Investigating Gas Turbine Internal Cooling Using Supercritical CO2 at High Reynolds Numbers for Direct Fired Cycle Applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Searle ◽  
Arnab Roy ◽  
James Black ◽  
Doug Straub ◽  
Sridharan Ramesh

Abstract In this paper, experimental and numerical investigations of three variants of internal cooling configurations — dimples only, ribs only and ribs with dimples have been explored at process conditions (96°C and 207bar) with sCO2 as the coolant. The designs were chosen based on a review of advanced internal cooling features typically used for air-breathing gas turbines. The experimental study described in this paper utilizes additively manufactured square channels with the cooling features over a range of Reynolds number from 80,000 to 250,000. Nusselt number is calculated in the experiments utilizing the Wilson Plot method and three heat transfer characteristics — augmentation in Nusselt number, friction factor and overall Thermal Performance Factor (TPF) are reported. To explore the effect of surface roughness introduced due to additive manufacturing, two baseline channel flow cases are considered — a conventional smooth tube and an additively manufactured square tube. A companion computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is also performed for the corresponding cooling configurations reported in the experiments using the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) based turbulence model. Both experimental and computational results show increasing Nusselt number augmentation as higher Reynolds numbers are approached, whereas prior work on internal cooling of air-breathing gas turbines predict a decay in the heat transfer enhancement as Reynolds number increases. Comparing cooling features, it is observed that the “ribs only” and “ribs with dimples” configurations exhibit higher Nusselt number augmentation at all Reynolds numbers compared to the “dimples only” and the “no features” configurations. However, the frictional losses are almost an order of magnitude higher in presence of ribs.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Matthew Searle ◽  
Arnab Roy ◽  
James Black ◽  
Douglas Straub ◽  
Sridharan Ramesh

Abstract Experimental and numerical investigations of three variants of internal cooling configurations – dimples only, ribs only and ribs with dimples have been explored at process conditions (96°C and 207bar) with sCO2 as the coolant. The designs were chosen based on advanced internal cooling features typically used for air-breathing gas turbines. The experimental study described utilizes additively manufactured square channels with the cooling features over a range of Reynolds number from 80,000 to 250,000. Nusselt number is experimentally calculated utilizing the Wilson Plot method and three heat transfer characteristics – augmentation in Nusselt number, friction factor and overall Thermal Performance Factor (TPF) are reported. To explore the effect of surface roughness introduced due to additive manufacturing, two baseline flow cases are considered – a conventional smooth tube and an additively manufactured square tube. A companion computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is also performed for the corresponding cooling configurations reported in the experiments using the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) based turbulence model. Both experimental and computational results show increasing Nusselt number augmentation as higher Reynolds numbers are approached, whereas prior work on internal cooling of air-breathing gas turbines predict a decay in the heat transfer enhancement as Reynolds number increases. Comparing cooling features, it is observed that the “ribs only” and “ribs with dimples” configurations exhibit higher Nusselt number augmentation at all Reynolds numbers compared to the “dimples only” and the “no features” configurations. However, the frictional losses are almost an order of magnitude higher in presence of ribs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 3827-3842
Author(s):  
Samer Ali ◽  
Zein Alabidin Shami ◽  
Ali Badran ◽  
Charbel Habchi

Purpose In this paper, self-sustained second mode oscillations of flexible vortex generator (FVG) are produced to enhance the heat transfer in two-dimensional laminar flow regime. The purpose of this study is to determine the critical Reynolds number at which FVG becomes more efficient than rigid vortex generators (RVGs). Design/methodology/approach Ten cases were studied with different Reynolds numbers varying from 200 to 2,000. The Nusselt number and friction coefficients of the FVG cases are compared to those of RVG and empty channel at the same Reynolds numbers. Findings For Reynolds numbers higher than 800, the FVG oscillates in the second mode causing a significant increase in the velocity gradients generating unsteady coherent flow structures. The highest performance was obtained at the maximum Reynolds number for which the global Nusselt number is improved by 35.3 and 41.4 per cent with respect to empty channel and rigid configuration, respectively. Moreover, the thermal enhancement factor corresponding to FVG is 72 per cent higher than that of RVG. Practical implications The results obtained here can help in the design of novel multifunctional heat exchangers/reactors by using flexible tabs and inserts instead of rigid ones. Originality/value The originality of this paper is the use of second mode oscillations of FVG to enhance heat transfer in laminar flow regime.


