Experimental studies have been conducted on a modified T106 low pressure turbine (LPT) profile in an annular 1.5 stage axial turbine rig at the Chair of Thermal Turbomachines and Aeroengines, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. The rig setup allows the highly resolved measurement of unsteady wake–stator flow interaction in both space and time. Incoming wakes are generated by a variable-speed driven rotor equipped with cylindrical bars. In the present paper, an experimental approach to the investigation of unsteady phenomena is proposed. Time-averaged and instantaneous measurement data from 2D flow field traverses at the stator exit are provided for the analysis of the periodically unsteady vortex formation, displacement, and suppression. Additional time-accurate blade pressure data are used to study the relationship between the flow structures downstream of the stator row and the immediate intermittent wake impact on the blades. Bar wake kinematics is also discussed in relation to the observations.
The experimental results reported in this contribution address the time-dependent impact of periodically unsteady wakes on the development of profile and end wall boundary layers and consequently on the secondary flow system. Experimental investigations are conducted on an annular 1.5 stage axial turbine rig at Ruhr-Universität Bochum’s Chair of Thermal Turbomachines and Aeroengines. The object under investigation is a modified T106 profile low-pressure turbine (LPT) stator row at a representative exit flow Reynolds number of 200,000. By making use of an annular geometry instead of a linear cascade, the influence of curvilinear end walls, nonuniform, increasing pitch across the span and radial flow migration can be represented. Incoming wakes are generated by a variable-speed driven rotor equipped with cylindrical bars. Special emphasis is put on the wake-induced recurrent formation, suppression, weakening, and displacement of individual vortices and separated flow regimes. For this, based on a comprehensive set of time-resolved measurement data, the interaction of impinging bar wakes and boundary layer flow and thus separation and its periodic manipulation along the passage end walls and on the blade suction surface are studied within the frequency domain.
This paper transfers findings from linear cascade studies to the annular system. Experimental studies have been conducted on the newly designed 1.5 stage full annular rotating axial turbine rig at Chair of Thermal Turbomachinery, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Therefore, an existing large scale low speed test rig was retrofitted with newly designed T106RUB low pressure turbine (LPT) blading, state-of-the-art measurement technologies and multi-dimensional traversing devices to allow for highly resolved measurements of unsteady wake stator flow interaction in both space and time. Incoming wakes are generated by a variable-speed driven rotor disk equipped with cylindrical bars. The measuring concept for an in-depth analysis of unsteady flow phenomena is presented and results from highly resolved time-averaged and time-resolved flow field traverses are discussed and compared. In detail the time-dependent interaction of periodically passing bar wakes with the boundary layers and secondary flow structures of the T106RUB stator row is investigated. Special emphasis is put on time-varying dilatation and location of individual components of the vortex system and on potential flow separation along the blade suction surface. It is evaluated how these factors can contribute to a time-dependent homogenization of stator exit flow and a consequent loss reduction in the present configuration.
A partially admitted control stage is a typical feature of an industrial steam turbine. Its purpose is to provide efficient part-load operation and to reduce losses caused by an adverse blade height to tip gap ratio by closing segmental arcs of the inlet annulus. On the other hand partial admission naturally causes circumferential nonuniformity of the flow, because the flow enters the control stage rotor over only a portion of the annulus. This induces not only unsteady blade forces but also additional losses in comparison to a full-admission turbine. So the advantage of partial admission is reduced. In order to analyze partial admission flow effects a 3D CFD model of an industrial steam turbine needs to be developed. It consists of three parts: i) The nozzle groups covering only a portion of the annulus and the rotor of the impulse-type control stage, ii) a cross-over channel directing the flow to a reduced diameter, and iii) the downstream reaction-type turbine stages. The results show considerable flow nonuniformity downstream of the cross-over channel which affects performance of the adjacent full-admission stages. Different operating points of the turbine are investigated. Circumferential periodicity is utilized to minimize computational cost of the simulation. Customary guidelines to CFD-simulation are taken into account and simulation parameters are carefully checked for their influence on the results: turbulence models, meshing parameters and boundary conditions are varied. The influence of gap flow is checked. The results are finally compared to experimental data to check simulation quality.
In this work, we present the results of the numerical investigations of periodic wake–secondary flow interaction carried out on a low pressure turbine (LPT) equipped with modified T106-profile blades. The numerical predictions obtained by means of unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) simulations using a k-ω-model have been compared with measurements conducted in the same configuration and showed a good agreement. Based on the verified numerical data, the Q-criterion has been employed to characterize the secondary flow structures and accurately identify their origin. An analysis of the fundamental wake kinematics and the unsteady vortex migration revealed dominant interaction mechanisms such as the circumferential fluctuation of the pressure side horseshoe vortex (HSV) and its direct interaction with the passage vortex (PV) and the concentrated shed vortex (CSV). Finally, a correlation with the total pressure loss coefficient is provided and a link to the incoming wake structures is given.
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