The Radial Turbine, for Low Specific Speeds and Low Velocity Factors

1961 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Knoernschild

The main factors which influence radial-turbine performance are discussed. After a short description of the losses in radial turbines, the concept of the diffusion parameter is introduced. It is shown how the turbine geometry influences performance and, in particular, the reaction. The influence of a variation of the reaction on performance of radial turbines with high and low specific speed is discussed. Three-dimensional effects appear especially in the exducer region of the turbine. They may contribute to backflow and to a distorted distribution of the meridional velocity. The basic approach to improving turbines in the range of low-velocity factors and low specific speed is indicated. It appears that an attempt to reach impulse conditions in radial turbines is difficult, and only a rather small efficiency improvement can be expected. The approach to be taken in adapting a turbine design to low-specific-speed operation is pointed out, and the deterioration of the blade loading pattern due to such a reduction of the specific speed is shown.

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3348
Author(s):  
Wei Yang ◽  
Xiaoyu Lei ◽  
Benqing Liu

A three-dimensional inverse design of a low specific speed turbine is studied, and a set of design criteria for low specific speed turbine runner is proposed, including blade loading distributions and blade lean angles. The characteristics of the loading parameters for low specific speed turbine runner are summarized by analyzing the suction performance of different loading positions, loading slopes and blade lean angles based on the orthogonal experiment design and range analysis. It is found that the blade loading distribution at the band plays a more important role than it does at the crown and it should be fore loaded for both band and crown. The blade lean angle at the blade leading edge should be negative. Then, the blade is optimized through the inverse method by fixing blade lean angle, based on the response surface method. After seeking the optimal value of the response surface function, the optimal result of the design parameters is obtained, which is in conformity with the design criteria and verifies the rationality of the established design criteria for low specific speed turbine.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 674
Author(s):  
Paul Caicedo ◽  
David Wood ◽  
Craig Johansen

Solar chimney power plants (SCPPs) collect air heated over a large area on the ground and exhaust it through a turbine or turbines located near the base of a tall chimney to produce renewable electricity. SCPP design in practice is likely to be specific to the site and of variable size, both of which require a purpose-built turbine. If SCPP turbines cannot be mass produced, unlike wind turbines, for example, they should be as cheap as possible to manufacture as their design changes. It is argued that a radial inflow turbine with blades made from metal sheets, or similar material, is likely to achieve this objective. This turbine type has not previously been considered for SCPPs. This article presents the design of a radial turbine to be placed hypothetically at the bottom of the Manzanares SCPP, the only large prototype to be built. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to assess the turbine’s performance when installed in the SCPP. Multiple reference frames with the renormalization group k-ε turbulence model, and a discrete ordinates non-gray radiation model were used in the CFD simulations. Three radial turbines were designed and simulated. The largest power output was 77.7 kW at a shaft speed of 15 rpm for a solar radiation of 850 W/m2 which exceeds by more than 40 kW the original axial turbine used in Manzanares. Further, the efficiency of this turbine matches the highest efficiency of competing turbine designs in the literature.


Author(s):  
Carlo Cravero ◽  
Martino Marini

The authors decided to organize their design/analysis computational tools in an integrated software suite in order to help teaching radial turbine, taking advantage of their research background and a set of codes previously developed. The software is proposed for use during class works and the student can either use a single design/analysis tool or face a complete design loop consisting of iterations between design and analysis tools. The intended users are final year students in mechanical engineering. The codes output are discussed with two practical examples in order to highlight the turbomachinery performance at design and off-design conditions. The above suite gives the student the opportunity of getting used to different concepts (choking, blade loading, performance maps, …) that are encountered in turbomachinery design and of understanding the effects of the main design parameters.


Author(s):  
Paolo Boncinelli ◽  
Roberto Biagi ◽  
Antonio Focacci ◽  
Umberto Corradini ◽  
Andrea Arnone ◽  
...  

In this paper, the aerodynamic design of a bowl–type diffuser for a low specific–speed pump is presented and described in detail. The main goal was to achieve an optimal configuration in terms of diffuser recovery capacity and stage aerodynamic efficiency, while satisfying severe constraints concerning stage size and multistage feasibility. Both geometrical parametrization tools and a fully–viscous three–dimensional numerical solver were exploited in the design process. The geometrical parameterization allowed one to control and modify the geometry of the component by changing a limited number of parameters. CFD analysis was exploited to assess the effectiveness of the geometrical modifications on the performance, and to identify critical problems. A number of aerodynamic ID coefficients with simple physical meanings were also introduced and used as a support to the design to synthesize the main feature of the strongly three–dimensional flow evolving in the component. As a result, a new stage configuration was developed according to the imposed constraints, whose performance is at the same level as standard pumps of the same class.


