Experimental and Computational Characterization of Flow Rates in a Multiple-Passage Gas Turbine Combustor Swirler

Author(s):  
Timothy J. Erdmann ◽  
David L. Burrus ◽  
Alejandro M. Briones ◽  
Scott D. Stouffer ◽  
Brent A. Rankin ◽  
...  

One of the challenges of gas turbine combustor research is to accurately measure and model air mass flow rates through complex air injection schemes. Accurate measurements and computations of air mass flow rates are necessary for determining air and fuel distributions, which influence a range of combustor operation and performance characteristics. Experimental and computational studies were performed on a representative gas turbine combustor swirler. The swirler geometry consists of four component flows: two co-rotating annular axial swirls, one radial swirl, and cooling on the periphery of the swirler. The purpose of this study is to compare measured and computed air mass flow rates in a realistic swirler with a complex geometry and to quantify the magnitude of the interaction effects between air passages. The measurements of the air mass flow rates were performed using a calibrated air flow stand. The computations were performed using commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools. Comparisons between measured and computed air mass flow rates show good agreement for the individual and total flow configurations. Significant interaction effects among the swirling flows are observed when all of the air passages are open. The radial swirl mass flow rate decreases by 2.7% and the outer axial swirl mass flow rate increases by 3.8% when the individual component flow configuration is compared to the total flow configuration. The computed mass flow rates demonstrate that the interactions among the swirl flows create a significant change in mass flow distribution within the swirler.

Author(s):  
M. Rabs ◽  
F.-K. Benra ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
O. Schneider

The present paper gives a contribution to a better understanding of the flow at the rim and in the wheel space of gas turbines. Steady state and time-accurate numerical simulations with a commercial Navier-Stokes solver for a 1.5 stage turbine similar to the model treated in the European Research Project ICAS-GT were conducted. In the framework of a numerical analysis, a validation with experimental results of the test rig at the Technical University of Aachen will be given. In preceding numerical investigations of realistic gas turbine rim cavities with a simplified treatment of the hot gas path (modelling of the main flow path without blades and vanes), so called Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices were found in the area of the gap when using appropriate boundary conditions. The present work shows that these flow instabilities also occur in a 1.5 stage gas turbine model with consideration of the blades and vanes. Therefore, several simulations with different sealing air mass flow rates (CW 7000, 20000, 30000) have been conducted. The results show, that for high sealing air mass flow rates Kelvin-Helmholtz Instabilities are developing. These vortices significantly coin the flow at the rim.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyyed Mahdi Taheri Mousavi ◽  
Fuat Egelioglu

The thermal performances of three slit-glazed solar air heaters (SGSAHs) were investigated experimentally. Three SGSAHs with different bed heights (7 cm, 5 cm, and 3 cm) were fabricated with multiple glass panes used for glazing. The length, width, and thickness of each pane were 154 cm, 6 cm, and 0.4 cm, respectively. Ambient air was continuously withdrawn through the gaps between the glass panes by fans. The experiments were conducted for four different gap distances between the glass panes (0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm) and the air mass flow rate was varied between 0.014 kg/s and 0.057 kg/s. The effects of air mass flux on the outlet temperature and thermal efficiency were studied. For the SGSAH with bed height of 7 cm and glass pane gap distance of 0.5 mm, the highest efficiency was obtained as 82% at a mass flow rate of 0.057 kg/s and the air temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet (∆T) was maximum (27°C) when the mass flow rate was least. The results demonstrate that for lower mass flow rates and larger gaps, the performance of SGSAH with a bed height of 3 cm was better compared to that of others. However, for higher mass flow rates, the SGSAH with 7 cm bed height performed better.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 4105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seok Min Choi ◽  
Seungyeong Choi ◽  
Hyung Hee Cho

