Investigating the Cause of Computational Fluid Dynamics Deficiencies in Accurately Predicting the Efficiency and Performance of High Pressure Turbines: A Combined Experimental and Numerical Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinhard T. Schobeiri ◽  
S. Abdelfattah ◽  
H. Chibli
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Sensitivity Study ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Performance Measurements ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Individual

Despite the tremendous progress over the past three decades in the area of turbomachinery computational fluid dynamics, there are still substantial differences between the experimental and the numerical results pertaining to the individual flow quantities. These differences are integrally noticeable in terms of major discrepancies in aerodynamic losses, efficiency, and performance of the turbomachines. As a consequence, engine manufacturers are compelled to frequently calibrate their simulation package by performing a series of experiments before issuing efficiency and performance guaranty. This paper aims at identifying the quantities, whose simulation inaccuracies are preeminently responsible for the aforementioned differences. This task requires (a) a meticulous experimental investigation of all individual thermofluid quantities and their interactions, resulting in an integral behavior of the turbomachine in terms of efficiency and performance; (b) a detailed numerical investigation using appropriate grid densities based on simulation sensitivity; and (c) steady and transient simulations to ensure their impact on the final numerical results. To perform the above experimental and numerical tasks, a two-stage, high-pressure axial turbine rotor has been designed and inserted into the TPFL turbine research facility for generating benchmark data to compare with the numerical results. Detailed interstage radial and circumferential traversing presents a complete flow picture of the second stage. Performance measurements were carried out for design and off-design rotational speed. For comparison with numerical simulations, the turbine was numerically modeled using a commercial code. An extensive mesh sensitivity study was performed to achieve a grid-independent accuracy for both steady and transient analysis.

On the Reliability of RANS and URANS Numerical Results for High-Pressure Turbine Simulations: A Benchmark Experimental and Numerical Study on Performance and Interstage Flow Behavior of High-Pressure Turbines at Design and Off-Design Conditions Using Two Different Turbine Designs

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Schobeiri ◽  
S. Abdelfattah
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Sensitivity Study ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Predictive Capability ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
And Performance

Improved computational fluid dynamics tools based on Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations have shown that the behavior of simple flow cases can be predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Their predictive capability, however, substantially diminishes whenever major secondary vortices, adverse pressure gradients, and wake-boundary layer interactions are present. Flow through high-pressure (HP) turbine components uniquely incorporates almost all of the above features, interacting with each other and determining the efficiency and performance of the turbine. Thus, the degree of accuracy of predicting the flow through a HP turbine can be viewed as an appropriate benchmark test for evaluating the predictive capability of any RANS-based method. Detailed numerical and experimental investigations of different HP turbines presented in this paper have revealed substantial differences between the experimental and the numerical results pertaining to the individual flow quantities. This paper aims at identifying the quantities whose simulation inaccuracies are pre-eminently responsible for the aforementioned differences. This task requires (a) a meticulous experimental investigation of all individual thermofluid quantities and their interactions resulting in an integral behavior of the turbomachine in terms of efficiency and performance, (b) a detailed numerical investigation using appropriate grid densities based on simulation sensitivity, and (c) steady and transient simulations to ensure their impact on the final numerical results. To perform the above experimental and numerical tasks, two different HP turbines were investigated: (1) a two-stage turbine with moderately compound-leaned stator blades and (2) a three-stage turbine rotor with compound-leaned stator and rotor blades. Both turbines have been thoroughly measured and numerically simulated using RANS and URANS. Detailed interstage radial and circumferential traversing presents a complete flow picture of the second stage. Performance measurements were carried out for design and off-design rotational speeds. For comparison with numerical simulations, the turbines were numerically modeled using a commercially available code. An extensive mesh sensitivity study was performed to achieve a grid-independent accuracy for both steady and transient analysis. Comparison of RANS/URANS results with the experimental ones revealed differences in total pressure for the two-stage turbine of up to 5%. A significantly lower difference of less than 0.2% is observed for the three-stage turbine with specially designed blades to suppress the secondary flow losses. Analyzing the physical background of a RANS-based solver, it was argued that the differences of individual quantities exhibited in the paper were attributed to the deficiencies in dissipation and transition models.

