Effects of Rotation on Blade Surface Heat Transfer: An Experimental Investigation

Measurements of turbine blade surface heat transfer in a transient rotor facility are compared with predictions and equivalent cascade data. The rotating measurements involved both forwards and reverse rotation (wake free) experiments. The use of thin-film gauges in the Oxford Rotor Facility provides both time-mean heat transfer levels and the unsteady time history. The time-mean level is not significantly affected by turbulence in the wake; this contrasts with the cascade response to freestream turbulence and simulated wake passing. Heat transfer predictions show the extent to which such phenomena are successfully modelled by a time-steady code. The accurate prediction of transition is seen to be crucial if useful predictions are to be obtained.

Comparison of Two-Equation Turbulence Models for Prediction of Heat Transfer on Film-Cooled Turbine Blades

A three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code has been used to compute the heat transfer coefficient on two film-cooled turbine blades, namely the VKI rotor with six rows of cooling holes including three rows on the shower head, and the C3X vane with nine rows of holes including five rows on the shower head. Predictions of heat transfer coefficient at the blade surface using three two-equation turbulence models, specifically, Coakley’s q-ω model, Chien’s k-ε model and Wilcox’s k-ω model with Menter’s modifications, have been compared with the experimental data of Camci and Arts (1990) for the VKI rotor, and of Hylton et al. (1988) for the C3X vane along with predictions using the Baldwin-Lomax (B-L) model taken from Garg and Gaugler (1995). It is found that for the cases considered here the two-equation models predict the blade heat transfer somewhat better than the B-L model except immediately downstream of the film-cooling holes on the suction surface of the VKI rotor, and over most of the suction surface of the C3X vane. However, all two-equation models require 40% more computer core than the B-L model for solution, and while the q-ω and k-ε models need 40% more computer time than the B-L model, the k-ω model requires at least 65% more time due to slower rate of convergence. It is found that the heat transfer coefficient exhibits a strong spanwise as well as streamwise variation for both blades and all turbulence models.

Aero-Thermal Design and Testing of Advanced Turbine Blades

Based on the experience gained with more than 80 machines operating worldwide in 50 and 60 Hz electrical systems respectively, Siemens has developed a new generation of advanced gas turbines which yield substantially improved performance at a higher output level. This “3A-Series” comprises three gas turbine models ranging from 70 MW to 240 MW for 50 Hz and 60 Hz power generation applications. The first of the new advanced gas turbines with 170 MW and 3600 rpm was tested in the Berlin factory test facility under the full range of operation conditions. It was equipped with various measurement systems to monitor pressures, gas and metal temperatures, clearances, strains, vibrations and exhaust emissions. This paper presents the aero-thermal design procedure of the highly thermal loaded film cooled first stage blading. The predictions are compared with the extensive optical pyrometer measurements taken at the Siemens test facility on the V84.3A machine under full load conditions. The pyrometer was inserted at several locations in the turbine and radially moved giving a complete surface temperature information of the first stage vanes and blades.

A Small Gas Turbine Plant for Cogeneration of Electricity, Thermal and Cooling Thermal Energy With an Absorption Unit

A cogeneration plant with a small gas turbine was installed in a pharmaceutical factory and instrumented for acquiring all the values necessary to appraise both its energetic and cost advantages. The plant was designed and built as a demonstrative project under a program for energy use improvement in industry, partially financed by the European Union. The system comprises as its main components: 1) a gas turbine cogeneration plant for production of power and thermal energy under the form of hot water, superheated water, and steam; 2) a two-stage absorption unit, fueled by the steam produced in the cogeneration plant, for production of cooling thermal energy. The plant was provided with an automatized control system for the acquisition of plant operating parameters. The large amount of data thus provided made it possible to compare the new plant, under actual operating conditions, with the previously existing cooling power station with compression units, and with a traditional power plant. This comparative analysis was based on measurements of the plant operating parameters over nine months, and made it possible to compare actual plant performance with that expected and ISO values. The analysis results reveal that gas turbine performance is greatly affected by part-load as well as ambient temperature conditions. Two-stage absorber performance, moreover, turned out to decrease sharply and more than expected in off-design operating conditions.

