as the power of the rotor moment acting on its environment. The power loss due to windage has a direct impact on the performance of the turbine and the overall efficiency of the engine. This paper describes a novel preliminary design approach to calculate the windage of the rotor-stator cavities in the front of a typical aero engine HP turbine. The new method is applied to investigate the impact of the SAS design parameters on the windage losses and on the properties of the cooling flows leading to the main annulus. Initially, a theoretical approach is followed to calculate the power losses of each part of the HPT front air feed system. Then, a 1D-network integral model of the cavities and flow passages of the HPT front is built and enhanced with detailed flow field correlations. The new 1D-flow network model offers higher fidelity regarding local effects. A result comparison between the theoretical calculation and the prediction of the enhanced flow network model puts forward the relevance of the local flow field effects in the design concept of the SAS. Using the enhanced 1D-flow network models, the SAS design parameters are varied to assess their influence on the windage and pumping power calculation. As a conclusion, the paper shows how the SAS design can have a significant influence on the HPT overall power and the air that is fed back into the turbine blade rows. Controlling these features is essential to bid a competitive technology in the aero engine industry.

Exergy indicators of a low-emission aero-engine combustor

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 344-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasin Şöhret ◽  
T. Hikmet Karakoc
Keyword(s):  
Energy Systems ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Environment Friendly ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Emission ◽  
Aero Engine ◽  
Exergy Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Thermal Sciences ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose It is essential to develop more environment-friendly energy systems to prevent climate change and minimize environmental impact. Within this scope, many studies are performed on performance and environmental assessments of many types of energy systems. This paper, different from previous studies, aims to prove exergy performance of a low-emission combustor of an aero-engine. Design/methodology/approach It is a well-known fact that, with respect to previous exergy analysis, highest exergy destruction occurs in the combustor component of the engine. For this reason, it is required to evaluate a low-emission aero-engine combustor thermodynamically to understand the state of the art according to the authors’ best of knowledge. In this framework, combustor has been operated at numerous conditions (variable engine load) and evaluated. Findings As a conclusion of the study, the impact of emission reduction on performance improvement of the aero-engine combustors exergetically is presented. It is stated that exergy efficiency of the low-emission aero-engine combustor is found to be 64.69, 61.95 and 71.97 per cent under various operating conditions. Practical implications Results obtained in this paper may be beneficial for researchers who are interested in combustion and propulsion technology and thermal sciences. Originality/value Different from former studies, the impact of operating conditions on performance of a combustor is examined from the viewpoint of thermodynamics.

Analysis of Gas Turbine Rotating Cavities by an One-Dimensional Model

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Da Soghe ◽  
Bruno Facchini ◽  
Luca Innocenti ◽  
Mirko Micio
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Outer Flow ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
Radial Outflow

Reliable design of secondary air system is one of the main tasks for the safety, unfailing and performance of gas turbine engines. To meet the increasing demands of gas turbines design, improved tools in prediction of the secondary air system behavior over a wide range of operating conditions are needed. A real gas turbine secondary air system includes several components, therefore its analysis is not carried out through a complete CFD approach. Usually, that predictions are performed using codes, based on simplified approach which allows to evaluate the flow characteristics in each branch of the air system requiring very poor computational resources and few calculation time. Generally the available simplified commercial packages allow to correctly solve only some of the components of a real air system and often the elements with a more complex flow structure cannot be studied; among such elements, the analysis of rotating cavities is very hard. This paper deals with a design-tool developed at the University of Florence for the simulation of rotating cavities. This simplified in-house code solves the governing equations for steady one-dimensional axysimmetric flow using experimental correlations both to incorporate flow phenomena caused by multidimensional effects, like heat transfer and flow field losses, and to evaluate the circumferential component of velocity. Although this calculation approach does not enable a correct modeling of the turbulent flow within a wheel space cavity, the authors tried to create an accurate model taking into account the effects of inner and outer flow extraction, rotor and stator drag, leakages, injection momentum and, finally, the shroud/rim seal effects on cavity ingestion. The simplified calculation tool was designed to simulate the flow in a rotating cavity with radial outflow both with a Batchelor and/or Stewartson flow structures. A primary 1D-code testing campaign is available in the literature [1]. In the present paper the authors develop, using CFD tools, reliable correlations for both stator and rotor friction coefficients and provide a full 1D-code validation comparing, due to lack of experimental data, the in house design-code predictions with those evaluated by CFD.