Investigation of the flow in a small-scale turbocharger centrifugal compressor

2016 ◽  
Vol 231 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid R Hazby ◽  
Liping Xu ◽  
Michael V Casey
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Optical Measurements ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Flow Features ◽  
Design Speed ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Compressor Map

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of the flow in a 1:1 scale, automotive turbocharger centrifugal compressor. Particle image velocimetry measurements have been carried out in the vaneless diffuser at 50% of the design speed. The challenges involved in taking optical measurements in the current small-scale compressor rig are discussed. The overall stage performance and the measured diffuser flow are compared with the results of steady-state computational fluid dynamics calculations. A good agreement between the computational fluid dynamics and the experimental results demonstrates that the numerical methods are capable of predicting the main flow features within the compressor. The synthesis of measured and predicted data is used to explain the sources of the flow and performance variations across the compressor map, and the differences in loss production between small and large compressors are highlighted.

scholarly journals Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of the Dissolved Oxygen Concentration within a Thin-Layer Cascade Reactor for Microalgae Cultivation

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 7284
Author(s):  
Karel Petera ◽  
Štěpán Papáček ◽  
Cristian Inostroza González ◽  
José María Fernández-Sevilla ◽  
Francisco Gabriel Acién Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Thin Layer ◽  
Oxygen Evolution ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Oxygen Distribution ◽  
Microalgae Cultivation

High concentration of dissolved oxygen within microalgae cultures reduces the performance of corresponding microalgae cultivation system (MCS). The main aim of this study is to provide a reliable computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based methodology enabling to simulate two relevant phenomena governing the distribution of dissolved oxygen within MCS: (i) mass transfer through the liquid–air interface and (ii) oxygen evolution due to microalgae photosynthesis including the inhibition by the same dissolved oxygen. On an open thin-layer cascade (TLC) reactor, a benchmark numerical study to assess the oxygen distribution was conducted. While the mass transfer phenomenon is embedded within CFD code ANSYS Fluent, the oxygen evolution rate has to be implemented via user-defined function (UDF). To validate our methodology, experimental data for dissolved oxygen distribution within the 80 meter long open thin-layer cascade reactor are compared against numerical results. Moreover, the consistency of numerical results with theoretical expectations has been shown on the newly derived differential equation describing the balance of dissolved oxygen along the longitudinal direction of TLC. We argue that employing our methodology, the dissolved oxygen distribution within any MCS can be reliably determined in silico, and eventually optimized or/and controlled.

Thermal Performance of the U-Tube Solar Collector Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rim Farjallah ◽  
Monia Chaabane ◽  
Hatem Mhiri ◽  
Philippe Bournot ◽  
Hatem Dhaouadi
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Numerical Model ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Discrete Ordinates

In this paper, we propose a numerical study of a tubular solar collector with a U-tube. A three-dimensional numerical model is developed. It was first used in order to study the efficiency of the solar collector and to evaluate the validity of the developed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model by comparison with experimental results from the literature. For the numerical simulations, the turbulence and the radiation were, respectively, modeled using the standard k–ε model and the discrete ordinates (DO) model. This numerical model was then used to carry out a parametrical study and to discuss the effect of selected operating parameters such as the fluid mass flow rate, the absorber selectivity, and the material properties. Numerical results show that with the increase of the working fluid flow rate from 0.001 kg/s to 0.003 kg/s, the efficiency of the solar collector is improved (from 30% to 35%). Numerical results also show that the filled-type evacuated tube with graphite presents a best result in comparison with those found using the copper fin tube (η increases from 54% to 64%). Finally, we noted that the use of a high selective absorber surface adds to better performance in comparison with the black absorber tube. This is mainly due to the radiation losses reduction.

Tonal Noise Reduction in a Radial Fan With Forward-Curved Blades

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoochehr Darvish ◽  
Bastian Tietjen ◽  
Daniel Beck ◽  
Stefan Frank
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Computational Aeroacoustics ◽  
Experimental Measurements ◽  
Noise Generation ◽  
Tonal Noise ◽  
Outlet Angle ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Impeller Geometry

The main focus of this work is on the geometrical modifications that can be applied to the fan wheel and the volute tongue of a radial fan to reduce the tonal noise. The experimental measurements are performed by using the in-duct method in accordance with ISO 5136. In addition to the experimental measurements, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and CAA (Computational Aeroacoustics) simulations are carried out to investigate the effects of different modifications on the noise and performance of the fan. It is shown that by modifying the blade outlet angle, the tonal noise of the fan can be reduced without affecting the performance of the fan. Moreover, it is indicated that increasing the number of blades leads to a significant reduction in the tonal noise and also an improvement in the performance. However, this trend is only valid up to a certain number of blades, and a further increment might reduce the aerodynamic performance of the fan. Besides modifying the impeller geometry, new volute tongues are designed and manufactured. It is demonstrated that the shape of the volute tongue plays an important role in the tonal noise generation of the fan. It is possible to reduce the tonal noise by using stepped tongues which produce phase-shift effects that lead to an effective local cancellation of the noise.

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