scholarly journals The Effect of Suction Side Tubercles on Torque Output of a Steam Turbine Low-Pressure Last Stage Blade

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1889
Author(s):  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Fan Wu ◽  
Chun Wang ◽  
Ziyue Mei ◽  
An Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Flow Separation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Maximum Increase ◽  
Design Variables ◽  
Orthogonal Test Method ◽  
Last Stage

Flow separation and different kinds of stall flows occur under low load conditions for steam turbine last stage blades. In order to delay the flow separation and increase turbine power production, we applied suction side tubercles on steam turbine low-pressure last stage blades in the present study. The amplitude, wavelength, position, and thickness were considered as our design variables. We used the orthogonal test method (OTM) to generate modified blades with different tubercle variables that were then numerically simulated by a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The blade axial torque of the nine modified tests was compared with the original blade. The results showed that the application of bionic tubercles on the suction side of the steam turbine blade is a promising solution to improve the blade axial torque for all modified tests with a maximum increase of 33.32% due to the turbulent vortices generated by bionic tubercles.

Sequential vs Multidisciplinary Coupled Optimization and Efficient Surrogate Modelling of a Last Stage and the Successive Axial Radial Diffuser in a Low Pressure Steam Turbine

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Cremanns ◽  
Dirk Roos ◽  
Arne Graßmann
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Pressure Steam ◽  
Last Stage

In order to meet the requirements of rising energy demand, one goal in the design process of modern steam turbines is to achieve high efficiencies. A major gain in efficiency is expected from the optimization of the last stage and the subsequent diffuser of a low pressure turbine (LP). The aim of such optimization is to minimize the losses due to separations or inefficient blade or diffuser design. In the usual design process, as is state of the art in the industry, the last stage of the LP and the diffuser is designed and optimized sequentially. The potential physical coupling effects are not considered. Therefore the aim of this paper is to perform both a sequential and coupled optimization of a low pressure steam turbine followed by an axial radial diffuser and subsequently to compare results. In addition to the flow simulation, mechanical and modal analysis is also carried out in order to satisfy the constraints regarding the natural frequencies and stresses. This permits the use of a meta-model, which allows very time efficient three dimensional (3D) calculations to account for all flow field effects.

Effect of Steam Injection on Last-Stage Blade Temperature of Low Pressure Steam Turbine at Low Volume Flow Condition

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Ma ◽  
Jun Wu ◽  
Yuansheng Lin
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Reverse Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Steam Injection ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Volume Flow ◽  
Pressure Steam ◽  
Last Stage ◽  
Low Volume

In the nuclear power plant, the last stage of the low pressure steam turbine is characterized by long blades. These long blades operate under severe working conditions with wet steam flow and strong mechanical stress. At the start up and shut down operating condition where the volume flow is extremely low, the last stage blades operate in ventilation conditions where there is significant reverse flow in the exhaust and the last stage. In such a condition, the reverse flow would cause significant increase in the blade temperature. In addition, the rotating reverse flow would increase the vibration of the rotor blade. Such temperature increase and enhanced vibration can cause blade damage and force the machine to be shut down. In previous work, the steam injection in the last stage has been proposed as a promising method to decrease the reverse flow at low volume flow conditions, which reduces the stall cell size in the last stage blade. This work investigates the effect of the steam injection process on the blade temperature distribution by conducting three-dimensional flow simulations. Various steam injection configurations are compared in this work and the major consideration to be noted in the design process is discussed.

scholarly journals The Influence of Inlet Asymmetry on Steam Turbine Exhaust Hood Flows

2013 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe Burton ◽  
Simon Hogg ◽  
Grant L. Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Flow Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Computational Effort ◽  
Exhaust Hood ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Computational Expense ◽  
Last Stage ◽  
Design Calculations

It has been widely recognized for some decades that it is essential to accurately represent the strong coupling between the last stage blades (LSB) and the diffuser inlet, in order to correctly capture the flow through the exhaust hoods of steam turbine low pressure cylinders. This applies to any form of simulation of the flow, i.e., numerical or experimental. The exhaust hood flow structure is highly three-dimensional and appropriate coupling will enable the important influence of this asymmetry to be transferred to the rotor. This, however, presents challenges as the calculation size grows rapidly when the full annulus is calculated. The size of the simulation means researchers are constantly searching for methods to reduce the computational effort without compromising solution accuracy. However, this can result in excessive computational demands in numerical simulations. Unsteady full-annulus CFD calculation will remain infeasible for routine design calculations for the foreseeable future. More computationally efficient methods for coupling the unsteady rotor flow to the hood flow are required that bring computational expense within realizable limits while still maintaining sufficient accuracy for meaningful design calculations. Research activity in this area is focused on developing new methods and techniques to improve accuracy and reduce computational expense. A novel approach for coupling the turbine last stage to the exhaust hood employing the nonlinear harmonic (NLH) method is presented in this paper. The generic, IP free, exhaust hood and last stage blade geometries from Burton et al. (2012. “A Generic Low Pressure Exhaust Diffuser for Steam Turbine Research,”Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo, Copenhagen, Denmark, Paper No. GT2012-68485) that are representative of modern designs, are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. This is achieved by comparing results obtained with the NLH to those obtained with a more conventional mixing-plane approach. The results show that the circumferential asymmetry can be successfully transferred in both directions between the exhaust hood flow and that through the LSB, by using the NLH. This paper also suggests that for exhaust hoods of generous axial length, little change in Cp is observed when the circumferential asymmetry is captured. However, the predicted flow structure is significantly different, which will influence the design and placement of the exhaust hood internal “furniture.”

