Rotordynamic Coefficients of Labseals for Turbines: Comparing CFD Results With Experimental Data on a Comb-Grooved Labyrinth

The main goal of this paper is to improve identification methods for rotordynamic coefficients of labseals for turbines. This aim was achieved in joint effort of the Technische Universita¨t Mu¨nchen, working on experimental identification methods for rotordynamic coefficients, the University of Technology, Darmstadt, working on prediction methods, and Siemens AG, realizing the results. The paper focuses on a short comb-grooved labyrinth seal. Short labseals, amongst others the above mentioned comb-grooved labyrinth, were examined. by means of a very accurately measuring test rig. The rotor was brought into statically eccentric positions relative to the stator, in order to measure the circumferential pressure distribution as a function of pressure, rotating speed and entrance swirl. The data collected were used to validate results obtained with a numerical method. The theoretical approach is based on a commercial CFD tool, which solves the Navier Stokes equations using numerical methods. As a result, a detailed model of the flow within the test rig is produced. The efforts of computation here are greater than when compared with the likewise wide-spread Bulk flow models, however improved accuracy and flexibility is expected. As the validation of the model is successful, it could then be used to gain further insight in the flow within the seal, and to understand the results better. This showed that rotordynamic coefficients of labseals gained from different test rigs are not necessarily comparable.

Arrangement and Optimisation Turbocompressors in an Off-Shore Natural Gas Extraction Station

In this paper, a methodology for the optimization of a single off-shore gas compression station is developed. The station is composed of three gas turbines, each one driving a centrifugal compressor. The study concerns the feasibility of the most suitable arrangement to face the depletion of wells and the consequent reduction of the head top pressure. Once the arrangement is chosen, an optimization procedure is developed and carried out. The procedure, which is aimed at obtaining either high production rates or good station efficiency, is based on knowledge of the centrifugal compressor characteristics and on the availability of gas turbine thermodynamic cycle program, the latter allowing the definition of the machine actual operating state.

Mechanical Behavior of Anti-Symmetrically Laminated Composite Blades

Anti-symmetrically laminated composites have coupling effects between tensile stress and twisting deformation, and are very attractive as fan blade materials of aircraft engines. Blades fabricated by anti-symmetrically laminated composites can automatically adjust the stagger angle to better aerodynamic conditions with change of axial force or rotational speed owing to the coupling effects. Thus, the anti-symmetrically laminated composite blades are expected to improve aerodynamic efficiency and the stability of aircraft engines. In this paper, the mechanical behavior of anti-symmetrically laminated composite blades is evaluated by spin tests and finite element analyses. Three kinds of blades fabricated by carbon/epoxy laminated composites in different anti-symmetrical stacking sequences were tested. A non-contact measurement technique using a multi-channel optical fiber sensor was used for measurements of blade deformations at high-speed rotating conditions, up to 10,000 rpm. The twisted angle change at the blade tip could be successfully measured. The twisted angle change increased in proportion to the second power of rotational speed, and the maximum angle change was about 4 degree at 10,000 rpm. The finite element analysis results agreed well with the spin test results. Furthermore, the three-dimensional deformation of the test blades was evaluated based on finite element analyses.

Gas Turbine Fogging Technology — A State-of-the-Art Review: Part II — Overspray Fogging, Analytical and Experimental Aspects

The strong influence of ambient temperature on the output and heat rate on a gas turbine has popularized the application of inlet fogging and overspray for power augmentation. One of the main advantages of overspray fogging is that it enhances power output as a result of decrease in compression work associated with the continuous evaporation of water within the compressor due to fog intercooling. A comprehensive review on the current understanding of the analytical and experimental aspects of overspray fogging technology as applied to gas turbines is presented in this paper.

An Investigation in Optimal Locations by Genetic Algorithm for Balancing Flexible Rotor-Bearing Systems

This study utilizes genetic algorithm to minimize the condition number of Hermitian matrix of influence coefficient (HMIC) to reduce the computation errors in balancing procedure. Then, the optimal locations of balancing planes and sensors would be obtained as fulfilling optimization. The finite element method is used to determine the steady-state response of flexible rotor-bearing systems. The optimization improves the balancing accuracy, which can be validated by the experiments of balancing a rotor kit.

Thermodynamic Study of Humid Air Gas Turbine Cycle Power Plants

The major challenges before the design engineers of a gas turbine plant and its variants are the enhancement of power output, substantial reduction in NOx emission and improvement in plant thermal efficiency. There are various possibilities to achieve these objectives and humid air gas turbine cycle power plant is one of them. The present study deals with the thermodynamic study of humid air gas turbine cycle power plants based on first law. Using the modeling and governing equations, the parametric study has been carried out. The results obtained will be helpful in designing the humid air gas turbines, which are used as peaking units. The comparison of performance of humid air gas turbine cycle shows that it is superior to basic gas turbine cycle but inferior and more complex to steam injected cycle.

