A Rotating Facility to Study Heat Transfer in the Cooling Passages of Turbine Rotor Blades

Author(s):  
W D Morris

This paper describes a new research facility designed to study the effect of rotation on heat transfer in the cooling channels of gas turbine rotor blades. Rotation influences cooling performance via secondary flows generated because of Coriolis forces and centripetal buoyancy. The resulting complex three-dimensional flow creates asymmetric heat transfer over the channel surface. The research facility has been designed to permit experiments to be undertaken that are near to actual engine conditions. The paper includes details of the design philosophy, construction and commissioning of the facility, together with a selection of experimental data.

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Giel ◽  
Robert J. Boyle ◽  
Ronald S. Bunker

Detailed heat transfer measurements and predictions are given for a power generation turbine rotor with 127 deg of nominal turning and an axial chord of 130 mm. Data were obtained for a set of four exit Reynolds numbers comprised of the facility maximum point of 2.50×106, as well as conditions which represent 50%, 25%, and 15% of this maximum condition. Three ideal exit pressure ratios were examined including the design point of 1.443, as well as conditions which represent −25% and +20% of the design value. Three inlet flow angles were examined including the design point and ±5deg off-design angles. Measurements were made in a linear cascade with highly three-dimensional blade passage flows that resulted from the high flow turning and thick inlet boundary layers. Inlet turbulence was generated with a blown square bar grid. The purpose of the work is the extension of three-dimensional predictive modeling capability for airfoil external heat transfer to engine specific conditions including blade shape, Reynolds numbers, and Mach numbers. Data were obtained by a steady-state technique using a thin-foil heater wrapped around a low thermal conductivity blade. Surface temperatures were measured using calibrated liquid crystals. The results show the effects of strong secondary vortical flows, laminar-to-turbulent transition, and also show good detail in the stagnation region.


1984 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Clifford ◽  
W. D. Morris ◽  
S. P. Harasgama

This paper presents a selection of experimental results that examines the influence of orthogonal-mode rotation on local and mean heat transfer in a triangular-sectioned duct with potential application to cooled turbine rotor blades. It is shown that Coriolis acceleration can have a beneficial influence on mean heat transfer relative to the nonrotating case at the lower range of turbulent pipe flow Reynolds numbers studied. Also, rotational buoyancy has been shown to have a noticeable effect over this same Reynolds number range in that progressively increasing buoyancy brings about an attendant reduction in heat transfer. As the Reynolds numbers are increased, say, beyond 30,000, buoyancy effects were found to have little influence on mean heat transfer over the speed range covered. Local axial variations in heat transfer along the duct were also measured, and severe reductions in local heat transfer were detected under certain operating circumstances.


1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Morris ◽  
G. Ghavami-Nasr

The influence of rotation on local heat transfer in a rectangular-sectioned duct has been experimentally studied for the case where the duct rotates about an axis orthogonal to its own central axis. The coolant used was air with the flow direction in the radially outward direction. This rotating flow geometry is encountered in the internal cooling of gas turbine rotor blades. Local Nusselt number variations along the duct have been determined over the trailing and leading surfaces. In general terms Coriolis-induced secondary flows are shown to enhance local heat transfer over the trailing surface compared to a stationary duct forced convection situation. The converse is true on the leading surface where significant impediment to local heat transfer can occur. Centripetal buoyancy is shown to influence the heat transfer response with heat transfer being improved on both leading and trailing surfaces as the wall-to-coolant temperature difference is increased with other controlling parameters held constant. Correlating equations are proposed and the results compared with those of other workers in the field.


Author(s):  
Hun G. Lee ◽  
Jung Y. Yoo ◽  
Jun W. Yun

Three dimensional turbulent incompressible flows through linear cascades of turbine rotor blades with high turning angles have been analyzed numerically by using a generalized k-ε model which is a high Reynolds number form and derived by RNG (renormalized group) method to account for the variation of the rate of strain. A second order upwind scheme is used to suppress numerical diffusion in approximating the convective terms. Boundary-fitted coordinates are adopted to represent the complex blade geometry accurately. For the case without tip clearance, secondary flows and flow losses are shown to be in good agreement with previous experimental results. For the case with tip clearance, the effects of the passage vortex and tip clearance flow on the total pressure loss as well as their interactions are discussed. The flow within the tip clearance has been analyzed to illustrate the existences of the tip clearance vortex and vena contracta.


Author(s):  
W. D. Morris ◽  
S. P. Harasgama ◽  
R. Salemi

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of local heat transfer on the trailing and leading surfaces of a square-sectioned duct rotating about an axis orthogonal to its central axis. The flow geometry has application to the cooling of gas turbine rotor blades. It is demonstrated that Coriolis induced secondary flows enhance local heat transfer over the trailing surface in relation to the corresponding non rotating case. Little effect of rotation on the leading surface was detected over the range of experiments covered to date. Rotational buoyancy is shown to have a slight effect only at the lowest Reynolds number tested. The conditions under which buoyancy may be neglected in the real engine range of parameters is still uncertain. Simple correlations for the present data are given as design aids.


Author(s):  
Karen L. Gundy-Burlet ◽  
Daniel J. Dorney

Experimental data have shown that combustor temperature non-uniformities can lead to pressure side burning on first-stage turbine rotor blades. Although most modern turbines operate in an environment with significant heat transfer, the majority of hot streak experiments and simulations during the last decade have assumed adiabatic flow. This assumption can cause errors in the prediction of turbine cooling requirements. In the present investigation, three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes simulations have been performed for a 1-1/2 stage high-pressure turbine geometry operating in subsonic flow. Combustor hot streaks and heat transfer effects at the airfoil surfaces were included in the simulations. The predicted aerodynamic (pressure) data shows close agreement with the available experimental data. The predicted heat flux results agree with experimental observations.


