Investigation on the flow-control strategy for an aggressive turbine transition ducts

Author(s):  
Jun Liu ◽  
Hongrui Liu ◽  
Guang Liu ◽  
Qiang Du ◽  
Pei Wang ◽  
...  

After being studied for years, aggressive intermediate turbine duct is being attempted to be applied in turbine design to further improve the engine-performance. With such design, the shaft could be shortened effectively. However, under the influence of the more distorted coming-flow and stronger pressure-gradient in a real engine, the flow field would be more complicated definitely. Besides that, the upstream-rotor tip-leakage flow is a key loss-source by inducing separation. Flow-control strategies are necessary in this situation. In this paper, the flow field in an aggressive duct has been analyzed to declare the source of separation primarily. Then wide-chord blade design concept has been adopted as a control strategy firstly to realize the purpose of improving the areo-performance. After being verified, numerical method has been used in this study. Under the same aero-condition, the prototype and the modified turbine are analyzed. With this novel flow-control strategy, separation has been improved, even diminished. However, the flow structures within the blade passage are altered correspondingly. An instrumental conclusion is that the pressure loss could be decreased successfully by designing the wide-chord blade specially.

Author(s):  
Yanfei Gao ◽  
Yangwei Liu ◽  
Luyang Zhong ◽  
Jiexuan Hou ◽  
Lipeng Lu

AbstractThe standard k-ε model (SKE) and the Reynolds stress model (RSM) are employed to predict the tip leakage flow (TLF) in a low-speed large-scale axial compressor rotor. Then, a new research method is adopted to “freeze” the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate of the flow field derived from the RSM, and obtain the turbulent viscosity using the Boussinesq hypothesis. The Reynolds stresses and mean flow field computed on the basis of the frozen viscosity are compared with the results of the SKE and the RSM. The flow field in the tip region based on the frozen viscosity is more similar to the results of the RSM than those of the SKE, although certain differences can be observed. This finding indicates that the non-equilibrium turbulence transport nature plays an important role in predicting the TLF, as well as the turbulence anisotropy.


Author(s):  
Leilei Ji ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Weidong Shi ◽  
Fei Tian ◽  
Shuo Li ◽  
...  

In order to study the effect of different numbers of impeller blades on the performance of mixed-flow pump “saddle zone”, the external characteristic test and numerical simulation of mixed-flow pumps with three different impeller blade numbers were carried out. Based on high-precision numerical prediction, the internal flow field and tip leakage flow field of mixed flow pump under design conditions and stall conditions are investigated. By studying the vorticity transport in the stall flow field, the specific location of the high loss area inside the mixed flow pump impeller with different numbers of blades is located. The research results show that the increase in the number of impeller blades improve the pump head and efficiency under design conditions. Compared to the 4-blade impeller, the head and efficiency of the 5-blade impeller are increased by 5.4% and 21.9% respectively. However, the increase in the number of blades also leads to the widening of the “saddle area” of the mixed-flow pump, which leads to the early occurrence of stall and increases the instability of the mixed-flow pump. As the mixed-flow pump enters the stall condition, the inlet of the mixed-flow pump has a spiral swirl structure near the end wall for different blade numbers, but the depth and range of the swirling flow are different due to the change in the number of blades. At the same time, the change in the number of blades also makes the flow angle at 75% span change significantly, but the flow angle at 95% span is not much different because the tip leakage flow recirculates at the leading edge. Through the analysis of the vorticity transport results in the impeller with different numbers of blades, it is found that the reasons for the increase in the values of the vorticity transport in the stall condition are mainly impacted by the swirl flow at the impeller inlet, the tip leakage flow at the leading edge and the increased unsteady flow structures.