1984 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Moore ◽  
J. G. Moore ◽  
P. H. Timmis

Calculations of three-dimensional viscous flow in the impeller of a centrifugal compressor are used as the basis of a study of the thermodynamics of the compression process. Flow in a high hub-tip ratio low specific speed impeller of approximately 3.4:1 pressure ratio is considered. Results are presented showing the work and loss production processes in the impeller. A strong influence of tip-leakage flow on the performance of this unshrouded wheel is found.


Author(s):  
M DaqiqShirazi ◽  
R Torabi ◽  
A Riasi ◽  
SA Nourbakhsh

In this paper, the flow in the impeller sidewall gap of a low specific speed centrifugal pump is analyzed to study the effect of wear ring clearance and the resultant through-flow on flow field in this cavity and investigate the overall efficiency of the pump. Centrifugal pumps are commonly subject to a reduction in the flow rate and volumetric efficiency due to abrasive liquids or working conditions, since the wear rings are progressively worn, the internal leakage flow is increased. In the new operating point, the overall efficiency of the pump cannot be predicted simply by using the pump characteristic curves. The flow field is simulated with the use of computational fluid dynamics and the three-dimensional full Navier–Stokes equations are solved using CFX software. In order to verify the numerical simulations, static pressure field in volute casing and pump performance curves are compared with the experimental measurements. The results show that, for the pump with minimum wear ring clearance, the disk friction efficiency is the strongest factor that impairs the overall efficiency. Therefore, when the ring clearance is enlarged more than three times, although volumetric efficiency decreases effectively but the reduction in overall efficiency is remarkably smaller due to improvement in the disk friction losses.


Author(s):  
R. C. Pampreen

The design features and development experience of an advanced automotive gas turbine centrifugal compressor are presented. The compressor was designed with moderately low specific speed, high blade aerodynamic loading and design point on the choke characteristic. A cascade diffuser was used; a new design approach brought about an unusual performance characteristic. The influence of impeller blade loading on performance is presented. Lessons learned are summarized.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Einar Agnalt ◽  
Igor Iliev ◽  
Bjørn W. Solemslie ◽  
Ole G. Dahlhaug

The rotor stator interaction in a low specific speed Francis model turbine and a pump-turbine is analyzed utilizing pressure sensors in the vaneless space and in the guide vane cascade. The measurements are analyzed relative to the runner angular position by utilizing an absolute encoder mounted on the shaft end. From the literature, the pressure in the analyzed area is known to be a combination of two effects: the rotating runner pressure and the throttling of the guide vane channels. The measured pressure is fitted to a mathematical pressure model to separate the two effects for two different runners. One turbine with 15+15 splitter blades and full-length blades and one pump-turbine with six blades are investigated. The blade loading on the two runners is different, giving different input for the pressure model. The main findings show that the pressure fluctuations in the guide vane cascade are mainly controlled by throttling for the low blade loading case and the rotating runner pressure for the higher blade loading case.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 139868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Azlan Ismail ◽  
Al Khalid Othman ◽  
Shahidul Islam ◽  
Hushairi Zen

This paper reviews the current research works on the end suction centrifugal pump coupled with induction generator running in turbine mode for microhydro application. The information can be used by practicing engineers, researchers, and plant managers to understand the potential of pump running as turbine. Review on experimental and simulation works was carried out encompassing end suction single stage low specific speed which is less than 10 kW. This is followed by review of their efficiency improvement through modifications. The results show that centrifugal pump can operate in turbine modes without any modification on mechanical components. However, to achieve the best efficiency point (BEP), it requires higher flow rate and head than pumping rating. Efficiency improvement is viable through geometric modification to improve hydraulic characteristic. The studies also show that pump as turbine (PAT) can be directly coupled with modified induction motor as generator by adding capacitor and electric control system, regulating voltage and frequency at the output terminal. It was found that PAT offers the best low cost solution for microhydro application especially for third world countries that do not have local microhydro manufacturer.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Checcucci ◽  
Federica Sazzini ◽  
Michele Marconcini ◽  
Andrea Arnone ◽  
Mario Coneri ◽  
...  

This work provides a detailed description of the fluid dynamic design of a low specific-speed industrial pump centrifugal impeller. The main goal is to guarantee a certain value of the specific-speed number at the design flow rate, while satisfying geometrical constraints and industrial feasibility. The design procedure relies on a modern optimization technique such as an Artificial-Neural-Network-based approach (ANN). The impeller geometry is parameterized in order to allow geometrical variations over a large design space. The computational framework suitable for pump optimization is based on a fully viscous three-dimensional numerical solver, used for the impeller analysis. The performance prediction of the pump has been obtained by coupling the CFD analysis with a 1D correlation tool, which accounts for the losses due to the other components not included in the CFD domain. Due to both manufacturing and geometrical constraints, two different optimized impellers with 3 and 5 blades have been developed, with the performance required in terms of efficiency and suction capability. The predicted performance of both configurations were compared with the measured head and efficiency characteristics.


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