Numerical Study of Influence of Rotor Tip Gap Increase due to Age Deterioration in 3-Stage Gas Turbine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Yonezawa ◽  
Junichi Sakamoto ◽  
Kazuyasu Sugiyama ◽  
Shuichi Ohmori ◽  
Shuichi Umezawa
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Balance Analysis ◽  
Blade Tip

Abstract Influences of age-related deterioration on the increase in rotor tip gap width are discussed numerically. In the gas turbine examined in the present study, there are two kinds of geometries around the rotor blade tip. In the first stage, there is clearance between the blade tip and the casing without any seal structures. On the other hand, there is a shroud and seal fin on the rotor blade tip. The blade geometries were measured using a 3-D scanner in a working power plant, and the tip clearances were varied by changing the casing contour. Steady-state CFD simulations were carried out. Tip gap widths were varied by shifting the casing wall. For simplicity, the blade geometries were not changed. The influence of tip clearance was examined by changing the geometries in each stage separately. Boundary conditions were determined using the previously developed hybrid method of heat balance analysis and CFD simulation, which can simulate the operating conditions of a working gas turbine. The results showed that the turbine performance degradation could spread to the following stage. Observation of entropy fields revealed that the increase in the tip leakage flow affected the flow in the following nozzle, and the loss increased.

Effects of Tip Clearance on Unsteady Flow Characteristics in an Axial Turbine Stage

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Sun ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Zhenping Feng
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Unsteady Flow ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Turbine Stage ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Blade Tip

The clearance between the rotor blade tip and casing wall in turbomachinery passages induces leakage flow loss and thus degrades aerodynamic performance of the machine. The flow field in turbomachinery is significantly influenced by the rotor blade tip clearance size. To investigate the effects of tip clearance size on the rotor-stator interaction, the turbine stage profile from Matsunuma’s experimental tests was adopted, and the unsteady flow fields with two tip clearance sizes of 0.67% and 2.00% of blade span was numerical simulated based on Harmonic method using NUMECA software. By comparing with the domain scaling method, the accuracy of the harmonic method was verified. The interaction mechanism between the stator wake and the leakage flow was investigated. It is found that the recirculation induced by the stator wake is separated by a significant “interaction line” from the flow field close to the suction side in the clearance region. The trend of the pressure fluctuation is contrary on both sides of the line. When the stator wakes pass by the suction side, the pressure field fluctuates and the intensity of the tip leakage flow varies. With the clearance size increasing, the “interaction line” is more far away from the suction side and the intensity of tip leakage flow also fluctuates more strongly.

Effects of Inlet Swirl on Hot Streak Migration Across Tip Clearance and Heat Transfer on Rotor Blade Tip

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaofang Liu ◽  
Zhiduo Wang ◽  
Zhenping Feng
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Heat Load ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Inlet Swirl ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Hot Streak

This paper presents an investigation on the hot streak migration across tip clearance and heat transfer on blade tip in a high pressure (HP) gas turbine with different inlet swirl directions and clocking positions. The geometry is taken from the first stage of GE-E3 turbine engine. Two swirl directions (positive and negative) and two circumferential clocking positions (aligning with S1 nozzle leading edge and mid passage) for inlet hot streak and swirl have been employed and investigated, respectively. Two cases with only hot streak at different inlet circumferential positions are adopted as the baseline in this study. By solving the unsteady compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, the time dependent solutions were obtained. The results indicate that the influence of inlet swirl on pressure distribution focuses on the suction side. Positive swirl attracts more hot fluid to the upper endwall, when it aligns with nozzle stator leading edge. Because of the squeezing mechanism between positive swirl and leakage flow, the heat transfer on rotor blade tip is more uniform. While negative swirl increases tip leakage flow and the heat load at the first half on tip surface. In all cases with swirl, the heat load at the second half on blade tip is effectively reduced, which is good for cooling rotor blade tip. If the stator is cooled effectively, inlet positive swirl aligning with nozzle vane leading edge will be the best choice for protecting rotor blade tip. By comparing with the results of previous literature, it is concluded that whatever arrangement the blade rows locate, the swirl direction which is opposite to the leakage flow should be chosen for protecting not only blade surface but also blade tip when the inlet swirl exists.

scholarly journals Massively Parallel Large Eddy Simulation of Rotating Turbomachinery for Variable Speed Gas Turbine Engine Operation

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 703
Author(s):  
Nishan Jain ◽  
Luis Bravo ◽  
Dokyun Kim ◽  
Muthuvel Murugan ◽  
Anindya Ghoshal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Massively Parallel ◽  
Rotor Speed ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Engine Operation ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
The Impact

