Integrated Motor/Propulsor Duct Optimization for Increased Vehicle and Propulsor Performance

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Huyer ◽  
Amanda Dropkin
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Design Constraint ◽  
Propulsive Efficiency ◽  
Flow Acceleration ◽  
Blade Row ◽  
Total Vehicle ◽  
Stator Blade ◽  
Thrust And Torque

This paper presents a computational study to better understand the underlying fluid dynamics associated with various duct shapes and the resultant impact on both total vehicle drag and propulsor efficiency. A post-swirl propulsor configuration (downstream stator blade row) was selected with rotor and stator blade number kept constant. A generic undersea vehicle hull shape was chosen and the maximum shroud radius was required to lie within this body radius. A cylindrical rim-driven electric motor capable of generating a specific horsepower to achieve the design operational velocity required a set volume that established a design constraint limiting the shape of the duct. Individual duct shapes were designed to produce constant flow acceleration from upstream of the rotor blade row to downstream of the stator blade row. Ducts producing accelerating and decelerating flow were systematically examined. The axisymmetric Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) version of fluent® was used to study the fluid dynamics associated with a range of accelerated and decelerated duct flow cases as well as provide the base total vehicle drag. For each given duct shape, the propeller blade design code, PBD 14.3, was used to generate an optimized rotor and stator. To provide fair comparisons, the maximum rotor radius was held constant with similar circulation distributions intended to generate equivalent amounts of thrust. Computations predicted that minimum vehicle drag was produced with a duct that produced zero mean flow acceleration. Ducted designs generating accelerating or decelerating flow increased drag. However, propulsive efficiency based exclusively on blade thrust and torque was significantly increased for accelerating flow through the duct and reduced for decelerating flow cases. Full 3D RANS flow simulations were then conducted for select test cases to quantify the specific blade, hull, and shroud forces and highlight the increased component drag produced by an operational propulsor, which reduced overall propulsive efficiency. From these results, a final optimized design was proposed.

Integrated Motor/Propulsor Duct Optimization for Increased Vehicle and Propulsor Performance

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Huyer ◽  
Amanda Dropkin
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Electric Motor ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Propulsive Efficiency ◽  
Flow Acceleration ◽  
Blade Row ◽  
Total Vehicle ◽  
Stator Blade ◽  
Thrust And Torque

Integrated electric motor/propulsor technological development offers the potential to increase usable volume for undersea vehicles by locating the electric motor in the duct. This has the added advantage that the electric motor has increased usable torque due to the increased radius. For many torpedo and unmanned undersea vehicle applications, however, the maximum vehicle diameter is limited by design. This places significant constraints on the vehicle and propulsor design in order to maximize hydrodynamic performance. The electric motor requires a significant duct thickness that both increases hydrodynamic drag due to the presence of the duct as well as limiting the maximum propeller radius. Both constraints result in diminished propulsor performance by both increasing overall drag and reducing the propulsive efficiency. In order to meet vehicle design objectives related to maximum vehicle speed and associated power requirements, a computational study was conducted to better understand the underlying fluid dynamics associated with various duct shapes and the resultant impact on both total vehicle drag and propulsor efficiency. As a baseline to this study, a post-swirl propulsor configuration was chosen (downstream stator blade row) with a 9 blade rotor and 11 blade stator. A generic torpedo hull shape was chosen and the maximum duct radius was required to lie within this radius. A cylindrical rim driven electric motor capable of generating a specific horsepower to achieve the design operational velocity required a set volume and established a design constraint limiting the shape of the duct. With this constraint, the duct shape was varied to produce varying constant flow acceleration from upstream of the rotor blade row to downstream of the stator blade row. The mean flow acceleration was derived from a constant mass flow relation. The axisymmetric Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes version of Fluent® was used to examine the fluid dynamics associated with a range of accelerated and decelerated duct flow cases as well as provide the base total vehicle drag. For each given duct shape, the Propeller Blade Design Code, PBD 14.3 was used to generate an optimized rotor and stator. To provide fair comparisons, the circulation distribution and maximum rotor radius were held constant to generate equivalent amounts of thrust. Propulsor efficiency could then be estimated based on these calculations. Calculations showed that minimum vehicle drag was produced with a duct that produced zero mean flow acceleration. Ducts generating accelerating and decelerating flow increased drag. However, propulsive efficiency based on blade thrust and torque was significantly increased for accelerating flow through the duct and reduced for decelerating flow cases. Full 3-D RANS flow simulations were then conducted for select test cases to quantify the specific blade, hull and duct forces and highlight the increased component drag produced by an operational propulsor, which reduced overall propulsive efficiency. Based on these results, an optimum rotor balancing vehicle drag and propulsive efficiency is proposed.

