Experimental Characterization of the Flow Instabilities of a Mixed-Flow Multiphase Pump Operating Air and Water Through Local Visualization and Analysis of Dynamic Measurements

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Serena ◽  
Lars E. Bakken
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Flow Mechanisms ◽  
Local Measurements ◽  
Specific Geometry ◽  
Promising Development

Part load operation of pumps generates flow and machine instabilities, which are not desirable and should be avoided as they result in premature wear and mechanical problems. Two-phase flow introduces additional challenges, both at the design and operational stages, due to the different phase behavior and mutual interaction. The phenomena involved present an intermittent character and are strongly dependent on the specific geometry and operating conditions. Despite the recent promising development of numerical simulations capabilities, an accurate characterization of the flow mechanisms still relies on real tests, which are needed to validate the numerical models too. An advanced laboratory test facility built at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology provides the required optical access to the pump channels, and high-speed recordings, along with local measurements of the pressure pulsations, allow to describe the flow structures in terms of location, length and time scales, and relate them to overall machine measurements, such as flow, pressure and torque. This provides a wide collection of test data of great value for a further understanding of the surging phenomenon, the development of a surging onset prediction model and a control strategy. Tests are performed covering the whole range of flow rates; a characteristic surging condition is identified and described in the article.

Experimental Inverstigations On the Pressure Fluctuations in the Sealing Gap of Dry Gas Seals with Embedded Pressure Sensors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Luo ◽  
Dieter Brillert
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Mechanical Seals ◽  
Process Gas ◽  
Sealing Gap

Abstract Dry gas lubricated non-contacting mechanical seals (DGS), most commonly found in centrifugal compressors, prevent the process gas flow into the atmosphere. Especially when high speed is combined with high pressure, DGS is the preferred choice over other sealing alternatives. In order to investigate the flow field in the sealing gap and to facilitate the numerical prediction of the seal performance, a dedicated test facility is developed to carry out the measurement of key parameters in the gas film. Gas in the sealing film varies according to the seal inlet pressure, and the thickness of gas film depends on this fluctuated pressure. In this paper, the test facility, measurement methods and the first results of static pressure measurements in the sealing gap of the DGS obtained in the described test facility are presented. An industry DGS with three-dimensional grooves on the surface of the rotating ring, where experimental investigations take place, is used. The static pressure in the gas film is measured, up to 20 bar and 8,100 rpm, by several high frequency ultraminiature pressure transducers embedded into the stationary ring. The experimental results are discussed and compared with the numerical model programmed in MATLAB, the characteristic and magnitude of which have a good agreement with the numerical simulations. It suggests the feasibility of measuring pressure profiles of the standard industry DGS under pressurized dynamic operating conditions without altering the key components of the seal and thereby affecting the seal performance.

Fuel Influence on Targeted Gas Turbine Combustion Properties: Part I — Detailed Diagnostics

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Mosbach ◽  
Victor Burger ◽  
Barani Gunasekaran
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Optical Measurements ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
High Speed Imaging ◽  
Combustion Properties ◽  
First Results

The threshold combustion performance of different fuel formulations under simulated altitude relight conditions were investigated in the altitude relight test facility located at the Rolls-Royce plc. Strategic Research Centre in Derby, UK. The combustor employed was a twin-sector representation of an RQL gas turbine combustor. Eight fuels including conventional crude-derived Jet A-1 kerosene, synthetic paraffinic kerosenes (SPKs), linear paraffinic solvents, aromatic solvents and pure compounds were tested. The combustor was operated at sub-atmospheric air pressure of 41 kPa and air temperature of 265 K. The temperature of all fuels was regulated to 288 K. The combustor operating conditions corresponded to a low stratospheric flight altitude near 9 kilometres. The experimental work at the Rolls-Royce (RR) test-rig consisted of classical relight envelope ignition and extinction tests, and ancillary optical measurements: Simultaneous high-speed imaging of the OH* chemiluminescence and of the soot luminosity was used to visualize both the transient combustion phenomena and the combustion behaviour of the steady burning flames. Flame luminosity spectra were also simultaneously recorded with a spectrometer to obtain information about the different combustion intermediates and about the thermal soot radiation curve. This paper presents first results from the analysis of the weak extinction measurements. Further detailed test fuel results are the subject of a separate complementary paper [1]. It was found in general that the determined weak extinction parameters were not strongly dependent on the fuels investigated, however at the leading edge of the OH* chemiluminescence intensity development in the pre-flame region fuel-related differences were observed.