Effect of Discrete Surface Disturbances on Vane External Heat Transfer

A transonic linear vane cascade has been utilized to assess the effects of localized surface disturbances on airfoil external heat transfer coefficient distributions, such as those which may be created by the spallation of thermal barrier coatings. The cascade operates at an overall pressure ratio of 1.86, with an inlet total pressure of about 5 atm. Cascade Reynolds numbers based on axial chord length and exit velocity range from 2.2 to 4.8 · 106. Surface disturbances are modeled with the use of narrow trip strips glued onto the surface at selected locations, such that sharp forward facing steps are presented to the boundary layer. Surface locations investigated include the near leading edge region on either side of the stagnation point, the midchord region of the pressure side, and the high curvature region of the suction side. Heat transfer enhancement factors are obtained for disturbances with engine representative height-to-momentum thickness ratios, as a function of Reynolds number. Enhancement factors are compared for both smooth and rough airfoil surfaces with added disturbances, as well as low and high freestream turbulence intensity. Results show that leading edge heat transfer is dominated by freestream turbulence intensity effects, such that enhancements of nearly 50% at low turbulence levels are reduced to about 10% at elevated turbulence levels. Both pressure and suction side enhancement factors are dominated by surface roughness caused effects, with large enhancements for smooth surfaces being drastically reduced for roughened surfaces.

Adiabatic Wall Effectiveness Measurements of Film-Cooling Holes With Expanded Exits

This paper presents detailed measurements of the film-cooling effectiveness for three single, scaled-up film-cooling hole geometries. The hole geometries investigated include a cylindrical hole and two holes with a diffuser shaped exit portion (i.e. a fanshaped and a laidback fanshaped hole). The flow conditions considered are the crossflow Mach number at the hole entrance side (up to 0.6), the crossflow Mach number at the hole exit side (up to 1.2), and the blowing ratio (up to 2). The coolant-to-mainflow temperature ratio is kept constant at 0.54. The measurements are performed by means of an infrared camera system which provides a two-dimensional distribution of the film-cooling effectiveness in the nearfield of the cooling hole down to x/D = 10. As compared to the cylindrical hole, both expanded holes show significantly improved thermal protection of the surface downstream of the ejection location, particularly at high blowing ratios. The laidback fanshaped hole provides a better lateral spreading of the ejected coolant than the fanshaped hole which leads to higher laterally averaged film-cooling effectiveness. Coolant passage crossflow Mach number and orientation strongly affect the flowfield of the jet being ejected from the hole and, therefore, have an important impact on film-cooling performance.

Aspects of Vane Film Cooling With High Turbulence: Part I — Heat Transfer

A four vane subsonic cascade was used to investigate the influence of film injection on vane heat transfer distributions in the presence of high turbulence. The influence of high turbulence on vane film cooling effectiveness and boundary layer development was also examined in part II of this paper. A high level, large scale inlet turbulence was generated for this study with a mock combustor (12 %) and was used to contrast results with a low level (1 %) of inlet turbulence. The three geometries chosen to study in this investigation were one row and two staggered rows of downstream cooling on both the suction and pressure surfaces in addition to a showerhead array. Film cooling was found to have only a moderate influence on the heat transfer coefficients downstream from arrays on the suction surface where the boundary layer was turbulent. However, film cooling was found to have a substantial influence on heat transfer downstream from arrays in laminar regions of the vane such as the pressure surface, the stagnation region, and the near suction surface. Generally, heat transfer augmentation was found to scale on velocity ratio. In relative terms, the augmentation in the laminar regions for the low turbulence case was found to be higher than the augmentation for the high turbulence case. The absolute levels of heat transfer were always found to be the highest for the high turbulence case.

