Aerodynamic performance analysis and optimization of a turbine duct with low degree of partial admission

Abstract

A partial admission turbine duct with outlet-to-inlet area ratio greater than unity can increase the admission degree of the downstream turbine stage and, thus improve the performance of a multistage turbine with a low partial admission degree. However, the upstream flow structures of ducts, such as secondary flow, especially the circumferential nonuniformities originating from the effect of the partial admission, make the flow in ducts complex. The complexity of the flow has a negative impact on the performance of ducts. In the present investigation, numerical study of the flow behavior within ducts is done to evaluate the effect of the partial admission on the performance of the ducts. The study is carried out with regard to two cases, i.e. which are with the same duct geometry but are at different working conditions to highlight the impact of partial admission on the performance of ducts. Case 1 is used as baseline. It is designed based on circumferential mass-averaged flow conditions at ducts inlet. It causes the circumferential nonuniformities originating from the partial admission to have no impact on the performance of case 1. Case 2, which considers partial admission, is compared with case 1 to know the impact of the partial admission on the performance of ducts, and to give guidelines to design a duct for the partial admission turbines. Since the duct inlet conditions is a result of the interaction between partial admission turbine and duct, a straightforward way to consider the effect of the partial admission is to simulate the flows in ducts and upstream turbines contemporaneously. Comparative results indicate that the mixing of main flow in the admitted channel and the windage fluid from the unadmitted channel occurs at the duct inlet close to the duct circumferential wall. The adverse pressure gradient of case 2 in that region becomes larger than that of case 1. As a result, the flow separates at that region deteriorating the performance of ducts. Based on the simulation results of the previous cases, case 2's circumferential wall surface, which is along the gas swirling direction is shrunk to accelerate the flow and, thereby, overcome the adverse pressure gradient imposed by the effect of the partial admission. The results show that the separation is restrained and the decrease in total pressure loss is 52.9%.