Investigation on Flat-Fan Spray Characterization in High-Speed Air Coflow for Gas Turbine Online Water Washing Application

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiran Kumar ◽  
Vasudev Chaudhari ◽  
Srikrishna Sahu ◽  
Ravindra G. Devi
Keyword(s):  
Droplet Size ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Cone Angle ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Spray Characteristics ◽  
Spray Cone ◽  
Water Washing ◽  
Spray Characterization

Abstract Fouling in compressor blades due to dirt deposition is a major issue in land-based gas turbines as it impedes the compressor performance and degrades the overall engine efficiency. The online water washing approach is an effective alternate for early-stage compressor blade cleaning and to optimize the time span between offline washing and peak availability. In such case, typically a series of flat-fan nozzles are used at the engine bell mouth to inject water sprays into the inflowing air. However, optimizing the injector operating conditions is not a straightforward task mainly due to the tradeoff between blade cleaning effectiveness and material erosion. In this context, the knowledge on spray characteristics prior to blade impingement play a vital role, and the experimental spray characterization is crucial not only to understand the basic process but also to validate numerical models and simulations. The present paper investigates spray characteristics in a single flat-fan nozzle operated in the presence of a coflowing air within a wind-tunnel. A parametric investigation is carried out using different air flow velocity in the tunnel and inlet water temperature, while the liquid flow rate was maintained constant. The spray cone angle and liquid breakup length are measured using back-lit photography. The high-speed shadowgraphy technique is used for capturing the droplet images downstream of the injector exit. The images are processed following depth-of-filed correction to measure droplet size distribution. Droplet velocity is measured by the particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique. As both droplet size and velocity are known, the cross-stream evolution of local droplet mass and momentum flux are obtained at different axial locations which form the basis for studying the effectiveness of the blade cleaning process due to droplet impingement on a coupon coated with foulant of known mass.

Visualization of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Flow Through a Converging-Diverging Nozzle

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Hyeon Lim ◽  
Gokul Pathikonda ◽  
Sandeep Pidaparti ◽  
Devesh Ranjan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Critical Point ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Pressure Profiles ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Supercritical Carbon

Abstract Supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles have the potential to offer a higher plant efficiency than the traditional Rankine superheated/supercritical steam cycle or Helium Brayton cycles. The most attractive characteristic of sCO2 is that the fluid density is high near the critical point, allowing compressors to consume less power than conventional gas Brayton cycles and maintain a smaller turbomachinery size. Despite these advantages, there still exist unsolved challenges in design and operation of sCO2 compressors near the critical point. Drastic changes in fluid properties near the critical point and the high compressibility of the fluid pose several challenges. Operating a sCO2 compressor near the critical point has potential to produce two phase flow, which can be detrimental to turbomachinery performance. To mimic the expanding regions of compressor blades, flow through a converging-diverging nozzle is investigated. Pressure profiles along the nozzle are recorded and presented for operating conditions near the critical point. Using high speed shadowgraph images, onset and growth of condensation is captured along the nozzle. Pressure profiles were calculated using a one-dimensional homogeneous equilibrium model and compared with experimental data.

scholarly journals Comparative Study of CFD and LedaFlow Models for Riser-Induced Slug Flow

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3733
Author(s):  
Rasmus Thy Jørgensen ◽  
Gunvor Rossen Tonnesen ◽  
Matthias Mandø ◽  
Simon Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Slug Flow ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Transient Model ◽  
Vof Model