The Influence of Coolant Supply Geometry on Film Coolant Exit Flow and Surface Adiabatic Effectiveness

Experimental hot-wire anemometry and thermocouple measurements are taken to document the sensitivity which film cooling performance has to the hole length and the geometry of the plenum which supplies cooling flow to the holes. This sensitivity is described in terms of the effects these geometric features have on hole-exit velocity and turbulence intensity distributions and on adiabatic effectiveness values on the surface downstream. These measurements were taken under high freestream turbulence intensity (12%) conditions, representative of operating gas turbine engines. Coolant is supplied to the film cooling holes by means of (1) an unrestricted plenum, (2) a plenum which restricts the flow approaching the holes, forcing it to flow co-current with the freestream, and (3) a plenum which forces the flow to approach the holes counter-current with the freestream. Short-hole (L/D = 2.3) and long-hole (L/D = 7.0) comparisons are made. The geometry has a single row of film cooling holes with 35°-inclined streamwise injection. The film cooling flow is supplied at the same temperature as that of the freestream for hole-exit measurements and 10°C above the freestream temperature for adiabatic effectiveness measurements, yielding density ratios in the range 0.96–1.0. Two coolant-to-freestream velocity ratios, 0.5 and 1.0, are investigated. The results document the effects of (1) supply plenum geometry, (2) velocity ratio, and (3) hole L/D.

Low-Leakage Modular Regenerators for Gas-Turbine Engines

One of the significant problems plaguing regenerator designs is seal leakage resulting in a reduction of thermal efficiency. This paper describes the preliminary design and analysis of a new regenerative heat-exchanger concept, called a modular regenerator, that promises to provide improved seal-leakage performance. The modular regenerator concept consists of a ceramic-honeycomb matrix discretized into rectangular blocks, called modules. Separating the matrix into modules substantially reduces the transverse sealing lengths and substantially increases the longitudinal sealing lengths as compared with typical rotary designs. Potential applications can range from small gas-turbine engines for automotive applications to large stationary gas turbines for industrial power generation. Descriptions of two types of modular regenerators are presented including sealing concepts. Results of seal leakage analysis for typical modular regenerators sized for a small gas-turbine engine (120 kW) predict leakage rates under one percent for most seal-clearance heights.

Performance Assessment of Steam Injection Gas Turbine With Inlet Air Cooling

The steam generated through the use of waste heat recovered from a steam injection gas turbine generally exceeds the maximum mass of steam which can be injected into steam injection gas turbine. The ratio between the steam and air flowing into the engine is not more than 10–15%, as an increase in the pressure ratio can cause the compressor to stall. Naturally, the surplus steam can be utilized for a variety of alternative applications. During the warmer months, the ambient temperature increases and results in reduced thermal efficiency and electrical capacity. An inlet air cooling system for the compressor on a steam injection gas turbine would increase the rating and efficiency of power plants which use this type of equipment. In order to improve the performance of steam injection gas turbines, the authors investigated the option of cooling the intake air to the compressor by harnessing the thermal energy not used to produce the maximum quantity of steam that can be injected into the engine. This alternative use of waste energy makes it possible to reach maximum efficiency in terms of waste recovery. This study examined absorption refrigeration technology, which is one of the various systems adopted to increase efficiency and power rating. The system itself consists of a steam injection gas turbine and a heat recovery and absorption unit, while a computer model was utilized to evaluate the off design performance of the system. The input data required for the model were the following: an operating point, the turbine and compressor curves, the heat recovery and chiller specifications. The performance of an Allison 501 KH steam injection gas plant was analyzed by taking into consideration representative ambient temperature and humidity ranges, the optimal location of the chiller in light of all the factors involved, and which of three possible air cooling systems was the most economically suitable. In order to verify the technical feasibility of the hypothetical model, an economic study was performed on the costs for upgrading the existing steam injection gas cogeneration unit. The results indicate that the estimated pay back period for the project would be four years. In light of these findings, there are clear technical advantages to using gas turbine cogeneration with absorption air cooling in terms of investment.