scholarly journals A Three Dimensional Computational Study of Windage Heating Within an Axial Compressor Stator Well

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. K. Ozturk ◽  
P. R. N. Childs ◽  
A. B. Turner ◽  
J. M. Hannis ◽  
J. R. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Labyrinth Seal ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Temperature Boundary ◽  
Blade Row ◽  
Stator Blade ◽  
Tip Leakage Flows

Shrouded stator blades are sometimes used to prevent vibration problems, but more often they are used to eliminate blade over-tip leakage flows. A trench or recess referred to as a stator well must be provided in the rotor drum assembly in order to accommodate the stator shroud. This paper presents a computational study of the flow and windage generation within an axial compressor stator well. Windage heating levels for a three dimensional compressible solution of flow through a geometry comprising upstream and downstream stator well cavities, labyrinth seal and the stator blade row are quantified. The potential for hot fluid ejected from the upstream stator well seal into the mainstream annulus, migrating through the blade row and being re-ingested at the downstream stator well seal for further windage heating has been studied using a layered temperature boundary condition at entry to the stator row. The possible reconfiguration of detailed stator well geometry has been explored to identify options for controlling flow rate and reducing windage levels, other than controlling clearances, yielding a 9% reduction in flow rate and a 9% reduction in windage heating.

Simulation of Unsteady Flows in Intermediate Pressure Steam Turbine with Cutback Stator Blade Row

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (0) ◽  
pp. J05102
Author(s):  
Hironori MIYAZAWA ◽  
Akihiro UEMURA ◽  
Takashi FURUSAWA ◽  
Satoru YAMAMOTO ◽  
Shuichi UMEZAWA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Unsteady Flows ◽  
Intermediate Pressure ◽  
Blade Row ◽  
Pressure Steam ◽  
Stator Blade

scholarly journals Control of the Unsteady Flow in a Stator Blade Row Interacting With Upstream Moving Wakes

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Valkov ◽  
C. S. Tan
Keyword(s):  
Unsteady Flow ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Spectral Element ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Blade Loading ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
Blade Row ◽  
Stator Blade

A computational approach, based on a spectral-element Navier-Stokes solver, has been applied to the study of the unsteady flow arising from wake-stator interaction. Direct, as well as turbulence-model calculations, provide insight into the mechanics of the unsteady flow and demonstrate the potential for controlling its effects. The results show that the interaction between the wakes and the stator blades produces a characteristic pattern of vortical disturbances, which have been correlated to the pressure fluctuations. Within the stator passage, the wakes migrate towards the pressure surface where they evolve into counter-rotating vortices. These vortices are the dominant source of disturbances over the pressure surface of the stator blade. Over the suction surface of the stator blade, the disturbances are due to the distortion and detachment of boundary layer fluid. They can be reduced by tailoring the blade loading or by applying non-uniform suction.

An Investigation of Flow Fields Over Multi-Element Aerofoils

2001 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Maddah ◽  
H. H. Bruun
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Separated Flow ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Model Configuration ◽  
Attached Flow ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Flap Deflection ◽  
Comparative Results ◽  
Lift And Drag

This paper presents results obtained from a combined experimental and computational study of the flow field over a multi-element aerofoil with and without an advanced slat. Detailed measurements of the mean flow and turbulent quantities over a multi-element aerofoil model in a wind tunnel have been carried out using stationary and flying hot-wire (FHW) probes. The model configuration which spans the test section 600mm×600mm, is made of three parts: 1) an advanced (heel-less) slat, 2) a NACA 4412 main aerofoil and 3) a NACA 4415 flap. The chord lengths of the elements were 38, 250 and 83 mm, respectively. The results were obtained at a chord Reynolds number of 3×105 and a free Mach number of less than 0.1. The variations in the flow field are explained with reference to three distinct flow field regimes: attached flow, intermittent separated flow, and separated flow. Initial comparative results are presented for the single main aerofoil and the main aerofoil with a nondeflected flap at angles of attacks of 5, 10, and 15 deg. This is followed by the results for the three-element aerofoil with emphasis on the slat performance at angles of attack α=10, 15, 20, and 25 deg. Results are discussed both for a nondeflected flap δf=0deg and a deflected flap δf=25deg. The measurements presented are combined with other related aerofoil measurements to explain the main interaction of the slat/main aerofoil and main aerofoil/flap both for nondeflected and deflected flap conditions. These results are linked to numerically calculated variations in lift and drag coefficients with angle of attack and flap deflection angle.