Heavy Duty Gas Turbine Simulation: Global Performances Estimation and Secondary Air System Modifications

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Carcasci ◽  
Bruno Facchini ◽  
Stefano Gori ◽  
Luca Bozzi ◽  
Stefano Traverso
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Coupled Analysis ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
And Performance

This paper reviews a modular-structured program ESMS (Energy System Modular Simulation) for the simulation of air-cooled gas turbines cycles, including the calculation of the secondary air system. The program has been tested for the Ansaldo Energia gas turbine V94.3A, which is one of the more advanced models in the family Vx4.3A with a rated power of 270 MW. V94.3A cooling system has been modeled with SASAC (Secondary Air System Ansaldo Code), the Ansaldo code used to predict the structure of the flow through the internal air system. The objective of the work was to investigate the tuning of the analytical program on the basis of the data from design and performance codes in use at Ansaldo Energy Gas Turbine Department. The results, both at base load over different ambient conditions and in critical off-design operating points (full-speed-no-load and minimum-load), have been compared with APC (Ansaldo Performance Code) and confirmed by field data. The coupled analysis of cycle and cooling network shows interesting evaluations for components life estimation and reliability during off-design operating conditions.

Finite Element Transient Modelling for Aero-Thermo-Mechanical Analysis of Whole Gas Turbine Engine

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Giuntini ◽  
Antonio Andreini ◽  
Bruno Facchini
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Numerical Procedure ◽  
Mechanical Analysis ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Large Power ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air

Abstract It is here proposed a numerical procedure aimed to perform transient aero-thermo-mechanical calculations of large power generation gas turbines. Due to the frequent startups and shutdowns that nowadays these engines encounter, procedures for multi-physics simulations have to take into account the complex coupled interactions related to inertial and thermal loads, and seal running clearances. In order to develop suitable secondary air system configurations, guarantee structural integrity and maintain actual clearances and temperature peaks in pre-established ranges, the overall complexity of the structure has to be reproduced with a whole engine modelling approach, simulating the entire machine in the real operating conditions. In the proposed methodology the aerodynamic solution providing mass flows and pressures, and the thermo-mechanical analysis returning temperatures and material expansion, are performed separately. The procedure faces the aero-thermo-mechanical problem with an iterative process with the aim of taking into account the complex aero-thermo-mechanical interactions actually characterizing a real engine, in a robust and modular tool, combining secondary air system, thermal and mechanical analysis. The heat conduction in the solid and the fluid-solid heat transfer are computed by a customized version of the open source FEM solver CalculiX®. The secondary air system is modelled by a customized version of the embedded CalculiX® one-dimensional fluid network solver. In order to assess the physical coherence of the presented methodology the procedure has been applied to a test case representative of a portion of a real engine geometry, tested in a thermal transient cycle for the assessment of the interaction between secondary air system properties and geometry deformations.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Secondary Flows and Influence of Air System Design on Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Performance

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Bozzi ◽  
Enrico D’angelo
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Turbine Performance ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air

High turn-down operating of heavy-duty gas turbines in modern Combined Cycle Plants requires a highly efficient secondary air system to ensure the proper supply of cooling and sealing air. Thus, accurate performance prediction of secondary flows in the complete range of operating conditions is crucial. The paper gives an overview of the secondary air system of Ansaldo F-class AEx4.3A gas turbines. Focus of the work is a procedure to calculate the cooling flows, which allows investigating both the interaction between cooled rows and additional secondary flows (sealing and leakage air) and the influence on gas turbine performance. The procedure is based on a fluid-network solver modelling the engine secondary air system. Parametric curves implemented into the network model give the consumption of cooling air of blades and vanes. Performances of blade cooling systems based on different cooling technology are presented. Variations of secondary air flows in function of load and/or ambient conditions are discussed and justified. The effect of secondary air reduction is investigated in details showing the relationship between the position, along the gas path, of the upgrade and the increasing of engine performance. In particular, a section of the paper describes the application of a consistent and straightforward technique, based on an exergy analysis, to estimate the effect of major modifications to the air system on overall engine performance. A set of models for the different factors of cooling loss is presented and sample calculations are used to illustrate the splitting and magnitude of losses. Field data, referred to AE64.3A gas turbine, are used to calibrate the correlation method and to enhance the structure of the lumped-parameters network models.