scholarly journals Failure Analysis in Lacing Wire Of Last Stage Low Pressure Steam Turbine Blade

2021 ◽  
Vol 1096 (1) ◽  
pp. 012097
Author(s):  
A M Kongkong ◽  
H Setiawan ◽  
J Miftahul ◽  
A R Laksana ◽  
I Djunaedi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Pressure Steam ◽  
Steam Turbine Blade ◽  
Last Stage

Performance Prediction and Optimization of Low Pressure Steam Turbine Radial Diffuser at Design and Off-Design Conditions Using Streamline Curvature Method

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luying Zhang ◽  
Francesco Congiu ◽  
Xiaopeng Gan ◽  
David Karunakara
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Flow Separation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Current Method ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Optimization Process ◽  
Exhaust Hood ◽  
Streamline Curvature ◽  
Wide Range

The performance of the radial diffuser of a low pressure (LP) steam turbine is important to the power output of the turbine. A reliable and robust prediction and optimization tool is desirable in industry for preliminary design and performance evaluation. This is particularly critical during the tendering phase of retrofit projects, which typically cover a wide range of original equipment manufacturer and other original equipment manufacturers designs. This work describes a fast and reliable numerical approach for the simulation of flow in the last stage and radial diffuser coupled with the exhaust hood. The numerical solver is based on a streamline curvature throughflow method and a geometry-modification treatment has been developed for off-design conditions, at which large-scale flow separation may occur in the diffuser domain causing convergence difficulty. To take into account the effect of tip leakage jet flow, a boundary layer solver is coupled with the throughflow calculation to predict flow separation on the diffuser lip. The performance of the downstream exhaust hood is modeled by a hood loss model (HLM) that accounts for various loss generations along the flow paths. Furthermore, the solver is implemented in an optimization process. Both the diffuser lip and hub profiles can be quickly optimized, together or separately, to improve the design in the early tender phase. 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to validate the solver and the optimization process. The results show that the current method predicts the diffuser/exhaust hood performance within good agreement with the CFD calculation and the optimized diffuser profile improves the diffuser recovery over the datum design. The tool provides General Electric the capability to rapidly optimize and customize retrofit diffusers for each customer considering different constraints.

The Pressure Field at the Output From a Low Pressure Exhaust Hood and Condenser Neck of the 1090 MW Steam Turbine: Experimental and Numerical Research

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Hoznedl ◽  
Antonín Živný ◽  
Aleš Macálka ◽  
Robert Kalista ◽  
Kamil Sedlák ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Angle Distribution ◽  
Exhaust Hood ◽  
Last Stage

The paper presents the results of measurements of flow parameters behind the last stage of a 1090 MW nominal power steam turbine in a nuclear power plant. The results were obtained by traversing a pneumatic probe at a distance of about 100 mm from the trailing edges of the LSB (Last Stage Blade). Furthermore, both side walls as well as the front wall of one flow of the LP (Low Pressure) exhaust hood were fitted with a dense net of static pressure taps at the level of the flange of the turbine. A total of 26 static pressures were measured on the wall at the output from the LP exhaust hood. Another 14 pressures were measured at the output from the condenser neck. The distribution of static pressures in both cross sections for full power and 600 and 800 MW power is shown. Another experiment was measured pressure and angle distribution using a ball pneumatic probe in the condenser neck area in a total of four holes at a distance up to 5 metres from the neck wall. The turbine condenser is two-flow design. In one direction perpendicular to the axis of the turbine cold cooling water comes, it heats partially. It then reverses and it heats to the maximum temperature again. The different temperature of cooling water in the different parts of the output cross section should influence the distribution of the output static pressure. Differences in pressures may cause problems with uneven load of the tube bundles of the condenser as well as problems with defining the influential edge output condition in CFD simulations of the flow of the cold end of the steam turbine Due to these reasons an extensive 3D CFD computation, which includes one stator blade as well as all moving blades of the last stage, a complete diffuser, the exhaust hood and the condenser neck, has been carried out. Geometry includes all reinforcing elements, pipes and heaters which could influence the flow behaviour in the exhaust hood and its pressure loss. Inlet boundary conditions were assumed for the case of both computations from the measurement of the flow field behind the penultimate stage. The outlet boundary condition was defined in the first case by an uneven value of the static pressure determined by the change of the temperature of cooling water. In the second case the boundary condition in accordance with the measurement was defined by a constant value of the static pressure along all the cross section of the output from the condenser neck. Results of both CFD computations are compared with experimental measurement by the distribution of pressures and other parameters behind the last stage.