Gas turbine engines are required to operate at both design and off-design conditions that can lead to strongly unsteady flow-fields and aerodynamic losses severely impacting performance. Addressing this problem requires effective use of computational fluid dynamics tools and emerging models that resolve the large scale fields in detail while accurately modeling the under-resolved scale dynamics. The objective of the current study is to conduct massively parallel large eddy simulations (LES) of rotating turbomachinery that handle the near-wall dynamics using accurate wall models at relevant operating conditions. The finite volume compressible CharLES solver was employed to conduct the simulations over moving grids generated through Voronoi-based unstructured cells. A grid sensitivity analysis was carried out first to establish reliable parameters and assess the quality of the results. LES simulations were then conducted to understand the impact of blade tip clearance and operating conditions on the stage performance. Variations in tip clearance of 3% and 16% chord were considered in the analysis. Other design points included operation at 100% rotor speed and off-design conditions at 75% and 50% of the rotor speed. The simulation results showed that the adiabatic efficiency improves dramatically with reduction in tip gap due to the decrease in tip leakage flow and the resulting flow structures. The analysis also showed that the internal flow becomes highly unsteady, undergoing massive separation, as the rotor speed deviates from the design point. This study demonstrates the capability of the framework to simulate highly turbulent unsteady flows in a rotating turbomachinery environment. The results provide much needed insight and massive data to investigate novel design concepts for the US Army Future Vertical Lift program.

Numerical Investigation of Aerothermal Characteristics of the Blade Tip and Near-Tip Regions of a Transonic Turbine Blade

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Arisi ◽  
S. Xue ◽  
W. F. Ng ◽  
H. K. Moon ◽  
L. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Mach Number ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Turbine Engines ◽  
Gas Turbine Engines ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Exit Mach Number

In modern gas turbine engines, the blade tips and near-tip regions are exposed to high thermal loads caused by the tip leakage flow. The rotor blades are therefore carefully designed to achieve optimum work extraction at engine design conditions without failure. However, very often gas turbine engines operate outside these design conditions which might result in sudden rotor blade failure. Therefore, it is critical that the effect of such off-design turbine blade operation be understood to minimize the risk of failure and optimize rotor blade tip performance. In this study, the effect of varying the exit Mach number on the tip and near-tip heat transfer characteristics was numerically studied by solving the steady Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equation. The study was carried out on a highly loaded flat tip rotor blade with 1% tip gap and at exit Mach numbers of Mexit = 0.85 (Reexit = 9.75 × 105) and Mexit = 1.0 (Reexit = 1.15 × 106) with high freestream turbulence (Tu = 12%). The exit Reynolds number was based on the rotor axial chord. The numerical results provided detailed insight into the flow structure and heat transfer distribution on the tip and near-tip surfaces. On the tip surface, the heat transfer was found to generally increase with exit Mach number due to high turbulence generation in the tip gap and flow reattachment. While increase in exit Mach number generally raises he heat transfer over the whole blade surface, the increase is significantly higher on the near-tip surfaces affected by leakage vortex. Increase in exit Mach number was found to also induce strong flow relaminarization on the pressure side near-tip. On the other hand, the size of the suction surface near-tip region affected by leakage vortex was insensitive to changes in exit Mach number but significant increase in local heat transfer was noted in this region.

scholarly journals Blade Tips - Clearance and Its Control

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (08) ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Lee S. Langston
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Thermally Induced ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Different Response ◽  
Transient Operations ◽  
Blade Tip Clearance

This article focuses on studying blade tip clearance phenomena. It is important to realize that to be freely turning, a blade (or a cantilevered stator) must have a clearance gap between its tip and the engine casing (or hub). Such clearances introduce aerodynamic losses, decreasing gas turbine efficiency. Tip leakage losses in compressors can be significant and have been reviewed by the experts. During transient operations, gas turbine blade tip clearances will change based on blade/disk centrifugal loads and the different response times of engine parts to thermally induced expansions and contractions. Designers have perfected active clearance control (ACC) systems to deal with these transient conditions. ACC uses cool or hot gas path and fan air at appropriate times during transients to control the rate of expansion or contraction of internal parts adjacent to the gas path and outer casings. The research shows that continued enhancement of blade tip clearance management systems over a range of engine operating conditions has brought and will bring about gains in gas turbine efficiency.