The appropriate coolant mass flow of turbine blade rim seal has become an important issue as turbine blades are exposed to increasingly higher thermal load owing to increased turbine inlet temperature. If the coolant is deficient, hot gas ingresses to the rim seal, or if sufficient, the efficiency of turbine decreases. Therefore, we analyzed sealing effectiveness of rim seal derive appropriate coolant mass flow rate at various conditions. The experimental facility was modified from one designed for an aero-engine gas turbine. Rotational Reynolds number varied from 3 × 105 to 5 × 105 based on rotational speed. Pressure was measured at various locations in the shroud, endwall, and rim seal. CO2 concentration was measured at various rim seal locations to analyze sealing effectiveness. Measured results showed that 1.35% coolant mass flow rate of rim seal exhibited a little ingress effect, whereas lower coolant mass flow rates exhibited higher ingress effect. A predicted correlation for sealing effectiveness of rim seal was derived at various rotational Reynolds number and coolant mass flow rate. The correlation will be useful for turbine cooling design, helping to predict sealing effectiveness of rim seals during preliminary design processes for new gas turbines.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (24) ◽  
pp. 7291
Author(s):  
Ádám Nyerges ◽  
Máté Zöldy

Modern Diesel engines have complex exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems. Due to the high temperatures, it is a typical issue to measure EGR mass flow rates in these complex control systems. Therefore, it is expedient to estimate it. Several sensed values can help the estimation: the fresh air mass flow rate, the fuel consumption, pressures, temperatures and mass fractions in the air path system. In most of the articles, the EGR mass flow rate estimation is done by the pressures. However, gas composition based models usually would be better for control aims. In this paper, nine EGR estimation methods will be presented: an important outcome is to present the required sensor architectures and estimation challenges. The comparison will be made by measurement results both in stationary operation points and transient cycles. The estimated EGR mass flow rates will be evaluated by verification conditions. The results will prove that the intake and exhaust side oxygen sensors can give verifiable signals for EGR mass flow rate estimation. In contrast, the applied fresh air mass flow rate and the nitrogen-oxide signals are not accurate enough to provide verifiable EGR mass flow rates in every operating condition. The effects of sensor inaccuracies will also be considered.


Author(s):  
Liang Zhang ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Xin Xue ◽  
Peihua Lin ◽  
Yuzhen Lin

During the past decade, increasing interest has been shown in micro gas turbines for the high-power and high-energy density. However, due to the small characteristic scale, it is still a key problem to ensure safe and reliable operation of the micro-combustor. A new micro gas turbine combustor with a Γ-shaped porous media dome was investigated in this paper. The volume of the combustor is 2.7 cm3. Dual-zone combustion (combustion zone and dilution zone) was adopted in the combustor. Combustion characteristics of the micro-combustor with different total air mass flow and total equivalence ratios were investigated by experiments at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The results show that the relationship between liner pressure-loss and total air mass flow cannot be fit by a polynomial due to porous media and dilution holes combined influence. The ratio of airflow across porous media dome to total air mass flow increased with increasing total air mass flow. Stable combustion was obtained in this micro combustor as the air mass flow rate was in the range of 0.15∼1.2 g/s. With the increasing total air mass flow, the total equivalence ratios of lean ignition and blow-out limits decreased first, then increased. The exit gas temperature as high as 1460 K and power density 636 MW/m3 were achieved at the total equivalence ratio of 0.5, and total air flow rate of 1.2 g/s, the overall efficiency reached 98.5% in this condition. The results showed that safe and reliable operation can be achieved in this new micro gas turbine combustor with high overall efficiency.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Blanke ◽  
Markus Hagenkamp ◽  
Bernd Döring ◽  
Joachim Göttsche ◽  
Vitali Reger ◽  
...  