scholarly journals Study on water erosion simulation of low pressure last stage blade of nuclear steam turbine

2019 ◽  
Vol 504 ◽  
pp. 012057
Author(s):  
T J Wang ◽  
S S Wang ◽  
Y B Pei ◽  
J Di ◽  
J W Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Last Stage

Some Aspects of CFD Modeling in the Analysis of a Low-Pressure Steam Turbine

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Rubechini ◽  
Michele Marconcini ◽  
Andrea Arnone ◽  
Stefano Cecchi ◽  
Federico Dacca`
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Sources And Sinks ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Pressure Steam

A three-dimensional, multistage, Navier-Stokes solver is applied to the numerical investigation of a four stage low-pressure steam turbine. The thermodynamic behavior of the wet steam is reproduced by adopting a real-gas model, based on the use of gas property tables. Geometrical features and flow-path details consistent with the actual turbine geometry, such as cavity purge flows, shroud leakage flows and partspan snubbers, are accounted for, and their impact on the turbine performance is discussed. These details are included in the analysis using simple models, which prevent a considerable growth of the computational cost and make the overall procedure attractive as a design tool for industrial purposes. Shroud leakage flows are modeled by means of suitable endwall boundary conditions, based on coupled sources and sinks, while body forces are applied to simulate the presence of the damping wires on the blades. In this work a detailed description of these models is provided, and the results of computations are compared with experimental measurements.

Aerodynamic Numerical Investigation of Low-Pressure Steam Turbine Last Stage Under Low Load Conditions With Mode Decomposition Methods

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Hu ◽  
Tong Lin ◽  
Rui Yang ◽  
Xiaocheng Zhu ◽  
Zhaohui Du
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Frequency Spectrum ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Unsteady Pressure ◽  
Mode Decomposition ◽  
Low Load ◽  
Last Stage ◽  
Operating Points ◽  
Load Conditions

Abstract It is common that steam turbine works at different operating points, especially under low load conditions, to cater to complex and varied demands for power generation recently. Considering the long and thin shape of last stage moving blades (LSMBs) in a low-pressure (LP) steam turbine, there are many challenges to design a suitable case which balances global efficiency against sufficient structure strength when suffering excitations at low load operating points. In present work, the aim is to extract specific aerodynamic excitations and recognize their distribution and propagation features. Firstly, steady 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations are simulated at 25GV and 17GV (25% and 17% of design mass flow conditions) and corresponding unsteady calculations are performed with enough rotor revolutions to obtain integrated flow periodicities. Unsteady pressure signals near tip region of LSMBs are monitored circumferentially in both static and rotating coordinates. The fast Fourier transformation (FFT) results of unsteady pressure signals show that there are broadband humps with small disturbance amplitudes in low frequency spectrum at 25GV, however, a sharp spike is shown in low frequency spectrum at 17GV. Further, circumferential mode decomposition (CMD) method has been applied to distinguish different fluctuations in frequency and the mode numbers and circumferential propagating pace of which have been obtained. Finally, dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) method has been performed to describe detailed mode shapes of featured flow perturbances both in static and rotating coordinate system. These analyses indicate that at 25GV, a band of unsteady responses with very low amplitude was noted which has some features similar to rotating instability (RI). However, distribution and propagation features of flow unsteadiness at 17GV are in good agreement with rotating stall (RS) in compressor.

Unsteady Wet Steam Flow Field Measurements in the Last Stage of Low Pressure Steam Turbine

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilias Bosdas ◽  
Michel Mansour ◽  
Anestis I. Kalfas ◽  
Reza S. Abhari ◽  
Shigeki Senoo
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Flow Structures ◽  
Wet Steam ◽  
Operating Condition ◽  
Last Stage

Modern steam turbines need to operate efficiently and safely over a wide range of operating conditions. This paper presents a unique unprecedented set of time-resolved steam flowfield measurements from the exit of the last two stages of a low pressure (LP) steam turbine under various volumetric massflow conditions. The measurements were performed in the steam turbine test facility in Hitachi city in Japan. A newly developed fast response probe equipped with a heated tip to operate in wet steam flows was used. The probe tip is heated through an active control system using a miniature high-power cartridge heater developed in-house. Three different operating points, including two reduced massflow conditions, are compared and a detailed analysis of the unsteady flow structures under various blade loads and wetness mass fractions is presented. The measurements show that at the exit of the second to last stage the flow field is highly three dimensional. The measurements also show that the secondary flow structures at the tip region (shroud leakage and tip passage vortices) are the predominant sources of unsteadiness at 85% span. The high massflow operating condition exhibits the highest level of periodical total pressure fluctuation compared to the reduced massflow conditions at the inlet of the last stage. In contrast at the exit of the last stage, the reduced massflow operating condition exhibits the largest aerodynamic losses near the tip. This is due to the onset of the ventilation process at the exit of the LP steam turbine. This phenomenon results in 3 times larger levels of relative total pressure unsteadiness at 93% span, compared to the high massflow condition. This implies that at low volumetric flow conditions the blades will be subjected to higher dynamic load fluctuations at the tip region.

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