Control of Shroud Leakage Loss by Reducing Circumferential Mixing

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Budimir Rosic ◽  
John D. Denton
Keyword(s):  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Tangential Velocity ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Blade Row ◽  
Stator Blade ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Mixing Losses

Shroud leakage flow undergoes little change in the tangential velocity as it passes over the shroud. Mixing due to the difference in tangential velocity between the main stream flow and the leakage flow creates a significant proportion of the total loss associated with shroud leakage flow. The unturned leakage flow also causes negative incidence and intensifies the secondary flows in the downstream blade row. This paper describes the experimental results of a concept to turn the rotor shroud leakage flow in the direction of the main blade passage flow in order to reduce the aerodynamic mixing losses. A three-stage air model turbine with low aspect ratio blading was used in this study. A series of different stationary turning vane geometries placed into the rotor shroud exit cavity downstream of each rotor blade row was tested. A significant improvement in flow angle and loss in the downstream stator blade rows was measured together with an increase in turbine brake efficiency of 0.4 %.

Critical layers in accelerating two-layer flows

1988 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 429-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald B. Altman
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Single Mode ◽  
Shear Instability ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Velocity Measurements ◽  
Interfacial Wave ◽  
Flow Acceleration ◽  
Critical Layers ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Processing Software

A series of laboratory experiments on accelerating two-layer shear flows over topography is described. The mean flow reverses at the interface of the layers, forcing a critical layer to occur there. It is found that for a sufficiently thin interface, a slowly growing recirculating region, the ‘acceleration rotor’, develops on the interfacial wave at mean-flow Richardson numbers of O(0.5). This, in turn, can induce a secondary dynamical shear instability on the trailing edge of the wave. A single-mode, linear, two-layer numerical model reproduces many features of the acceleration rotor if mean-flow acceleration and bottom forcing are included. Velocity measurements are obtained from photographs using image processing software developed for the automated reading of particle-streak photographs. Typical results are shown.

Verification Benchmarks to Assess the Implementation of Computational Fluid Dynamics Based Hemolysis Prediction Models

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prasanna Hariharan ◽  
Gavin D’Souza ◽  
Marc Horner ◽  
Richard A. Malinauskas ◽  
Matthew R. Myers
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Analytical Solutions ◽  
Experimental Validation ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Flow Acceleration ◽  
Blood Damage ◽  
Eulerian Models

As part of an ongoing effort to develop verification and validation (V&V) standards for using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the evaluation of medical devices, we have developed idealized flow-based verification benchmarks to assess the implementation of commonly cited power-law based hemolysis models in CFD. The verification process ensures that all governing equations are solved correctly and the model is free of user and numerical errors. To perform verification for power-law based hemolysis modeling, analytical solutions for the Eulerian power-law blood damage model (which estimates hemolysis index (HI) as a function of shear stress and exposure time) were obtained for Couette and inclined Couette flow models, and for Newtonian and non-Newtonian pipe flow models. Subsequently, CFD simulations of fluid flow and HI were performed using Eulerian and three different Lagrangian-based hemolysis models and compared with the analytical solutions. For all the geometries, the blood damage results from the Eulerian-based CFD simulations matched the Eulerian analytical solutions within ∼1%, which indicates successful implementation of the Eulerian hemolysis model. Agreement between the Lagrangian and Eulerian models depended upon the choice of the hemolysis power-law constants. For the commonly used values of power-law constants (α  = 1.9–2.42 and β  = 0.65–0.80), in the absence of flow acceleration, most of the Lagrangian models matched the Eulerian results within 5%. In the presence of flow acceleration (inclined Couette flow), moderate differences (∼10%) were observed between the Lagrangian and Eulerian models. This difference increased to greater than 100% as the beta exponent decreased. These simplified flow problems can be used as standard benchmarks for verifying the implementation of blood damage predictive models in commercial and open-source CFD codes. The current study used only a power-law model as an illustrative example to emphasize the need for model verification. Similar verification problems could be developed for other types of hemolysis models (such as strain-based and energy dissipation-based methods). And since the current study did not include experimental validation, the results from the verified models do not guarantee accurate hemolysis predictions. This verification step must be followed by experimental validation before the hemolysis models can be used for actual device safety evaluations.

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