Author(s):  
Matthew A. Smith ◽  
Randall M. Mathison ◽  
Michael G. Dunn

Heat transfer distributions are presented for a stationary three passage serpentine internal cooling channel for a range of engine representative Reynolds numbers. The spacing between the sidewalls of the serpentine passage is fixed and the aspect ratio (AR) is adjusted to 1:1, 1:2, and 1:6 by changing the distance between the top and bottom walls. Data are presented for aspect ratios of 1:1 and 1:6 for smooth passage walls and for aspect ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:6 for passages with two surfaces turbulated. For the turbulated cases, turbulators skewed 45° to the flow are installed on the top and bottom walls. The square turbulators are arranged in an offset parallel configuration with a fixed rib pitch-to-height ratio (P/e) of 10 and a rib height-to-hydraulic diameter ratio (e/Dh) range of 0.100 to 0.058 for AR 1:1 to 1:6, respectively. The experiments span a Reynolds number range of 4,000 to 130,000 based on the passage hydraulic diameter. While this experiment utilizes a basic layout similar to previous research, it is the first to run an aspect ratio as large as 1:6, and it also pushes the Reynolds number to higher values than were previously available for the 1:2 aspect ratio. The results demonstrate that while the normalized Nusselt number for the AR 1:2 configuration changes linearly with Reynolds number up to 130,000, there is a significant change in flow behavior between Re = 25,000 and Re = 50,000 for the aspect ratio 1:6 case. This suggests that while it may be possible to interpolate between points for different flow conditions, each geometric configuration must be investigated independently. The results show the highest heat transfer and the greatest heat transfer enhancement are obtained with the AR 1:6 configuration due to greater secondary flow development for both the smooth and turbulated cases. This enhancement was particularly notable for the AR 1:6 case for Reynolds numbers at or above 50,000.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 769-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Lewis ◽  
Mike Wilson ◽  
Gary Lock ◽  
J. Michael Owen

This paper compares heat transfer measurements from a preswirl rotor–stator experiment with three-dimensional (3D) steady-state results from a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The measured distribution of Nusselt number on the rotor surface was obtained from a scaled model of a gas turbine rotor–stator system, where the flow structure is representative of that found in an engine. Computations were carried out using a coupled multigrid Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver with a high Reynolds number k-ε∕k-ω turbulence model. Previous work has identified three parameters governing heat transfer: rotational Reynolds number (Reϕ), preswirl ratio (βp), and the turbulent flow parameter (λT). For this study rotational Reynolds numbers are in the range 0.8×106<Reϕ<1.2×106. The turbulent flow parameter and preswirl ratios varied between 0.12<λT<0.38 and 0.5<βp<1.5, which are comparable to values that occur in industrial gas turbines. Two performance parameters have been calculated: the adiabatic effectiveness for the system, Θb,ad, and the discharge coefficient for the receiver holes, CD. The computations show that, although Θb,ad increases monotonically as βp increases, there is a critical value of βp at which CD is a maximum. At high coolant flow rates, computations have predicted peaks in heat transfer at the radius of the preswirl nozzles. These were discovered during earlier experiments and are associated with the impingement of the preswirl flow on the rotor disk. At lower flow rates, the heat transfer is controlled by boundary-layer effects. The Nusselt number on the rotating disk increases as either Reϕ or λT increases, and is axisymmetric except in the region of the receiver holes, where significant two-dimensional variations are observed. The computed velocity field is used to explain the heat transfer distributions observed in the experiments. The regions of peak heat transfer around the receiver holes are a consequence of the route taken by the flow. Two routes have been identified: “direct,” whereby flow forms a stream tube between the inlet and outlet; and “indirect,” whereby flow mixes with the rotating core of fluid.


