Subsonic Stall Flutter of a Linear Turbine Blade Cascade Using Experimental and CFD Analysis

Author(s):  
Vaclav Slama ◽  
Bartolomej Rudas ◽  
Jiri Ira ◽  
Ales Macalka ◽  
Petr Eret ◽  
...  

Abstract Stall flutter of long blades influences the operation safety of the large steam turbines in off-design conditions. As angles of attack are typically high, a partial or complete separation of the flow from the blade surface occurs. The prediction of stall flutter of turbine blades is a crucial task in the design and development of modern turbomachinery units and reliable design tools are necessary. In this work, aerodynamic stability of a linear turbine blade cascade is tested experimentally at high angle of attack +15°, Ma = 0.2 and the reduced frequency of 0.38. Controlled flutter testing has been performed in a travelling wave mode approach for the torsion with the motion amplitude of 0.5°. In addition, ANSYS CFX with SST k-ω turbulent model is used for URANS simulations of a full-scale computational domain. A separation bubble formed on suction surface near the leading edge has been found in CFD results for each blade. Excellent agreement between the experimental and numerical results in stability maps has been achieved for this case under investigation. This is encouraging and both experimental and numerical techniques will be tested further.

Author(s):  
Souvik Naskar ◽  
S. Sarkar

Abstract Modern commercial airliners use multi-element aerofoils to enhance take-off and landing performance. Further, multielement aerofoil configurations have been shown to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbines. In the present study, high resolution Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used to explore the low Reynolds Number (Re = 0.832 × 104) aerodynamics of a 30P30N multi-element aerofoil at an angle of attack, α = 4°. In the present simulation, wake shed from a leading edge element or slat is found to interact with the separated shear layer developing over the suction surface of the main wing. High receptivity of shear layer via amplification of free-stream turbulence leads to rollup and breakdown, forming a large separation bubble. A transient growth of fluctuations is observed in the first half of the separation bubble, where levels of turbulence becomes maximum near the reattachment and then decay depicting saturation of turbulence. Results of the present LES are found to be in close agreement with the experiment depicting high vortical activity in the outer layer. Some features of the flow field here are similar to those occur due to interactions of passing wake and the separated boundary layer on the suction surface of high lift low pressure turbine blades.


Author(s):  
L. He

An experimental and computational study has been carried out on a linear cascade of low pressure turbine blades with the middle blade oscillating in a torsion mode. The main objectives of the present work were to enhance understanding of the behaviour of bubble type of flow separation and to examine the predictive ability of a computational method. In addition, an attempt was made to address a general modelling issue: was the linear assumption adequately valid for such kind of flow? In Part 1 of this paper, the experimental work was described. Unsteady pressure was measured along blade surfaces using off-board mounted pressure transducers at realistic reduced frequency conditions. A short separation bubble on the suction surface near the trailing edge and a long leading-edge separation bubble on the pressure surface were identified. It was found that in the regions of separation bubbles, unsteady pressure was largely influenced by the movement of reattachment point, featured by an abrupt phase shift and an amplitude trough in the 1st harmonic distribution. The short bubble on the suction surface seemed to follow closely a laminar bubble transition model in a quasi-steady manner, and had a localized effect. The leading-edge long bubble on the pressure surface, on the other hand, was featured by a large movement of the reattachment point, which affected the surface unsteady pressure distribution substantially. As far as the aerodynamic damping was concerned, there was a destabilizing effect in the separated flow region, which was however largely balanced by the stabilizing effect downstream of the reattachment point due to the abrupt phase change.


2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu Hong ◽  
Huo Fupeng ◽  
Chen Zuoyi

Optimum aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine blade demands that the angle of attack of the relative wind on the blade remains at its optimum value. For turbines operating at constant speed, a change in wind speed causes the angle of attack to change immediately and the aerodynamic performance to decrease. Even with variable speed rotors, intrinsic time delays and inertia have similar effects. Improving the efficiency of wind turbines under variable operating conditions is one of the most important areas of research in wind power technology. This paper presents findings of an experimental study in which an oscillating air jet located at the leading edge of the suction surface of an aerofoil was used to improve the aerodynamic performance. The mean air-mass flowing through the jet during each sinusoidal period of oscillation equalled zero; i.e. the jet both blew and sucked. Experiments investigated the effects of the frequency, momentum and location of the jet stream, and the profile of the turbine blade. The study shows significant increase in the lift coefficient, especially in the stall region, under certain conditions. These findings may have important implications for wind turbine technology.


