Effects of Stator Wakes and Spanwise Nonuniform Inlet Conditions on the Rotor Flow of an Axial Turbine Stage

1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Zeschky ◽  
H. E. Gallus

Detailed measurements have been performed in a subsonic, axial-flow turbine stage to investigate the structure of the secondary flow field and the loss generation. The data include the static pressure distribution on the rotor blade passage surfaces and radial-circumferential measurements of the rotor exit flow field using three-dimensional hot-wire and pneumatic probes. The flow field at the rotor outlet is derived from unsteady hot-wire measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution. The paper presents the formation of the tip clearance vortex and the passage vortices, which are strongly influenced by the spanwise nonuniform stator outlet flow. Taking the experimental values for the unsteady flow velocities and turbulence properties, the effect of the periodic stator wakes on the rotor flow is discussed.

Author(s):  
J. Zeschky ◽  
H. E. Gallus

Detailed measurements have been performed in a subsonic, axial-flow turbine stage to investigate the structure of the secondary flow field and the loss generation. The data includes the static pressure distribution on the rotor blade passage surfaces and radial-circumferential measurements of the rotor exit flow field using three-dimensional hot-wire and pneumatic probes. The flow field at the rotor outlet is derived from unsteady hot-wire measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution. The formation of the tip clearance vortex and the passage vortices is presented, which are strongly influenced by the spanwise nonuniform stator outlet flow. Taking the experimental values for the unsteady flow velocities and turbulence properties, the effect of the periodic stator wakes on the rotor flow is discussed.


Author(s):  
Masahiro Inoue ◽  
Masato Furukawa

In a recent advanced aerodynamic design of turbomachinery, the physical interpretation of three-dimensional flow field obtained by a numerical simulation is important for iterative modifications of the blade or impeller geometry. This paper describes an approach to the physical interpretation of the tip clearance flow in turbomachinery. First, typical flow phenomena of the tip clearance flow are outlined for axial and radial compressors, pumps and turbines to help comprehensive understanding of the tip clearance flow. Then, a vortex-core identification method which enables to extract the vortical structure from the complicated flow field is introduced, since elucidation of the vortical structure is essential to the physical interpretation of the tip clearance flow. By use of the vortex-core identification, some interesting phenomena of the tip clearance flows are interpreted, especially focussing on axial flow compressors.


1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsutomu Adachi ◽  
Yutaka Yamashita ◽  
Kennichiro Yasuhara ◽  
Tatsuo Kawai

Three dimensional steady and unsteady velocity distributions in the axial flow fan were measured using a hot wire probe for various operational conditions, various rotational speeds and various measuring positions. For measuring the velocity distributions in the blade passage, a specially designed and manufactured hot wire traversing apparatus was used. Steady velocity distributions, turning angles, effects of incident to the cascade, flow leakage through the tip clearance and effects of the flow separation show the flow phenomena through the blade passages. Unsteady velocity distributions show time dependent procedures of the wake flowing through the moving blade passage. Considering these results of measurements, the effects of the upstream stationary blade and the effects of Reynolds number on the flow were considered.


Author(s):  
K. Yamada ◽  
K. Funazaki ◽  
M. Kikuchi ◽  
H. Sato

A study on the effects of the axial gap between stator and rotor upon the stage performance and flow field of a single axial flow turbine stage is presented in this paper. Three axial gaps were tested, which were achieved by moving the stator vane in the axial direction while keeping the disk cavity constant. The effect of the axial gap was investigated at two different conditions, that is design and off-design conditions. The unsteady three-dimensional flow field was analyzed by time-accurate RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes) simulations. The simulation results were compared with the experiments, in which total pressure and the time-averaged flow field upstream and downstream of the rotor were obtained by five-hole probe measurements. The effect of the axial gap was confirmed in the endwall regions, and obtained relatively at off-design condition. The turbine stage efficiency was improved almost linearly by reducing the axial gap at the off-design condition.


Author(s):  
H. E. Gallus ◽  
J. Zeschky ◽  
C. Hah

Detailed experimental and numerical studies have been performed in a subsonic, axial-flow turbine stage to investigate the secondary flow field, the aerodynamic loss generation, and the spanwise mixing under a stage environment. The experimental study includes measurements of the static pressure distribution on the rotor blade surface and the rotor exit flow field using three-dimensional hot-wire and pneumatic probes. The rotor exit flow field was measured with an unsteady hot-wire probe which has high temporal and spatial resolution. Both steady and unsteady numerical analyses were performed with a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code for the multiple blade rows. Special attention was focused on how well the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the rotor exit flow field and how much the blade interaction affects the radial distribution of flow properties at the stage exit. Detailed comparisons between the measurement and the steady calculation indicate that the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the overall time-averaged flow field very well. However, the steady calculation does not predict the secondary flow at the stage exit accurately. The current study indicates that the passage vortex near the hub of the rotor is transported toward the mid-span due to the blade interaction effects. And, the structure of the secondary flow field at the exit of the rotor is significantly modified by the unsteady effects. The time-averaged secondary flow field and the radial distribution of the flow properties, which are uses for the design of the following stage, can be predicted more accurately with the unsteady flow calculation.