Author(s):  
S. Gilchrist ◽  
C. Y. Ching ◽  
D. Ewing

An experimental investigation was performed to determine the effect that surface roughness has on the heat transfer in an axial Taylor-Couette flow. The experiments were performed using an inner rotating cylinder in a stationary water jacket for Taylor numbers of 106 to 5×107 and axial Reynolds numbers of 900 to 2100. Experiments were performed for a smooth inner cylinder, a cylinder with two-dimensional rib roughness and a cylinder with three-dimensional cubic protrusions. The heat transfer results for the smooth cylinder were in good agreement with existing experimental data. The change in the Nusselt number was relatively independent of the axial Reynolds number for the cylinder with rib roughness. This result was similar to the smooth wall case but the heat transfer was enhanced by 5% to 40% over the Taylor number range. The Nusselt number for the cylinder with cubic protrusions exhibited an axial Reynolds number dependence. For a low axial Reynolds number of 980, the Nusselt number increased with the Taylor number in a similar way to the other test cylinders. At higher axial Reynolds numbers, the heat transfer was initially independent of the Taylor number before increasing with Taylor number similar to the lower Reynolds number case. In this higher axial Reynolds number case the heat transfer was enhanced by up to 100% at the lowest Taylor number of 1×106 and by approximately 35% at the highest Taylor number of 5×107.


Author(s):  
Paul Lewis ◽  
Mike Wilson ◽  
Gary Lock ◽  
J. Michael Owen

This paper compares heat transfer measurements from a pre-swirl rotor-stator experiment with 3D steady state results from a commercial CFD code. The measured distribution of Nusselt number on the rotor surface was obtained from a scaled model of a gas turbine rotor-stator system, where the flow structure is representative of that found in an engine. Computations were carried out using a coupled multigrid RANS solver with a high-Reynolds-number k-ε/k-ω turbulence model. Previous work has identified three parameters governing heat transfer: rotational Reynolds number (Reφ), pre-swirl ratio (βp) and the turbulent flow parameter (λT). For this study rotational Reynolds numbers are in the range 0.8×106 &lt; Reφ &lt; 1.2×106. The turbulent flow parameter and pre-swirl ratios varied between 0.12 &lt; λT &lt; 0.38 and 0.5 &lt; βp &lt; 1.5, which are comparable to values that occur in industrial gas turbines. At high coolant flow rates, computations have predicted peaks in heat transfer at the radius of the pre-swirl nozzles. These were discovered during earlier experiments and are associated with the impingement of the pre-swirl flow on the rotor disc. At lower flow rates, the heat transfer is controlled by boundary-layer effects. The Nusselt number on the rotating disc increases as either Reφ or λT increases, and is axisymmetric except in the region of the receiver holes, where significant two-dimensional variations are observed. The computed velocity field is used to explain the heat transfer distributions observed in the experiments. The regions of peak heat transfer around the receiver holes are a consequence of the route taken by the flow. Two routes have been identified: “direct”, whereby flow forms a stream-tube between the inlet and outlet; and “indirect”, whereby flow mixes with the rotating core of fluid. Two performance parameters have been calculated: the adiabatic effectiveness for the system, Θb,ab, and the discharge coefficient for the receiver holes, CD. The computations show that, although Θb,ab increases monotonically as βp increases, there is a critical value of βp at which CD is a maximum.


2000 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bagchi ◽  
M. Y. Ha ◽  
S. Balachandar

Direct numerical solution for flow and heat transfer past a sphere in a uniform flow is obtained using an accurate and efficient Fourier-Chebyshev spectral collocation method for Reynolds numbers up to 500. We investigate the flow and temperature fields over a range of Reynolds numbers, showing steady and axisymmetric flow when the Reynolds number is less than 210, steady and nonaxisymmetric flow without vortex shedding when the Reynolds number is between 210 and 270, and unsteady three-dimensional flow with vortex shedding when the Reynolds number is above 270. Results from three-dimensional simulation are compared with the corresponding axisymmetric simulations for Re>210 in order to see the effect of unsteadiness and three-dimensionality on heat transfer past a sphere. The local Nusselt number distribution obtained from the 3D simulation shows big differences in the wake region compared with axisymmetric one, when there exists strong vortex shedding in the wake. But the differences in surface-average Nusselt number between axisymmetric and three-dimensional simulations are small owing to the smaller surface area associated with the base region. The shedding process is observed to be dominantly one-sided and as a result axisymmetry of the surface heat transfer is broken even after a time-average. The one-sided shedding also results in a time-averaged mean lift force on the sphere.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Yigang Luan ◽  
Lanyi Yan ◽  
Yue Yin ◽  
Hao Fu