The goal of this study is to compare mainstream Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with the widely used 1D transient model LedaFlow in their ability to predict riser induced slug flow and to determine if it is relevant for the offshore oil and gas industry to consider making the switch from LedaFlow to CFD. Presently, the industry use relatively simple 1D-models, such as LedaFlow, to predict flow patterns in pipelines. The reduction in cost of computational power in recent years have made it relevant to compare the performance of these codes with high fidelity CFD simulations. A laboratory test facility was used to obtain data for pressure and mass flow rates for the two-phase flow of air and water. A benchmark case of slug flow served for evaluation of the numerical models. A 3D unsteady CFD simulation was performed based on Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) formulation and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model using the open-source CFD code OpenFOAM. Unsteady simulations using the commercial 1D LedaFlow solver were performed using the same boundary conditions and fluid properties as the CFD simulation. Both the CFD and LedaFlow model underpredicted the experimentally determined slug frequency by 22% and 16% respectively. Both models predicted a classical blowout, in which the riser is completely evacuated of water, while only a partial evacuation of the riser was observed experimentally. The CFD model had a runtime of 57 h while the LedaFlow model had a runtime of 13 min. It can be concluded that the prediction capabilities of the CFD and LedaFlow models are similar for riser-induced slug flow while the CFD model is much more computational intensive.

Development of Two-Dimensional Bubble Movement and Development Benchmark Dataset for Numerical Validation

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gholamreza Keshavarzi ◽  
Tracie J. Barber ◽  
Guan Yeoh
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Fluid Flows ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Point Of Interest ◽  
Time Shape ◽  
Computational Resources ◽  
Bubble Movement

The motion and transport of bubbles in fluid flows have many engineering applications. The rise of a bubble has been a point of interest for both numerical and experimental studies. Various tracking methodologies have been developed, including markers, level sets and volume tracking. In order to validate numerical models of bubble flow, detailed experimental data describing the transient bubble shape is needed. This is best found from a 2D comparison rather than 3D experiment because computational resources for determining an accurate shape can be maximized. No real full time shape and subsequent deformation of this 2D bubble has yet been demonstrated. In this paper 2D bubble experiments have been conducted, in which a single bubble has been injected inside a close-walled tank and the rising of the bubble has been captured through a high speed camera. This data is now being used as a benchmark for numerical interface capturing and two phase flow methodology validations.

Characterization of the Non-Reacting Two-Phase Flow Downstream of an Aero-Engine Combustor Dome Operating at Realistic Conditions

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent G. McDonell ◽  
Jason E. Seay ◽  
Scott Samuelsen
Keyword(s):  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Basic Structure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Phase Doppler Interferometry

The structure of the two-phase flow produced by a SNECMA/GEAE CFM-56 swirl cup is characterized using flow visualization and phase Doppler interferometry. Three operating conditions are examined, corresponding to 3.5, 7, and 15% power levels for the engine. Detailed measurements are obtained for the 3.5 and 7% power conditions. The results obtained are contrasted to previous results obtained in an idealized environment with the goal of assessing the relevance of such data to practical conditions. The results reveal that the increase in power has little impact upon the general structure of the flow and that even the atmospheric results provide the basic structure associated with the actual conditions. This is attributed to the similarity in pressure drop for each of the cases considered. Increasing power does lead to a systematic reduction in drop size despite exceeding crossover points for the duplex atomizer used. This difference is attributed primarily to inlet temperature changes.

Internal Bearing Chamber Wall Heat Transfer as a Function of Operating Conditions and Chamber Geometry

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Busam ◽  
Axel Glahn ◽  
Sigmar Wittig
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Chamber Wall ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Wall Heat Transfer ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Dimensional Parameter ◽  
Secondary Air

Increasing efficiencies of modern aero-engines are accompanied by rising turbine inlet temperatures, pressure levels and rotational speeds. These operating conditions require a detailed knowledge of two-phase flow phenomena in secondary air and lubrication oil systems in order to predict correctly the heat transfer to the oil. It has been found in earlier investigations that especially at high rotational speeds the heat transfer rate within the bearing chambers is significantly increased with negative effects on the heat to oil management. Furthermore, operating conditions are reached where oil coking and oil fires are more likely to occur. Therefore, besides heat sources like bearing friction and churning, the heat transfer along the housing wall has to be considered in order to meet safety and reliability criteria. Based on our recent publications as well as new measurements of local and mean heat transfer coefficients, which were obtained at our test facility for engine relevant operating conditions, an equation for the internal bearing chamber wall heat transfer is proposed. Nusselt numbers are expressed as a function of non-dimensional parameter groups covering influences of chamber geometry, flow rates and shaft speed.

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