Author(s):  
Vaclav Slama ◽  
Bartolomej Rudas ◽  
Jiri Ira ◽  
Ales Macalka ◽  
Petr Eret ◽  
...  

In order to eliminate occurrences of flutter of low pressure turbine blades it is necessary to understand the associated unsteady aerodynamics. For this reason, an experimental and numerical study of controlled flutter (travelling wave mode) in a linear turbine blade cascade oscillating in a torsional as well as translation motion is conducted. Unsteady aerodynamic forces and moments were measured on a subsonic eight-blade turbine cascade rig where central four blades are flexibly mounted each with two degrees of freedom. Thin blades in the cascade represent the tip section of the last stage rotor blades, which defines the turbine overall performance. A commercially available 3D CFD software ANSYS CFX is used to simulate the unsteady aerodynamic loading in the blade cascade. Experimental data and simulations are compared and influence of aerodynamic forces and moments on flutter is analysed.


Author(s):  
Vaclav Slama ◽  
Bartolomej Rudas ◽  
Jiri Ira ◽  
Ales Macalka ◽  
Petr Eret ◽  
...  

In low-pressure steam turbines, aerodynamic and structural design of the last stage blades is critical in determining the power plant efficiency. The development of longer last stage blades which are recently over 1 meter in length is an important task for steam turbine manufactures. The design process involves a flutter analysis of last stage blade tip sections where increased unsteady aerodynamic forces and moments might endanger the blade aerodynamic stability. However, numerical design tools must be validated using measurements in test facilities under various operating conditions. In this work, ANSYS CFX is used for flutter prediction of turbine blade tip sections oscillating in a travelling wave mode. Simulations are compared to experimental results obtained from controlled flutter tests in a wind tunnel with a linear cascade of eight turbine blade profiles made of carbon fibre. Central four blades are flexibly mounted each with two degrees of freedom (i.e. bending and torsion motions). Large deflections of thin blade profiles are accounted for the estimation of unsteady aerodynamic forces and moments. A satisfactory agreement between the simulations and experiments is achieved.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. He

An experimental and computational study has been carried out on a linear cascade of low-pressure turbine blades with the middle blade oscillating in a torsion mode. The main objectives of the present work were to enhance understanding of the behavior of bubble-type flow separation and to examine the predictive ability of a computational method. In addition, an attempt was made to address a general modeling issue: Was the linear assumption adequately valid for such kind of flow? In Part 1 of this paper, the experimental work is described. Unsteady pressure was measured along blade surfaces using off-board mounted pressure transducers at realistic reduced frequency conditions. A short separation bubble on the suction surface near the trailing edge and a long leading-edge separation bubble on the pressure surface were identified. It was found that in the regions of separation bubbles, unsteady pressure was largely influenced by the movement of reattachment point, featured by an abrupt phase shift and an amplitude trough in the first harmonic distribution. The short bubble on the suction surface seemed to follow closely a laminar bubble transition model in a quasi-steady manner, and had a localized effect. The leading-edge long bubble on the pressure surface, on the other hand, was featured by a large movement of the reattachment point, which affected the surface unsteady pressure distribution substantially. As far as the aerodynamic damping was concerned, there was a destabilizing effect in the separated flow region, which was, however, largely balanced by the stabilizing effect downstream of the reattachment point due to the abrupt phase change.