1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. G. Howard ◽  
B. R. Hutchinson ◽  
R. B. Broberg

The flow within an axial-flow spiral inducer impeller is complex and three-dimensional. The long but tightly-spiralled passages give rise to secondary flow fields strongly influenced by the blade walls. Flow analysis in such an impeller is carried out by a three-dimensional viscous flow code and compared with previously published LDV measurements. Due to the extreme blade angles of the inducer, an unconventional meshing strategy is required in order to prevent high mesh non-orthogonality. Details of that strategy are provided. Tip clearance modelling was not incorporated in this first stage of investigation. Despite this, the flow analysis reveals the pattern of development of the secondary flow field along the length of the high solidity passage consistent with the LDV data but in much greater detail than was possible with the limited capability of the measurement system. Predicted flow patterns upstream suggest preconditions for the initiation of the observed induction of upstream flow swirl at reduced flow rates.


Author(s):  
Zhaohui Du ◽  
Wanlai Lin ◽  
Xiaocheng Zhu ◽  
Yan Zhao

In this paper, a three-color dual-beam PDA (Particle Dynamic Analyzer) system (made by DANTEC Measurement Technology) is used to measure the three-dimensional velocity of an axial flow fan. Due to the geometrical limit of fan rotor, non-orthogonal velocity components are measured first, from which the orthogonal three-dimensional components of the velocity field are computed through transformation equations. The detailed flow fields at 15 axial locations upstream, inside and at the exit of the rotor are measured, respectively. On each cross section perpendicular to the rotating axis, the flow field measurement at 15 different radial locations from 50% of the blade span to the region inside the tip clearance (between the tip blade and the casing wall) are taken. The experimental technique is described, and the three dimensional flow fields (including the tip clearance flow) are presented and analyzed.


1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 562-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Gallus ◽  
J. Zeschky ◽  
C. Hah

Detailed experimental and numerical studies have been performed in a subsonic, axial-flow turbine stage to investigate the secondary flow field, the aerodynamic loss generation, and the spanwise mixing under a stage environment. The experimental study includes measurements of the static pressure distribution on the rotor blade surface and the rotor exit flow field using three-dimensional hot-wire and pneumatic probes. The rotor exit flow field was measured with an unsteady hot-wire probe, which has high temporal and spatial resolution. Both steady and unsteady numerical analyses were performed with a three-dimensional Navier–Stokes code for the multiple blade rows. Special attention was focused on how well the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the rotor exit flow field and how much the blade interaction affects the radial distribution of flow properties at the stage exit. Detailed comparisons between the measurement and the steady calculation indicate that the steady multiple-blade-row calculation predicts the overall time-averaged flow field very well. However, the steady calculation does not predict the secondary flow at the stage exit accurately. The current study indicates that the passage vortex near the hub of the rotor is transported toward the midspan due to the blade interaction effects. Also, the structure of the secondary flow field at the exit of the rotor is significantly modified by the unsteady effects. The time-averaged secondary flow field and the radial distribution of the flow properties, which are used for the design of the following stage, can be predicted more accurately with the unsteady flow calculation.


Author(s):  
Akira Goto

The effect of difference in rotor tip clearance on the mean flow fields and unsteadiness and mixing across a stator blade row were investigated using hot-wire anemometry, pressure probes, flow visualization and the ethylene tracer-gas technique on a single stage axial flow compressor. The structure of the three-dimensional flow fields was discussed based on results of experiments using the 12-orientation single slanted hot-wire technique and spectrum analysis of velocity fluctuation. High-pass filtered measurements of turbulence were also carried out in order to confirm small-scale velocity fluctuation which is more realistically referred to as turbulence. The spanwise distribution of ethylene gas spreading, estimated by the measured small-scale velocity fluctuation at the rotor exit, agreed quite well with that which was experimentally measured. This fact suggests the significant role of turbulence, generated within the rotor, in the mixing process across the downstream stator. The value of the maximum mixing coefficient in the tip region was found to increase linearly as the tip clearance became enlarged, starting from the value at midspan.


1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Green ◽  
A. B. Turner

The upstream wheelspace of an axial air turbine stage complete with nozzle guide vanes (NGVs) and rotor blades (430 mm mean diameter) has been tested with the objective of examining the combined effect of NGVs and rotor blades on the level of mainstream ingestion for different seal flow rates. A simple axial clearance seal was used with the rotor spun up to 6650 rpm by drawing air through it from atmospheric pressure with a large centrifugal compressor. The effect of rotational speed was examined for several constant mainstream flow rates by controlling the rotor speed with an air brake. The circumferential variation in hub static pressure was measured at the trailing edge of the NGVs upstream of the seal gap and was found to affect ingestion significantly. The hub static pressure distribution on the rotor blade leading edges was rotor speed dependent and could not be measured in the experiments. The Denton three-dimensional C.F.D. computer code was used to predict the smoothed time-dependent pressure field for the rotor together with the pressure distribution downstream of the NGVs. The level and distribution of mainstream ingestion, and thus the seal effectiveness, was determined from nitrous oxide gas concentration measurements and related to static pressure measurements made throughout the wheelspace. With the axial clearance rim seal close to the rotor the presence of the blades had a complex effect. Rotor blades in connection with NGVs were found to reduce mainstream ingestion seal flow rates significantly, but a small level of ingestion existed even for very high levels of seal flow rate.


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