Review of Ingress in Gas Turbines

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Scobie ◽  
Carl M. Sangan ◽  
J. Michael Owen ◽  
Gary D. Lock
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Computational Studies ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Tracer Gas ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Circumferential Distribution ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Concentration Measurements ◽  
Model Equations

This review summarizes research concerned with the ingress of hot mainstream gas through the rim seals of gas turbines. It includes experimental, theoretical, and computational studies conducted by many institutions, and the ingress is classified as externally induced (EI), rotationally induced (RI), and combined ingress (CI). Although EI ingress (which is caused by the circumferential distribution of pressure created by the vanes and blades in the turbine annulus) occurs in all turbines, RI and CI ingress can be important at off-design conditions and for the inner seal of a double-seal geometry. For all three types of ingress, the equations from a simple orifice model are shown to be useful for relating the sealing effectiveness (and therefore the amount of hot gas ingested into the wheel-space of a turbine) to the sealing flow rate. In this paper, experimental data obtained from different research groups have been transformed into a consistent format and reviewed using the orifice model equations. Most of the published results for sealing effectiveness have been made using concentration measurements of a tracer gas (usually CO2) on the surface of the stator, and—for a large number of tests with single and double seals—the measured distributions of effectiveness with sealing flow rate are shown to be consistent with those predicted by the model. Although the flow through the rim seal can be treated as inviscid, the flow inside the wheel-space is controlled by the boundary layers on the rotor and stator. Using boundary-layer theory and the similarity between the transfer of mass and energy, a theoretical model has been developed to relate the adiabatic effectiveness on the rotor to the sealing effectiveness of the rim seal. Concentration measurements on the stator and infrared (IR) measurements on the rotor have confirmed that, even when ingress occurs, the sealing flow will help to protect the rotor from the effect of hot-gas ingestion. Despite the improved understanding of the “ingress problem,” there are still many unanswered questions to be addressed.

Effect of Outer Fin Axial Gap on the Sealing Effectiveness and Fluid Dynamics of Radial Rim Seal

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhigang Li ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Liming Song ◽  
Qing Gao ◽  
Xin Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Coolant Flow ◽  
Coolant Flow Rate ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Hot Gas

The modern gas turbine is widely applied in the aviation propulsion and power generation. The rim seal is usually designed at the periphery of the wheel-space and prevented the hot gas ingestion in modern gas turbines. The high sealing effectiveness of rim seal can improve the aerodynamic performance of gas turbines and avoid of the disc overheating. Effect of outer fin axial gap of radial rim seal on the sealing effectiveness and fluid dynamics was numerically investigated in this work. The sealing effectiveness and fluid dynamics of radial rim seal with three different outer fin axial gaps was conducted at different coolant flow rates using three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and SST turbulent model solutions. The accuracy of the presented numerical approach for the prediction of the sealing performance of the turbine rim seal was demonstrated. The obtained results show that the sealing effectiveness of radial rim seal increases with increase of coolant flow rate at the fixed axial outer fin gap. The sealing effectiveness increases with decrease of the axial outer fin gap at the fixed coolant flow rate. Furthermore, at the fixed coolant flow rate, the hot gas ingestion increases with the increase of the axial outer fin gap. This flow behavior intensifies the interaction between the hot gas and coolant flow at the clearance of radial rim seal. The preswirl coefficient in the wheel-space cavity is also illustrated to analyze the flow dynamics of radial rim seal at different axial outer fin gaps.