Impact of Secondary Air Flow on Combustor Emissions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bassam S. Mohammad ◽  
Brian Volk ◽  
Keith McManus
Keyword(s):  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Combustion Emissions ◽  
Exit Temperature ◽  
Combustion Systems ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
The Impact

Abstract It is a common practice to relate emissions performance of Dry Low Emissions (DLE) combustion systems to the flame temperature that is estimated from the mass flows of air and fuel flowing through the premixer. In many combustion systems, the exit temperature (or turbine nozzle inlet temperature) is quite low and is not a good parameter for estimating combustion emissions. The difference between the combustion flame temperature and exit temperature is mainly due to secondary air dilution. To our knowledge there are no detailed published data that quantify the impact of this temperature difference on combustion emissions. The target of this study is to quantify the impact of secondary air variation on emissions, both globally and locally. High pressure experiments are conducted at H class gas turbine operating conditions using a DLE combustion system. In the context of this DLE system, secondary air refers to cooling and leakage flows because direct air dilution of the combustion gasses is not necessary. This is because the flame stabilized downstream of the premixer is well mixed and fuel-lean. With NOx requirements moving toward single digit (ppm) levels, it becomes essential to accurately quantify the impact of reducing the secondary air percentage on emissions performance. In addition to the need to carefully study the impact of local interaction of the secondary air with the flame. The combustion system is configured with two independently controlled mixers along with a variable secondary air circuit that can change the secondary air fraction from 14 to 8%. Multiple emissions rakes are used at the combustor exit to delineate the interaction and relate it to the flame structure. The system is configured to enable sampling from individual rakes to study local emissions and the rakes can be ganged together to measure the bulk-averaged combustion emissions. This research provides a quantification of the improvement of the NOx margin with a decrease in the secondary air percentage. The study shows that the increase in margin is not a simple re-estimate of the combustor emissions using the NOx design curve due to flame quenching effects. The results also show that the secondary air can be used to improve the NOx emissions via controlling the interaction with the primary flame. The impact is quantified in terms of emissions, acoustics and metal temperatures.

An Efficient Procedure for the Analysis of Heavy Duty Gas Turbine Secondary Flows in Different Operating Conditions

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Cerutti ◽  
Luca Bozzi ◽  
Federico Bonzani ◽  
Carlo Carcasci
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Efficient Procedure ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
Flow Functions

Combined cycle and partial load operating of modern heavy-duty gas turbines require highly efficient secondary air systems to supply both cooling and sealing air. Accurate performance predictions are then a fundamental demand over a wide range of operability. The paper describes the development of an efficient procedure for the investigation of gas turbine secondary flows, based on an in-house made fluid network solver, written in Matlab® environment. Fast network generation and debugging are achieved thanks to Simulink® graphical interface and modular structure, allowing predictions of the whole secondary air system. A crucial aspect of such an analysis is the calculation of blade and vane cooling flows, taking into account the interaction between inner and outer extraction lines. The problem is closed thanks to ad-hoc calculated transfer functions: cooling system performances and flow functions are solved in a pre-processing phase and results correlated to influencing parameters using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Design of Experiments (DOE) techniques. The procedure has been proved on the secondary air system of the AE94.3A2 Ansaldo Energia gas turbine. Flow functions for the cooling system of the first stage blade, calculated by RSM and DOE techniques, are presented. Flow functions based calculation of film cooling, tip cooling and trailing edge cooling air flows is described in details.

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