Author(s):  
Wei Li ◽  
Wei-Yang Qiao ◽  
Kai-Fu Xu ◽  
Hua-Ling Luo

The tip leakage flow has significant effects on turbine in loss production, aerodynamic efficiency, etc. Then it’s important to minimize these effects for a better performance by adopting corresponding flow control. The active turbine tip clearance flow control with injection from the tip platform is given in Part-1 of this paper. This paper is Part-2 of the two-part papers focusing on the effect of five different passive turbine tip clearance flow control methods on the tip clearance flow physics, which consists of a partial suction side squealer tip (Partial SS Squealer), a double squealer tip (Double Side Squealer), a pressure side tip shelf with inclined squealer tip on a double squealer tip (Improved PS Squealer), a tip platform extension edge in pressure side (PS Extension) and in suction side (SS Extension) respectively. Combined with the turbine rotor and the numerical method mentioned in Part 1, the effects of passive turbine tip clearance flow controls on the tip clearance flow were sequentially simulated. The detailed tip clearance flow fields with different squealer rims were described with the streamline and the velocity vector in various planes parallel to the tip platform or normal to the tip leakage vortex core. Accordingly, the mechanisms of five passive controls were put in evidence; the effects of the passive controls on the turbine efficiency and the tip clearance flow field were highlighted. The results show that the secondary flow loss near the outer casing including the tip leakage flow and the casing boundary layer can be reduced in all the five passive control methods. Comparing the active control with the passive control, the effect brought by the active injection control on the tip leakage flow is evident. The turbine rotor efficiency could be increased via the rational passive turbine tip clearance flow control. The Improved PS Squealer had the best effect on turbine rotor efficiency, and it increased by 0.215%.


1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-232
Author(s):  
C. Saltiel

A comparative study of the yearly performance of multistage solar collector systems, (comprised of more than one collector type) with a single on/off flow control strategy for all the collectors and separate on/off controls for each collector stage, is performed. Detailed numerical simulations under a range of climatic conditions showed that there is little advantage in using individual collector controls over a single on/off control strategy when the systems operate at low collector thresholds, but differences in system performance can be quite significant at high threshold values. In addition, the choice of the single control strategy (i.e., which collector the strategy is based on) at low thresholds is not critical in terms of system performance.


Author(s):  
Shaowen Chen ◽  
Qinghe Meng ◽  
Weihang Li ◽  
Zhihua Zhou ◽  
Songtao Wang

The effects of axially non-uniform clearances on the tip leakage flow and aerodynamic performance in a linear turbine cascade with a cavity squealer tip were investigated in this study with the objective of improving the flow loss and tip flow field structure. A calibrated five-hole probe was used for the measurement of three-dimensional flows downstream of the cascade. The method of oil-flow visualization was used to show the endwall flow field structure. The distribution of endwall static pressure was measured particularly by using the special moveable endwall. The axially non-uniform clearance, as a novel strategy that has a non-negligible influence on tip clearance flow and clearance leakage loss, may become a potential technology for improving aerodynamic performance in turbine cascades. By using the expanding clearance, the flow loss at the outlet is reduced effectively and an apparent improvement of aerodynamic performance in the turbine cascade is gained. Under the tip clearances of 0.75% H and 2% H, the maximum reduction of overall total pressure loss coefficient at the outlet is separately about 2.3% and 3.5% compared with the uniform clearance. The shrinkage of the buffer zone is considered to be able to weaken the interaction of the tip leakage vortex and passage vortex and thus reduce the loss of passage vortex. For the shrinking clearance, a noticeable decline in the aerodynamic performance of turbine cascade with cavity squealer tip is exhibited at both on and off design conditions in contrast to the uniform clearance. In addition, the effects of axially non-uniform clearances on the aerodynamic performance at off-design conditions have been investigated.