Modeling and Experimental Investigation of Micro-Hydrostatic Gas Thrust Bearings for Micro-Turbomachines

One of the major challenges for the successful operation of high-power-density micro-devices lies in the stable operation of the bearings supporting the high-speed rotating turbomachinery. Previous modeling efforts by Piekos [1], Liu et al. [2] and Spakovszky and Liu [3] have mainly focused on the operation and stability of journal bearings. However, since thrust bearings play the vital role of providing axial support and stiffness, there is a need to gain a fuller understanding of their behavior. In this work, a rigorous theory is presented to analyze the effects of compressibility in micro-flows (characterized by low Reynolds numbers and high Mach numbers) through hydrostatic thrust bearings for application to microturbomachines. The analytical model, which combines a 1-D compressible flow model with Finite-Element Analysis, serves as a useful tool for establishing operating protocols and assessing the stability characteristics of hydrostatic thrust bearings. The model is capable of predicting key steady-state performance indicators, such as bearing mass flow, axial stiffness and natural frequency as a function of the hydrostatic supply pressure and thrust bearing geometry. The model has been applied to investigate the static stability of hydrostatic thrust bearings in micro-turbine-generators, where the electrostatic attraction between the stator and rotor gives rise to a negative axial stiffness contribution and may lead to device failure. Thrust bearing operating protocols have been established for a micro-turbopump, where the bearings also serve as an annular seal preventing the leakage of pressurized liquid from the pump to the gaseous flow in the turbine. The dual role of the annular pad poses challenges in the operation of both the device and the thrust bearing. The operating protocols provide essential information for the required thrust bearing supply pressures and axial gaps required to prevent the leakage of water into the thrust bearings for various pump outlet pressures. Good agreement is observed between the model predictions and experimental results. In addition, a dynamic stability analysis is also performed, which indicates the occurrence of unstable axial oscillations due to flow choking effects in both forward and aft thrust bearings. These a-priori dynamic stability predictions were subsequently verified experimentally on a micro-turbocharger. The frequencies of unstable axial oscillations predicted using the model compare favorably to those determined experimentally, thus vindicating the validity of the model. A simple and useful dynamic stability criterion is established, where the occurrence of flow choking in both thrust bearings give rise to dynamic instability.

On-Line Performance Evaluation of CHP Plant With Cooled Gas Turbine Supported by Off-Line Analysis Results

This paper presents a methodology of diagnostic investigations for gas turbines. The key feature is that the analysis is carried out in two modes: off-line and on-line. The first mode is performed periodically. It involves detailed measurements. Values obtained from measurements create the input data for further analysis. Health state of a gas turbine is then evaluated. The evaluation bases on calculation of several health state parameters. The on-line diagnostic mode uses these parameters as a reference state. The usual lack of measurements available in the on-line investigations creates the need for additional input data for the analysis. Therefore diagnostic investigations are supported by the results from the off-line mode. One of the main problems to be solved in diagnostic analysis is the appropriate modeling of gas turbine operation. An approach presented here regards the operation in various conditions, meaning also off-design operation.

Investigation of Design Parameters and Failure Criteria of O-Ring Seal Structure

First, this paper established the seal structural 2D axisymmetric model of a certain Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) and calculated the deformation and stresses at ignition through a large displacement, incompressible, contact finite element analysis. The results show that the maximum contact stress appears at the contact area and the maximum shear stress at groove notch. Then, some typical parameters of the seal structure which might have the impact on the sealing performance, such as the gap breadth, initial compressibility, fillets of the groove notch and bottom, groove width, were analyzed. We can find that the gap breadth and initial compressibility do great contributions to the maximum contact normal stress, and the groove notch and bottom fillets act upon the maximum shear stress obviously. In order to verify the validity of the 2D axisymmetric model, 3D structural finite element analysis of the structure was conducted, and the results indicate that in service, the upper flange is inclined relative to the nether flange, which seems to mean that the gap breadth can not be considered as a constant during the 2D axisymmetric analysis. However further calculations say that if using the minimum gap breadth gotten in 3D analysis as its constant gap value, the above 2D axisymmetric model can rationally take the place of 3D model to analyze the sealing performance. Finally, the failure modes & criteria of the O-ring seals based on the maximum contact normal stress and shear stress were determined to ensure the reliability of this structure.

Tools for Minimizing Probabilistic Confidence Intervals

For probabilistic designs or assessments to be acceptable, they must have the statistically robust confidence intervals provided by sampling methods. However, sample-based analyses require the number of function evaluations to be so great as to be impractical for many complex engineering applications. Efficient sampling methods allow probabilistic analysis on more applications than basic methods, although they still require a significant computational budget. This paper reviews a series of tools that aim to reduce variance in individual failure rate estimates which would reduce the confidence interval for the same number of evaluations. Several methods share a common goal, lowering the sample discrepancy within the sample space, that will create near optimal low-discrepancy sample sets. The optimization approaches include evolutionary algorithms, piecewise optimization, and centroidal Voronoi tessellation. The results of the optimization procedures show a much lower discrepancy than previous methods.