Prediction of Ingestion Through Turbine Rim Seals—Part II: Externally Induced and Combined Ingress

2010 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Owen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Swirling Flows ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
Good Agreement

Ingress of hot gas through the rim seals of gas turbines can be modeled theoretically using the so-called orifice equations. In Part I of this two-part paper, the orifice equations were derived for compressible and incompressible swirling flows, and the incompressible equations were solved for axisymmetric rotationally induced (RI) ingress. In Part II, the incompressible equations are solved for nonaxisymmetric externally induced (EI) ingress and for combined EI and RI ingress. The solutions show how the nondimensional ingress and egress flow rates vary with Θ0, the ratio of the flow rate of sealing air to the flow rate necessary to prevent ingress. For EI ingress, a “saw-tooth model” is used for the circumferential variation of pressure in the external annulus, and it is shown that ε, the sealing effectiveness, depends principally on Θ0; the theoretical variation of ε with Θ0 is similar to that found in Part I for RI ingress. For combined ingress, the solution of the orifice equations shows the transition from RI to EI ingress as the amplitude of the circumferential variation of pressure increases. The predicted values of ε for EI ingress are in good agreement with the available experimental data, but there are insufficient published data to validate the theory for combined ingress.

Prediction of Ingestion Through Turbine Rim Seals—Part 2: Externally-Induced and Combined Ingress

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Owen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
Good Agreement

Ingress of hot gas through the rim seals of gas turbines can be modelled theoretically using the so-called orifice equations. In Part 1 (ASME GT 2009-59121) of this two-part paper, the orifice equations were derived for compressible and incompressible swirling flow, and the incompressible equations were solved for axisymmetric rotationally-induced (RI) ingress. In Part 2, the incompressible equations are solved for non-axisymmetric externally-induced (EI) ingress and for combined EI and RI ingress. The solutions show how the nondimensional ingress and egress flow rates vary with Θ0, the ratio of the flow rate of sealing air to the flow rate necessary to prevent ingress. For EI ingress, a ‘saw-tooth model’ is used for the circumferential variation of pressure in the external annulus, and it is shown that ε, the sealing effectiveness, depends principally on Θ0; the theoretical variation of ε with Θ0 is similar to that found in Part 1 for RI ingress. For combined ingress, the solution of the orifice equations shows the transition from RI to EI ingress as the amplitude of the circumferential variation of pressure increases. The predicted values of ε for EI ingress are in good agreement with available experimental data, but there are insufficient published data to validate the theory for combined ingress.

3-D Numerical Simulation of the Flow Through a Turbine Blade Cascade With Cooling Injection at the Leading Edge

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Bohn ◽  
Karsten Kusterer ◽  
Harald Schönenborn
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Body Region ◽  
Gas Temperature ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Blade Cascade ◽  
Flow Through

High process efficiencies and high power-weight ratios are two major requirements for the economic operation of present day gas turbines. This development leads to extremely high turbine inlet temperatures and adjusted pressure ratios. The permissible hot gas temperature is limited by the material temperature of the blade. Intensive cooling is required to guarantee an economically acceptable life of the components which are in contact with the hot gas. Although film-cooling has been successfully in use for a couple of years along the suction side and pressure side, problems occur in the vicinity of the stagnation point due to high stagnation pressures and opposed momentum fluxes. In this area basic investigations are necessary to achieve a reliable design of the cooled blade. In the present calculations, a code for the coupled simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in solid bodies is employed. The numerical scheme works on the basis of an implicit finite volume method combined with a multi-block technique. The full, compressible 3-D Navier-Stokes equations are solved within the fluid region and the Fourier equation for beat conduction is solved within the solid body region. An elliptic grid generator is used for the generation of the structured computational grid, which is a combination of various C-type and H-type grids. Results of a 3-D numerical simulation of the flow through a turbine blade cascade with and without cooling ejection at the leading edge through two slots are presented. The results are compared with 2-D numerical simulations and experimental results. It is shown that the distribution of the coolant on the blade surface is influenced by secondary flow phenomena which can not be taken into account by the 2-D simulations. Further coupled simulations with non-adiabatic walls in the leading edge region are performed with realistic temperature ratios and compared to the same case with adiabatic walls. It is shown that in the case of non-adiabatic walls the temperature on the blade wall is significantly lower than in the case of adiabatic walls.