Abstract The paper conducts numerical investigation coupled with Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes method on detailed flow field and heat transfer characteristics of ribbed channel with symmetric ribs mounted on two walls. The physical domain is modeled by reference to a practical turbine blade internal cooling channel. The effects of three selected geometric factors of ribs, i.e. rib inclination angle, dimensionless rib height and dimensionless rib pitch, on the flow and heat transfer are investigated by variable-controlled simulations with the Reynolds number ranges from 5,000 to 90,000. The parameter ranges are 30°≤a≤90°, 0.5≤e/w≤1.5 and 5≤P/w≤15 with the rib width w fixed at 1mm. It is newly found that the friction factor does not follow a monotonical trend with respect to the Reynolds number under certain rib configurations. In addition, three-level numerical calculations about three geometric factors as well as the Reynolds number are conducted with the response surface method (RSM). Quadratic regression model for the targeted response, TPF, is obtained. The optimal rib shape for the goal of maximizing the channel overall thermal performance turns out to be e/w=0.5, P/w=15, a=30° as Re is fixed at 30,000.


Author(s):  
A. K. Saha ◽  
Sumanta Acharya

Large Eddy Simulations (LES) and Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) simulations have been performed for flow and heat transfer in a rotating ribbed duct. The ribs are oriented normal to the flow and arranged in a staggered configuration on the leading and trailing surfaces. The LES results are based on a higher-order accurate finite difference scheme with a dynamic Smagorinsky model for the subgrid stresses. The URANS procedure utilizes a two equation k-ε model for the turbulent stresses. Both Coriolis and centrifugal buoyancy effects are included in the simulations. The URANS computations have been carried out for a wide range of Reynolds number (Re = 12,500–100,000), rotation number (Ro = 0–0.5) and density ratio (Δρ/ρ = 0–0.5), while LES results are reported for a single Reynolds number of 12,500 without and with rotation (Ro = 0.12, Δρ/ρ = 0.13). Comparison is made between the LES and URANS results, and the effects of various parameters on the flow field and surface heat transfer are explored. The LES results clearly reflect the importance of coherent structures in the flow, and the unsteady dynamics associated with these structures. The heat transfer results from both LES and URANS are found to be in reasonable agreement with measurements. LES is found to give higher heat transfer predictions (5–10% higher) than URANS. The Nusselt number ratio (Nu/Nu0) is found to decrease with increasing Reynolds number on all walls, while they increase with the density ratio along the leading and trailing walls. The Nusselt number ratio on the trailing and side walls also increases with rotation. However, the leading wall Nusselt number ratio shows an initial decrease with rotation (till Ro = 0.12) due to the stabilizing effect of rotation on the leading wall. However, beyond Ro = 0.12, the Nusselt number ratio increases with rotation due to the importance of centrifugal-buoyancy at high rotation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Neil Jordan ◽  
Lesley M. Wright ◽  
Daniel C. Crites

Jet impingement is often employed within the leading edge of turbine airfoils to combat the heat loads incurred within this region. This experimental investigation employs a transient liquid crystal technique to obtain detailed Nusselt number distributions on a concave, cylindrical surface that models the leading edge of a turbine airfoil. The effect of hole shape and differing hole inlet and exit conditions are investigated. Two hole shapes are studied: cylindrical and racetrack-shaped holes; for each hole shape, the hydraulic diameter and mass flow rate into the array of jets is conserved. As a result, the jet's Reynolds number varies between the two jet arrays. Reynolds numbers of 13,600, 27,200, and 40,700 are investigated for the cylindrical holes, and Reynolds numbers of 11,500, 23,000, and 34,600 are investigated for the racetrack holes. Three inlet and exit conditions are investigated for each hole shape: a square edged, a partially filleted, and a fully filleted hole. The ratio of the fillet radius to hole hydraulic diameter is set at 0.25 and 0.667 for the partially and fully filleted holes, respectively, while all other geometrical features remain constant. Results show the Nusselt number is directly related to the Reynolds number for both cylindrical and racetrack-shaped holes. The racetrack holes are shown to provide enhanced heat transfer compared to the cylindrical holes. The degree of filleting at the inlet and outlet of the holes affects whether the heat transfer on the leading edge model is further enhanced or degraded.


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