Entropy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1372
Author(s):  
Mingming Zhang ◽  
Anping Hou

In order to explore the inducing factors and mechanism of the non-synchronous vibration, the flow field structure and its formation mechanism in the non-synchronous vibration state of a high speed turbocompressor are discussed in this paper, based on the fluid–structure interaction method. The predicted frequencies fBV (4.4EO), fAR (9.6EO) in the field have a good correspondence with the experimental data, which verify the reliability and accuracy of the numerical method. The results indicate that, under a deviation in the adjustment of inlet guide vane (IGV), the disturbances of pressure in the tip diffuse upstream and downstream, and maintain the corresponding relationship with the non-synchronous vibration frequency of the blade. An instability flow that developed at the tip region of 90% span emerged due to interactions among the incoming main flow, the axial separation backflow, and the tip leakage vortices. The separation vortices in the blade passage mixed up with the tip leakage flow reverse at the trailing edge of blade tip, presenting a spiral vortex structure which flows upstream to the leading edge of the adjacent blade. The disturbances of the spiral vortexes emerge to rotate at 54.5% of the rotor speed in the same rotating direction as a modal oscillation. The blade vibration in the turbocompressor is found to be related to the unsteadiness of the tip flow. The large pressure oscillation caused by the movement of the spiral vortex is regarded as the one of the main drivers for the non-synchronous vibration for the present turbocompressor, besides the deviation in the adjustment of IGV.


Author(s):  
W. Sanz ◽  
M. Kelterer ◽  
R. Pecnik ◽  
A. Marn ◽  
E. Go¨ttlich

The demand of a further increased bypass ratio of aero engines will lead to low pressure turbines with larger diameters which rotate at lower speed. Therefore, it is necessary to guide the flow leaving the high pressure turbine to the low pressure turbine at a larger diameter without any loss generating separation or flow disturbances. Due to costs and weight this intermediate turbine duct has to be as short as possible. This leads to an aggressive (high diffusion) S-shaped duct geometry. In order to investigate the influence of the blade tip gap height of a preceding rotor on such a high-diffusion duct flow a detailed measurement campaign in the Transonic Test Turbine Facility at Graz University of Technology has been performed. A high diffusion intermediate duct is arranged downstream a high-pressure turbine stage providing an exit Mach number of about 0.6 and a swirl angle of −15 degrees (counter swirl). A low-pressure vane row is located at the end of the duct and represents the counter rotating low pressure turbine at larger diameter. At the ASME 2007, results of these investigations were presented for two different tip gap heights of 1.5% span (0.8 mm) and 2.4% span (1.3 mm). In order to better understand the flow phenomena observed in the intermediate duct a detailed numerical study is conducted. The unsteady flow through the whole configuration is simulated for both gap heights as well as for a rotor with zero gap height. The unsteady data are compared at the stage exit and inside the duct to study the flow physics. The calculation of the zero gap height configuration allows to determine the influence of the tip leakage flow of the preceding rotor on the intermediate turbine duct. It turns out that for this aggressive duct the tip leakage flow has a very positive effect on the pressure recovery.


Author(s):  
Hao Sun ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Zhenping Feng

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.


2007 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Palafox ◽  
M. L. G. Oldfield ◽  
J. E. LaGraff ◽  
T. V. Jones

New, detailed flow field measurements are presented for a very large low-speed cascade representative of a high-pressure turbine rotor blade with turning of 110deg and blade chord of 1.0m. Data were obtained for tip leakage and passage secondary flow at a Reynolds number of 4.0×105, based on exit velocity and blade axial chord. Tip clearance levels ranged from 0% to 1.68% of blade span (0% to 3% of blade chord). Particle image velocimetry was used to obtain flow field maps of several planes parallel to the tip surface within the tip gap, and adjacent passage flow. Vector maps were also obtained for planes normal to the tip surface in the direction of the tip leakage flow. Secondary flow was measured at planes normal to the blade exit angle at locations upstream and downstream of the trailing edge. The interaction between the tip leakage vortex and passage vortex is clearly defined, revealing the dominant effect of the tip leakage flow on the tip end-wall secondary flow. The relative motion between the casing and the blade tip was simulated using a motor-driven moving belt system. A reduction in the magnitude of the undertip flow near the end wall due to the moving wall is observed and the effect on the tip leakage vortex examined.


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