Study of steady and unsteady wet steam condensing flows in a turbine stage

Objective To develop the numerical method for the steady and unsteady wet steam condensing flow in turbine stage. Methods An Eulerian/Eulerian numerical model is used to describe the spontaneous condensation flow in the steam turbine. For the steady condensing flow computations, the mixing plane model was used. For the unsteady condensing flow computations, the sliding mesh method was used to simulate the rotor-stator interactions. Results The numerical results showed the obvious differences between non-condensing and condensing flows. The results also showed the unsteadiness effect due to rotor-stator interactions had a deep influence on the formation and growth process of water droplets. Conclusion The numerical methods presented in this paper are valid for the condensing flow in the turbine stage.

AERODYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION DESIGN OF LOW ASPECT RATIO TRANSONIC TURBINE STAGE

The advanced optimization method named as adaptive range differential evolution （ARDE） is developed. The optimization performance of ARDE is demonstrated using a typical mathematical test and compared with the standard genetic algorithm and differential evolution. Combined with parallel ARDE, surface modeling method and Navier-Stokes solution, a new automatic aerodynamic optimization method is presented. A low aspect ratio transonic turbine stage is optimized for the maximization of the isentropic efficiency with forty-one design variables in total. The coarse-grained parallel strategy is applied to accelerate the design process using 15 CPUs. The isentropic efficiency of the optimum design is 1.6% higher than that of the reference design. The aerodynamic performance of the optimal design is much better than that of the reference design.

Numerical Analysis of the Losses in Unsteady Flow through Turbine Stage

This paper presents an analysis of the operation of a stage of an aircraft engine gas turbine in terms of generation of flow losses. The energy loss coefficient, the entropy loss coefficient and an additional pressure loss coefficient were adopted to describe the losses quantitatively. Distributions of loss coefficients were presented along the height of the blade channel. All coefficients were determined based on the data from the unsteady flow field and analyzed for different mutual positioning of the stator and rotor blades. The flow calculations were performed using the Ansys CFX commercial software package. The analyses presented in this paper were carried out using the URANS (Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes) method and two different turbulence models: the common Shear Stress Transport (SST) model and the Adaptive-Scale Simulation (SAS) turbulence model, which belongs to the group of hybrid models.

The Analysis of the Noise Generation in Gas Turbine Stage

The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of the mutual positioning of the turbine stage stator and rotor blades on noise generation. The Ansys CFX commercial software package and the Scale-Adaptive Simulation (SAS) hybrid turbulence model are used for numerical analyses. The paper is focused on an analysis that the pressure wave generation resulting from unsteady flow phenomena. In order to present the problem, the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) analysis of pressure fluctuation is carried out at selected points of the turbine stage computational domain. A comparison of values of individual components for subsequent control points allows an approximate determination of the place of generation of pressure waves, the direction of their propagation and the damping rate. Moreover, the numerical analyses make it possible to evaluate the justification for the use of the SAS model, which is rather demanding in terms of equipment, in simulations of unsteady flow fields where generation and propagation of noise waves occur.

Numerical Modelling of the Aeroelastic Behaviour and Variable Loads for the Turbine Stage in 3D Transonic Flow

In this study presented the algorithm proposed involves the coupled solution of 3-D unsteady flow through a turbine stage and the dynamics problem for rotor-blade motion by the action of aerodynamic forces, without separating the outer and inner flow fluctuations. The partially integrated method involves the solution of the fluid and structural equations separately, but information is exchanged at each time step, so that solution from one domain is used as a boundary condition for the other domain. 3-D transonic gas flow through the stator and rotor blades in relative motion with periodicity on the whole annulus is described by the unsteady Euler conservation equations, which are integrated using the explicit monotonous finite-volume difference scheme of Godunov-Kolgan. The structural analysis uses the modal approach and a 3-D finite element model of a blade. A calculation has been done for the last stage of the steam turbine, under design and off-design regimes. It is shown that the amplitude-frequency spectrum of blade oscillations contains the high frequency harmonics, corresponding to the rotor moving past one stator blade pitch, and low frequency harmonics caused by blade oscillations and flow nonuniformity downstream from the blade row; moreover, the spectrum involves the harmonics which are not multiples of the rotation frequency.

Experimental Analysis of the Aerodynamic Performance of an Innovative Low Pressure Turbine Rotor

In the present work the aerodynamic performances of an innovative rotor blade row have been experimentally investigated. Measurements have been carried out in a large scale low speed single stage cold flow facility at a Reynolds number typical of aeroengine cruise, under nominal and off-design conditions. The time-mean blade aerodynamic loadings have been measured at three radial positions along the blade height through a pressure transducer installed inside the hollow shaft, by delivering the signal to the stationary frame with a slip ring. The time mean aerodynamic flow fields upstream and downstream of the rotor have been measured by means of a five-hole probe to investigate the losses associated with the rotor. The investigations in the single stage research turbine allow the reproduction of both wake-boundary layer interaction as well as vortex-vortex interaction. The detail of the present results clearly highlights the strong dissipative effects induced by the blade tip vortex and by the momentum defect as well as the turbulence production, which is generated during the migration of the stator wake in the rotor passage. Phase-locked hot-wire investigations have been also performed to analyze the time-varying flow during the wake passing period. In particular the interaction between stator and rotor structures has been investigated also under off-design conditions to further explain the mechanisms contributing to the loss generation for the different conditions.

Numerical 3D Model of Viscous Turbulent Flow in One Stage Gas Turbine and Its Experimental Validation

The paper describes 3D numerical Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model and approximate sector approach for viscous turbulent flow through flow path of one stage axial supercharge gas turbine of marine diesel engine. Computational data are tested by comparison with experimental data. The back step flow path opening and tip clearance jet are taken into account.This approach could be applied for variety of turbine theory and design tasks: for offer optimal design in order to minimize kinetic energy stage losses; for solution of partial supply problem; for analysis of flow pattern in near extraction stages; for estimation of rotational frequency variable forces on blades; for sector vane adjustment (with thin leading edges mainly), for direct flow modeling in the turbine etc. The development of this work could be seen in the direction of unsteady stage model application.