Influence of large-scale free-stream turbulence on an SD7003 airfoil at low Reynolds numbers.

Author(s):  
Sebastian L. Herbst ◽  
Christian J. Kähler ◽  
Rainer Hain
Author(s):  
Ali Ameri

It is a challenge to simulate the flow in a Variable Speed Power Turbine (VSPT), or, for that matter, rear stages of low pressure turbines at low Reynolds numbers due to laminar flow separation or laminar/turbulent flow transition on the blades. At low Reynolds numbers, separation induced-transition is more prevalent which can result in efficiency lapse. LES has been used in recent years to simulate these types of flows with a good degree of success. In the present work, very low free stream turbulence flows at exit Reynolds number of 220k were simulated. The geometry was a cascade which was constructed with the midspan section of a VSPT design. Most LES simulations to date, have focused on the midspan region. As the endwall effect was significant in these simulations due to thick incoming boundary layer, full blade span computation was necessitated. Inlet flow angles representative of take-off and cruise conditions, dictated by the rotor speed in an actual design, were analyzed. This was done using a second order finite volume code and a high resolution grid. As is the case with Implicit-LES methods, no sub-grid scale model was used. Blade static pressure data, at various span locations, and downstream probe survey measurements of total pressure loss coefficient were used to verify the results. The comparisons showed good agreement between the simulations and the experimental data.


2001 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth W. Van Treuren ◽  
Terrence Simon ◽  
Marc von Koller ◽  
Aaron R. Byerley ◽  
James W. Baughn ◽  
...  

With the new generation of gas turbine engines, low Reynolds number flows have become increasingly important. Designers must properly account for transition from laminar to turbulent flow and separation of the flow from the suction surface, which is strongly dependent upon transition. Of interest to industry are Reynolds numbers based upon suction surface length and flow exit velocity below 150,000 and as low as 25,000. In this paper, the extreme low end of this Reynolds number range is documented by way of pressure distributions, loss coefficients, and identification of separation zones. Reynolds numbers of 25,000 and 50,000 and with 1 percent and 8-9 percent turbulence intensity of the approach flow (free-stream turbulence intensity, FSTI) were investigated. At 25,000 Reynolds number and low FSTI, the suction surface displayed a strong and steady separation region. Raising the turbulence intensity resulted in a very unsteady separation region of nearly the same size on the suction surface. Vortex generators were added to the suction surface, but they appeared to do very little at this Reynolds number. At the higher Reynolds number of 50,000, the low-FSTI case was strongly separated on the downstream portion of the suction surface. The separation zone was eliminated when the turbulence level was increased to 8-9 percent. Vortex generators were added to the suction surface of the low-FSTI case. In this instance, the vortices were able to provide the mixing needed to re-establish flow attachment. This paper shows that massive separation at very low Reynolds numbers (25,000) is persistent, in spite of elevated FSTI and added vortices. However, at a higher Reynolds number, there is opportunity for flow reattachment either with elevated free-stream turbulence or with added vortices. This may be the first documentation of flow behavior at such low Reynolds numbers. Although it is undesirable to operate under these conditions, it is important to know what to expect and how performance may be improved if such conditions are unavoidable.


1984 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. Castro

This paper documents some of the effects of free stream turbulence on the mean flow properties of turbulent boundary layers in zero pressure gradients. Attention is concentrated on flows for which the momentum thickness Reynolds number is less than about 2000. Direct Reynolds number effects are therefore significant and it is shown that such effects reduce as the level of free stream turbulence rises. A modification to Hancock’s [1] empirical correlation relating the fractional increase in skin friction at constant Reynolds number to a free stream turbulence parameter containing a dependence on both intensity and length scale is proposed. While this modification has the necessary characteristic of being a function of the free stream turbulence parameters as well as the Reynolds number, it is argued that the relative importance of intensity and length scale changes at low Reynolds numbers; the data are not inconsistent with this idea. The experiments cover the range 500 ⪝ Reθ ⪝ 2500, u′/Ue ⪝ 0.07, 0.8 ⪝ Le/δ ⪝ 2.9, where u′/Ue is the free stream turbulence intensity and Le/δ is the ratio of the dissipation length scale of the free stream turbulence to the 99 percent thickness of the boundary layer.


2009 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 658-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Singh ◽  
A. K. De ◽  
V. K. Carpenter ◽  
V. Eswaran ◽  
K. Muralidhar

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