Scaling Sealing Effectiveness in a Stator–Rotor Cavity for Differing Blade Spans

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reid A. Berdanier ◽  
Iván Monge-Concepción ◽  
Brian F. Knisely ◽  
Michael D. Barringer ◽  
Karen A. Thole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Tracer Gas ◽  
Cooling Flows ◽  
Cooling Flow ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Harmful Emissions ◽  
Purge Flow ◽  
Engine Development ◽  
Reduce Flow Rate

As engine development continues to advance toward increased efficiency and reduced fuel consumption, efficient use of compressor bypass cooling flow becomes increasingly important. In particular, optimal use of compressor bypass flow yields an overall reduction of harmful emissions. Cooling flows used for cavity sealing between stages are critical to the engine and must be maintained to prevent damaging ingestion from the hot gas path. To assess cavity seals, the present study utilizes a one-stage turbine with true-scale engine hardware operated at engine-representative rotational Reynolds number and Mach number. Past experiments have made use of part-span (PS) rather than full-span (FS) blades to reduce flow rate requirements for the test rig; however, such decisions raise questions about potential influences of the blade span on sealing effectiveness measurements in the rim cavity. For this study, a tracer gas facilitates sealing effectiveness measurements in the rim cavity to compare data collected with FS engine airfoils and simplified, PS airfoils. The results from this study show sealing effectiveness does not scale as a function of relative purge flow with respect to main gas path flow rate when airfoil span is changed. However, scaling the sealing effectiveness for differing spans can be achieved if the fully purged flow rate is known. Results also suggest reductions of purge flow may have a relatively small loss of seal performance if the design is already near a fully purged condition. Rotor tip clearance is shown to have no effect on measured sealing effectiveness.

scholarly journals Experimental and Numerical Investigations of the Aerodynamical Effects of Coolant Injection Through the Trailing Edge of a Guide Vane

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter E. Bohn ◽  
Volker J. Becker ◽  
Klaus D. Behnke ◽  
Bernhard F. Bonhoff
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Turbine Blade Cooling ◽  
Blade Cooling ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Flow Situation ◽  
Circumferential Distribution ◽  
Volume Method

Effective turbine blade cooling is necessary to enhance the efficiency of gas turbines. Usually the coolant is mainly ejected through the trailing edge of the vanes. In addition to the desired temperature reduction at the trailing edge there is a 3D-aerodynamical interaction between the hot gas and the coolant. The complex mechanisms of the mixture are a main problem in the numerical prediction of the flow situation in this region. This paper presents the experimental and numerical results of investigations of annular guide vanes. The experiments were conducted in a scaled turbine test rig. The mixing flow of coolant and hot gas was analyzed by measurement of the distribution of both velocity and turbulence very close to the trailing edge using a 2D-LDA measurement technique at different radial positions. The experimental results show that the radial and circumferential distribution of the coolant depends on the pressure gradient in both directions. Inside of the mixture region the turbulence was found to be anisotropic resulting in a non-symmetrical distribution of the coolant. For the numerical calculations a Navier-Stokes-Code was used. The numerical scheme works on the basis of an implicit finite volume method combined with a multi block technique. In order to simulate the aerodynamical effects near the injection slot of the vane it was nessessary to include the coolant flow inside the guide vane.

A Reduced Order Model for Predicting Hot-Gas Ingestion Into the Wheelspace of Gas Turbines

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irsha Pardeshi ◽  
Jason Liu ◽  
Tom I-P. Shih
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Reduced Order Model ◽  
Order Model ◽  
Reduced Order ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Speed Flow ◽  
Purge Flow ◽  
Semi Empirical