AbstractPrevious studies optimized the dimensions of coaxial heat exchangers using constant mass flow rates as a boundary condition. They show a thermal optimal circular ring width of nearly zero. Hydraulically optimal is an inner to outer pipe radius ratio of 0.65 for turbulent and 0.68 for laminar flow types. In contrast, in this study, flow conditions in the circular ring are kept constant (a set of fixed Reynolds numbers) during optimization. This approach ensures fixed flow conditions and prevents inappropriately high or low mass flow rates. The optimization is carried out for three objectives: Maximum energy gain, minimum hydraulic effort and eventually optimum net-exergy balance. The optimization changes the inner pipe radius and mass flow rate but not the Reynolds number of the circular ring. The thermal calculations base on Hellström’s borehole resistance and the hydraulic optimization on individually calculated linear loss of head coefficients. Increasing the inner pipe radius results in decreased hydraulic losses in the inner pipe but increased losses in the circular ring. The net-exergy difference is a key performance indicator and combines thermal and hydraulic calculations. It is the difference between thermal exergy flux and hydraulic effort. The Reynolds number in the circular ring is instead of the mass flow rate constant during all optimizations. The result from a thermal perspective is an optimal width of the circular ring of nearly zero. The hydraulically optimal inner pipe radius is 54% of the outer pipe radius for laminar flow and 60% for turbulent flow scenarios. Net-exergetic optimization shows a predominant influence of hydraulic losses, especially for small temperature gains. The exact result depends on the earth’s thermal properties and the flow type. Conclusively, coaxial geothermal probes’ design should focus on the hydraulic optimum and take the thermal optimum as a secondary criterion due to the dominating hydraulics.


2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. McGarry ◽  
L. Grega

The mass flow distribution and local flow structures that lead to areas of reactant starvation are explored for a small power large active area PEM fuel cell. A numerical model was created to examine the flow distribution for three different inlet profiles; blunt, partially developed, and fully developed. The different inlet profiles represent the various distances between the blower and the inlet to the fuel cell and the state of flow development. The partially and fully developed inlet profiles were found to have the largest percentage of cells that are deficient, 20% at a flow rate of 6.05 g/s. Three different inlet mass flow rates (stoichs) were also examined for each inlet profile. The largest percent of cells deficient in reactants is 27% and occurs at the highest flow rate of 9.1 g/s (3 stoichs) for the partially and fully developed turbulent profiles. In addition to the uneven flow distribution, flow separation occurs in the front four channels for the blunt inlet profile at all flow rates examined. These areas of flow separation lead to localized reactant deficient areas within a channel.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Carcasci ◽  
Lapo Cheli ◽  
Pietro Lubello ◽  
Lorenzo Winchler

This paper presents an off-design analysis of a gas turbine Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) combined cycle. Combustion turbine performances are significantly affected by fluctuations in ambient conditions, leading to relevant variations in the exhaust gases’ mass flow rate and temperature. The effects of the variation of ambient air temperature have been considered in the simulation of the topper cycle and of the condenser in the bottomer one. Analyses have been performed for different working fluids (toluene, benzene and cyclopentane) and control systems have been introduced on critical parameters, such as oil temperature and air mass flow rate at the condenser fan. Results have highlighted similar power outputs for cycles based on benzene and toluene, while differences as high as 34% have been found for cyclopentane. The power output trend with ambient temperature has been found to be influenced by slope discontinuities in gas turbine exhaust mass flow rate and temperature and by the upper limit imposed on the air mass flow rate at the condenser as well, suggesting the importance of a correct sizing of the component in the design phase. Overall, benzene-based cycle power output has been found to vary between 4518 kW and 3346 kW in the ambient air temperature range considered.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-305
Author(s):  
Jan Novotný ◽  
Jiří Nožička

The aim of this paper is to present a design and a development of a heat simulator, which will be used for a flow research in data centers. The designed heat simulator is based on an ideological basis of four-processor 1U Supermicro server. The designed heat simulator enables to control the flow and heat output within the range of 10–100 %. The paper covers also the results of testing measurements of mass flow rates and heat flow rates in the simulator. The flow field at the outlet of the server was measured by the stereo PIV method. The heat flow rate was determined, based on measuring the temperature field at the inlet and outlet of the simulator and known mass flow rate.


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