Numerical Investigation of Aerothermal Characteristics of the Blade Tip and Near-Tip Regions of a Transonic Turbine Blade

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Arisi ◽  
S. Xue ◽  
W. F. Ng ◽  
H. K. Moon ◽  
L. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Mach Number ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Turbine Engines ◽  
Gas Turbine Engines ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Exit Mach Number

In modern gas turbine engines, the blade tips and near-tip regions are exposed to high thermal loads caused by the tip leakage flow. The rotor blades are therefore carefully designed to achieve optimum work extraction at engine design conditions without failure. However, very often gas turbine engines operate outside these design conditions which might result in sudden rotor blade failure. Therefore, it is critical that the effect of such off-design turbine blade operation be understood to minimize the risk of failure and optimize rotor blade tip performance. In this study, the effect of varying the exit Mach number on the tip and near-tip heat transfer characteristics was numerically studied by solving the steady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equation. The study was carried out on a highly loaded flat tip rotor blade with 1% tip gap and at exit Mach numbers of Mexit = 0.85 (Reexit = 9.75 × 105) and Mexit = 1.0 (Reexit = 1.15 × 106) with high freestream turbulence (Tu = 12%). The exit Reynolds number was based on the rotor axial chord. The numerical results provided detailed insight into the flow structure and heat transfer distribution on the tip and near-tip surfaces. On the tip surface, the heat transfer was found to generally increase with exit Mach number due to high turbulence generation in the tip gap and flow reattachment. While increase in exit Mach number generally raises he heat transfer over the whole blade surface, the increase is significantly higher on the near-tip surfaces affected by leakage vortex. Increase in exit Mach number was found to also induce strong flow relaminarisation on the pressure side near-tip. On the other hand, the size of the suction surface near-tip region affected by leakage vortex was insensitive to changes in exit Mach number but significant increase in local heat transfer was noted in this region.

scholarly journals The Model V84.3 Shop Tests: Tip Clearance Measurements and Evaluation

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Janssen ◽  
J. Seume ◽  
H. Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Cold Start ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Experimental Program ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Hot Start ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Design Calculations

The design of high-performance gas turbines requires the reliable prediction of blade tip clearances. Excess clearances allow a portion of the hot gas to flow over the blade tips without performing useful work. The tip leakage flow disturbs the flow field which results in additional losses. Moreover, insufficient blade tip clearance may cause interference which can reduce turbine life. In conventional turbomachines, the blade tip clearances vary markedly with the operating condition of the turbine, essentially as a result of variations in gas temperatures and rotor speed. Siemens tests prototype gas turbines in its own test facility. An extensive experimental program is devised to verify design calculations regarding strength, aerodynamics and thermodynamics. Among other measurements, the minimum operating tip clearance is measured by abrasion pins. Electro-mechanical sensors measure transient tip clearance during a selected duty cycle consisting of turning-gear operation, cold start, idle operation, as well as part-load, full-load, and most importantly, hot-start. In the present paper, the compressor and turbine tip clearances measured during such a load cycle are compared with calculated predictions. The experimental instrumentation for the prototype gas turbine, as well as design calculations, are presented. The results show that the new Model V84.3 gas turbine does not exhibit critically small clearances during cold start nor during hot-start due to the careful matching of magnitude and the time constants of the thermal expansion of the blades, discs, blade-ring carriers and casing.

Experimental Demonstration of the Tip Clearance Flow Resonance Behind Compressor Non-Synchronous Vibration

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Thomassin ◽  
Huu Duc Vo ◽  
Njuki W. Mureithi
Keyword(s):  
Shear Layer ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Tip Clearance Flow ◽  
Experimental Apparatus ◽  
Clearance Flow ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Blade Tip Clearance

Non-Synchronous Vibration (NSV) is a particular type of aero-elastic phenomenon where the rotor blades vibrate at non-integral multiples of the shaft rotational frequencies. NSV behaviour appears similar to off-design stall flutter but with a particular blade tip flow evolution. This paper demonstrates the link between NSV and the resonance induced by the tip clearance flow, based on a proposed hypothesis. At off-design operating conditions, the rotor blade tip clearance shear layer flow can evolve tangentially. It is proposed that this tangential flow becomes a support for an acoustic feedback wave that settles between rotor blades. The feedback wave is driven by the blade vibratory motion. This forms a closed loop system where the feedback wave synchronizes the shear layer vortical structures with the blade vibration frequency. Depending on the blade tip local temperature, and when the feedback wavelength matches within one or two blade pitches, the system becomes resonant and very high vibrations can occur on the blade. An axial stage compressor test rig is used to look into the underlying mechanism behind NSV. The experimental apparatus consists of the first stage of a High Pressure Compressor (HPC) driven by an electric motor. The test section is built to minimize the effects of the adjacent stator blade rows to isolate the role of rotor blade tip clearance flow on NSV. Sensitivity studies are carried out to assess the effects of the rotor blade tip clearance and inlet temperature on NSV. Finally, evidence of the staging phenomena, inherent to the proposed NSV mechanism, is experimentally obtained.

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