2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Derrar ◽  
J. Nagler ◽  
W. W. Koschel

Abstract This paper presents experiments on the cooling effectiveness obtained for two different injection locations on the suction side of a turbine blade at transonic flow conditions. Previous results of a computational analysis and flow visualization indicated that a separation bubble is present on the suction side at a location x/L = 0.43 and the location x/L = 0.575 corresponds to a shock-boundary interaction zone [9]. The scientific interest is primarily focused on the realization of high film cooling efficiencies and its relevant parameters under these flow conditions. Streamwise aligned as well as inclined angled film coolant hole configurations have been investigated for each location. Due to the high number of interacting parameters the experimental simulation of turbine blade film cooling is extremely complex, which can only be solved by a simultaneous modeling using the experimentally measured results. Test rig, instrumentation and data analysis are described in detail. The goal of the investigations is to determine the optimum location of the film coolant injection.


Author(s):  
Jamel Slimani ◽  
Pascale Kulisa

The design and optimization of turbine blades subjected to high temperature flows require the prediction of aerodynamic and thermal flow characteristics. A computation of aerothermal viscous flow model has been developed suitable for the turbine blade design process. The computational time must be reduced to allow intensive use in an industrial framework. The physical model is based on a compressible boundary layer approach, and the turbulence is a one-equation model. Special attention has been paid to the influence of wall curvature on the turbulence modelling. Tests were performed on convex wall flows to validate the turbulence model. Turbine blade configurations were then computed. These tests include most difficulties that can be encountered in practice : laminar-turbulent transition, separation bubble, strong accelerations, shock wave. Satisfactory predictions of the wall heat transfer are observed.


1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garth V. Hobson ◽  
Bryce E. Wakefield ◽  
William B. Roberts

Detailed measurements, with a two-component laser-Doppler velocimeter and a thermal anemometer were made near the suction surface leading edge of controlled-diffusion airfoils in cascade. The Reynolds number was near 700,000, Mach number equal to 0.25, and freestream turbulence was at 1.5% ahead of the cascade.It was found that there was a localized region of high turbulence near the suction surface leading edge at high incidence. This turbulence amplification is thought to be due to the interaction of the free-shear layer with the freestream inlet turbulence. The presence of the local high turbulence affects the development of the short laminar separation bubble that forms very near the suction side leading edge of these blades. Calculations indicate that the local high levels of turbulence can cause rapid transition in the laminar bubble allowing it to reattach as a short “non-burst” type.The high turbulence, which can reach point values greater than 25% at high incidence, is the reason that leading edge laminar separation bubbles can reattach in the high pressure gradient regions near the leading edge. Two variations for inlet turbulence intensity were measured for this cascade. The first is the variation ofmaximum inlet turbulence with respect to inlet-flow angle; and the second is the variation of leading edge turbulence with respect to upstream distance from the leading edge of the blades.


2007 ◽  
Vol 111 (1118) ◽  
pp. 257-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Howell ◽  
K. M. Roman

This paper describes how it is possible to reduce the profile losses on ultra high lift low pressure (LP) turbine blade profiles with the application of selected surface roughness and wake unsteadiness. Over the past several years, an understanding of wake interactions with the suction surface boundary layer on LP turbines has allowed the design of blades with ever increasing levels of lift. Under steady flow conditions, ultra high lift profiles would have large (and possibly open) separation bubbles present on the suction side which result from the very high diffusion levels. The separation bubble losses produced by it are reduced when unsteady wake flows are present. However, LP turbine blades have now reached a level of loading and diffusion where profile losses can no longer be controlled by wake unsteadiness alone. The ultra high lift profiles investigated here were created by attaching a flap to the trailing edge of another blade in a linear cascade — the so called flap-test technique. The experimental set-up used in this investigation allows for the simulation of upstream wakes by using a moving bar system. Hotwire and hotfilm measurements were used to obtain information about the boundary-layer state on the suction surface of the blade as it evolved in time. Measurements were taken at a Reynolds numbers ranging between 100,000 and 210,000. Two types of ultra high lift profile were investigated; ultra high lift and extended ultra high lift, where the latter has 25% greater back surface diffusion as well as a 12% increase in lift compared to the former. Results revealed that distributed roughness reduced the size of the separation bubble with steady flow. When wakes were present, the distributed roughness amplified disturbances in the boundary layer allowing for more rapid wake induced transition to take place, which tended to eliminate the separation bubble under the wake. The extended ultra high lift profile generated only slightly higher losses than the original ultra high lift profile, but more importantly it generated 12% greater lift.


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