Author(s):  
Joshua Szczudlak ◽  
Sara Rostami ◽  
Arman Mirhashemi ◽  
Scott Morris ◽  
Greg Sluyter ◽  
...  

Flow exiting the combustor is highly turbulent and contains significant spatial gradients of pressure and temperature. The high pressure turbine nozzle vanes operating in this environment redistribute these spatial gradients and impact the inflow characteristics of the turbine rotor blades. The present study investigates the redistribution of total temperature through a turbine nozzle vane. Numerical investigation was performed using three-dimensional RANS analysis. Simulations were conducted using the Wilcox k–ω turbulence model and Shear Stress Transport (SST) with and without γ–Reθ transition model. Experimental measurements were obtained in an annular nozzle cascade facility. Two sets of inlet conditions were considered. The first was a nominally uniform total temperature. The second had a span-wise variation of total temperature. Both sets of inlet conditions had nominally the same inlet total pressure and inlet Mach number. Span-wise redistribution was evaluated using the circum-ferentially averaged total temperature profile at a plane downstream of the nozzle. Physical arguments about the influence of nozzle secondary flows on this redistribution are presented.


Author(s):  
Paul W. Giel ◽  
Robert J. Boyle ◽  
Ronald S. Bunker

Detailed heat transfer measurements and predictions are given for a power generation turbine rotor with 127 deg of nominal turning and an axial chord of 130 mm. Data were obtained for a set of four exit Reynolds numbers comprised of the facility maximum point of 2.50 × 106, as well as conditions which represent 50%, 25%, and 15% of this maximum condition. Three ideal exit pressure ratios were examined including the design point of 1.443, as well as conditions which represent −25% and +20% of the design value. Three inlet flow angles were examined including the design point and ±5 deg off-design angles. Measurements were made in a linear cascade with highly three-dimensional blade passage flows that resulted from the high flow turning and thick inlet boundary layers. Inlet turbulence was generated with a blown square bar grid. The purpose of the work is the extension of three-dimensional predictive modeling capability for airfoil external heat transfer to engine specific conditions including blade shape, Reynolds numbers, and Mach numbers. Data were obtained by a steady-state technique using a thin-foil heater wrapped around a low thermal conductivity blade. Surface temperatures were measured using calibrated liquid crystals. The results show the effects of strong secondary vortical flows, laminar-to-turbulent transition, and also show good detail in the stagnation region.


Author(s):  
Michel Arnal ◽  
Christian Precht ◽  
Thomas Sprunk ◽  
Tobias Danninger ◽  
John Stokes

The present paper outlines a practical methodology for improved virtual prototyping, using as an example, the recently re-engineered, internally-cooled 1st stage blade of a 40 MW industrial gas turbine. Using the full 3-D CAD model of the blade, a CFD simulation that includes the hot gas flow around the blade, conjugate heat transfer from the fluid to the solid at the blade surface, heat conduction through the solid, and the coolant flow in the plenum is performed. The pressure losses through and heat transfer to the cooling channels inside the airfoil are captured with a 1-D code and the 1-D results are linked to the three-dimensional CFD analysis. The resultant three-dimensional temperature distribution through the blade provides the required thermal loading for the subsequent structural finite element analysis. The results of this analysis include the thermo-mechanical stress distribution, which is the basis for blade life assessment.


Author(s):  
R. S. Amano ◽  
Krishna Guntur ◽  
Jose Martinez Lucci

It has been a common practice to use cooling passages in gas turbine blade in order to keep the blade temperatures within the operating range. Insufficiently cooled blades are subject to oxidation, to cause creep rupture, and even to cause melting of the material. To design better cooling passages, better understanding of the flow patterns within the complicated flow channels is essential. The interactions between secondary flows and separation lead to very complex flow patterns. To accurately simulate these flows and heat transfer, both refined turbulence models and higher-order numerical schemes are indispensable for turbine designers to improve the cooling performance. Power output and the efficiency of turbine are completely related to gas firing temperature from chamber. The increment of gas firing temperature is limited by the blade material properties. Advancements in the cooling technology resulted in high firing temperatures with acceptable material temperatures. To better design the cooling channels and to improve the heat transfer, many researchers are studying the flow patterns inside the cooling channels both experimentally and computationally. In this paper, the authors present the performance of three turbulence models using TEACH software code in comparison with the experimental values. To test the performance, a square duct with rectangular ribs oriented at 90° and 45° degree and placed at regular intervals. The channel also has bleed holes. The normalized Nusselt number obtained from simulation are validated with that of experiment. The Reynolds number is set at 10,000 for both the simulation and experiment. The interactions between secondary flows and separation lead to very complex flow patterns. To accurately simulate these flows and heat transfer, both refined turbulence models and higher-order numerical schemes are indispensable for turbine designers to improve the cooling performance. The three-dimensional turbulent flows and heat transfer are numerically studied by using several different turbulence models, such as non-linear low-Reynolds number k-omega and Reynolds Stress (RSM) models. In k-omega model the cubic terms are included to represent the effects of extra strain-rates such as streamline curvature and three-dimensionality on both turbulence normal and shear stresses. The finite volume difference method incorporated with the higher-order bounded interpolation scheme has been employed in the present study. The outcome of this study will help determine the best suitable turbulence model for future studies.


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