In gas turbines, pressure variations induced by the rotor’s rotation and created by the stator and rotor-stator interactions cause hot gas to enter into the wheelspace (i.e., the region between the stator and rotor disks). Purge flow is used to prevent the hot gas from entering, and rim seals are used to minimize the amount of purge flow needed. Preventing hot-gas ingestion is essential to protect the structural integrity of the rotor and stator disks. In this study, a reduced-order model is developed to predict hot-gas ingestion for a given purge flow and for an axial and a radial rim seal and to guide the design of rim seals. The model developed is semi-empirical — utilizing available data in the literature and recognizing certain trends and universal properties in the data if proper dimensionless parameters are used. The model has the advantage of only requiring the following inputs to make predictions: rotor’s rotation speed, flow rate in the turbine’s hot-gas path, purge flow rate, and dimensions of the seal and the wheelspace. Thus, this model differs from existing models in that an experimental input on parameters such as discharge coefficient, minimum sealing flow rate, or mixing length across the rim seal are not needed. The model developed was assessed by using it to predict hot-gas ingestion for a range of purge flow rates (0 to minimum needed to prevent ingestion), rotor speeds (2,000 to 3,500 rpm), and dimensions of the seal geometries (amount of overlap in the seal and width of the flow path through the seal) and then comparing the prediction with experimental data not used in the creation of the model.

Stabilization of the Speed of the Hydraulic Motor Through Throttle Compensation for Volume Losses

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-130
Author(s):  
Krasimir Kalev
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Hydraulic Drive ◽  
Pressure Change ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Drive System ◽  
Inlet Pressure ◽  
Schematic Diagram ◽  
Hydraulic Characteristics ◽  
Hydraulic Motor ◽  
Flow Through

AbstractA schematic diagram of a hydraulic drive system is provided to stabilize the speed of the working body by compensating for volumetric losses in the hydraulic motor. The diagram shows the inclusion of an originally developed self-adjusting choke whose flow rate in the inlet pressure change range tends to reverse - with increasing pressure the flow through it decreases. Dependent on the hydraulic characteristics of the hydraulic motor and the specific operating conditions.

Study of fluid flow through a channel deformed by piezoelement

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.Sh. Nasibullayev ◽  
E.Sh Nasibullaeva ◽  
O.V. Darintsev
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Contact Surface ◽  
Piezoelectric Element ◽  
Neumann Boundary ◽  
Differential Pressure ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Flow Through

The flow of a liquid through a tube deformed by a piezoelectric cell under a harmonic law is studied in this paper. Linear deformations are compared for the Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions on the contact surface of the tube and piezoelectric element. The flow of fluid through a deformed channel for two flow regimes is investigated: in a tube with one closed end due to deformation of the tube; for a tube with two open ends due to deformation of the tube and the differential pressure applied to the channel. The flow rate of the liquid is calculated as a function of the frequency of the deformations, the pressure drop and the physical parameters of the liquid.

Numerical Characterization of Hot Gas Ingestion Through Turbine Rim Seals

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Da Soghe ◽  
Cosimo Bianchini ◽  
Carl M. Sangan ◽  
James A. Scobie ◽  
Gary D. Lock
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Radial Clearance ◽  
Buffering Effect ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Numerical Predictions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Thermal Buffering

This paper deals with a numerical study aimed at the characterization of hot gas ingestion through turbine rim seals. The numerical campaign focused on an experimental facility which models ingress through the rim seal into the upstream wheel-space of an axial-turbine stage. Single-clearance arrangements were considered in the form of axial- and radial-seal gap configurations. With the radial-seal clearance configuration, CFD steady-state solutions were able to predict the system sealing effectiveness over a wide range of coolant mass flow rates reasonably well. The greater insight of flow field provided by the computations illustrates the thermal buffering effect when ingress occurs: for a given sealing flow rate, the effectiveness on the rotor was significantly higher than that on the stator due to the axial flow of hot gases from stator to rotor caused by pumping effects. The predicted effectiveness on the rotor was compared with a theoretical model for the thermal buffering effect showing good agreement. When the axial-seal clearance arrangement is considered, the agreement between CFD and experiments worsens; the variation of sealing effectiveness with coolant flow rate calculated by means of the simulations display a distinct kink. It was found that the “kink phenomenon” can be ascribed to an over-estimation of the egress spoiling effects due to turbulence modelling limitations. Despite some weaknesses in the numerical predictions, the paper shows that CFD can be used to characterize the sealing performance of axial- and radial-clearance turbine rim seals.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document