bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Aerodynamic/Geometric Parameters on the Performance of the TBCC Ejector Nozzle
Authors: Yang Yuming , Zhou Li , Shi Jingwei
Published: January 2021

TBCC ejector nozzle is the key component of the propulsion system of hypersonic vehicle to increase the thrust characteristic of the whole envelope. Aiming at the exhaust system of TBCC engine with the first stage of Ma 0 ∼ 3, the complex internal and external flow interference characteristics of TBCC ejector nozzle are analyzed and the influence of key aerodynamic and geometric parameters are studied.

1) The secondary throat produces a strong oblique shock wave in the primary flow, that reflects with the oblique shock wave at the exit of the nozzle and forms the complex flow field characteristics of the ejector nozzle.

2) The introduction of the secondary flow will not change the flow field structure of the nozzle, but can significantly reduce the intensity of shock system in the sleeve and improve the thrust performance of the nozzle; the aerodynamic throat of the primary flow appears separation because of the high pressure secondary flow, which resulting in the flow mismatching and choking of the primary nozzle.

3) Under the severe over expansion state, the thrust performance is higher when the expansion angle is reduced; The increase of the secondary throat diameter ratio can improve the over expansion state of the primary flow and increase the thrust performance; the increase of the spacing ratio causes the increase of the secondary mass rate and the decrease of the primary mass rate, but the thrust performance is less affected.
Design and Investigations on Dry Gas Seal of the Shaft End for 450MWe Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Compressor
Authors: Yuan Tao , Li Zhigang , Li Jun , Yuan Qi
Published: January 2021

The dry gas seal is a promising sealing technology to control the leakage flow through the clearance between the stationary and rotational components of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (SCO2) turbomachinery. The dry gas seal is firstly designed for the SCO2 compressor shaft end of the GE’s 450MWe Brayton cycle power generation system. Then the effects of the spiral angle and gas film thickness on the designed dry gas seal performance are numerically investigated using the three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and SST turbulence model. The accuracy of the numerical method is validated by comparison of the previous research data done by Gabriel et al. with air as the working fluid. The Current study analyzed the sealing performance parameters of the designed dry gas seal for SCO2 compressor shaft end at five gas film thicknesses and four spiral angles. These parameters include: opening force, leakage rate, stiffness, and opening force leakage ratio. Also, the impacts of the spiral angle on flow direction in the fluid film are analyzed. The obtained results show that the designed dry gas seal meets the requirement of the leakage flow rate of the SCO2 compressor shaft end. The dry gas seal with a spiral angle of 15° is the best solution due to its low leakage rate and its’ best comprehensive sealing performance. On some occasions where high stability is required, the dry gas seal with a spiral angle of 30° can be selected due to its’ highest film stiffness. The present work provides the reference of the dry gas seal design for the SCO2 compressor shaft end.
Analysis of the Exit Flow Angle and Characteristics of Flow in Axial Turbine Cascades
Authors: Hushmandi Narmin B. , Askebjer Per , Genrup Magnus
Published: January 2021

Despite a wealth of sophisticated CFD-methods, most designs are still based on one-dimensional and two-dimensional inviscid analytical tools. In such methods, realistic loss and angle assessment are indeed critical in order to arrive at correct loading, flow coefficient and reaction. The selected values are normally retained through the detailed design sequence for each iteration. This means that the throat sizing and hence the gauge angle is largely based on the early design work within the through-flow environment. Even one-degree error in angle estimation will turn into a rather large capacity error. For most designs, the exchange rate between capacity and gauge angle is on the order of 3–5 percent, per degree exit angle.

In a previous publication, a methodology and equations were presented to assess the exit flow in an axial turbine blade row by Mamaev in Russian nomenclature and the tangential coordinate system. The approach, provided a unified and flow-physics based method for assessing exit angles from the geometry features like gauge angle, uncovered turning and flow features like Laval number, etc. Analysis of those formulas showed good agreement with physical flow pattern in real cascades for sub and transonic blade cascades. In this work, the same basic principal procedure is followed by employing the more international agreed nomenclature of blades such as an axial reference plane and Mach number.

In the current work, the one-dimensional analysis results were compared with the three dimensional numerical modelling of a full annulus two-stage turbine. Analysis of the results showed the inherent unsteadiness specially outside the rotor blade cascades, however, comparison of the mass averaged exit angle with the one dimensional analysis showed satisfactory agreement.
Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics for Mature Service Frame Rotors
Authors: Engels Philipp , Amann Christian , Schmitz Sebastian , Kadau Kai
Published: January 2021

Large gas turbine design and service business are challenged with increased demands towards flexible operations, increasing number of start-stop cycles and intermediate cycles. Probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) simulation design tools have matured and became robust and reliable. We present a probabilistic re-evaluation of Siemens E-class turbine disks by the combination of probabilistic two-dimensional axisymmetric part analysis of the disk and a novel probabilistic approach for the three-dimensional blade attachment. The first addresses the risk of inherent forging flaws, the latter combines the risk of surface crack initiation, growth and failure. Both models consider the heterogeneous nature of material properties, flaw geometries and detectability. These novel concepts developed at Siemens allow for an optimization of resource usage and safety, as well as the development of new service and inspection concepts for a variety of service frames and classes.
Improvement of a Tip Clearance Loss Prediction Model Based on Geometric Variation
Authors: Zhang Jiancheng , Jin Donghai , Li Zefeng , Gui Xingmin
Published: January 2021

Tip leakage flow is an important factor affecting the efficiency and stability of compressors. It is important to study the tip leakage flow model in the design and performance prediction process of turbomachinery. This work analyzes the existing tip clearance loss prediction model and refines it to predict the tip clearance loss considering more blade geometric parameters.

After analyzing the Yaras tip leakage loss model derivation process, it is found that the discharge coefficient (taken as constants by Yaras) will change with the gap geometry, namely, it is related to the maximum thickness and the gap size of the blade. In this paper the discharge coefficient of tip gap is revised to better predict the effect of gap loss with regard to the maximum thickness of the blade.

In this paper, the research objects are linear cascades with NACA65 profile and numerical experiments were carried out by a CFD package Numeca under the condition of Mach number equal to 0.45, where the variables are the gap sizes (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 6% of the axial chord length) and the maximum thickness of blades (3%, 5%, 7%, 9%, 11% of the axial chord length). Combined with the numerical calculation results, according to Yaras loss prediction formula and using the similar characteristics to the discharge coefficient of the variation trend and the Planck blackbody radiation formula, the relationship between the discharge coefficient and the maximum thickness of the blade and the tip clearance is summarized, which is integrated with the Yaras loss prediction formula to obtain the final formula. This prediction formula fits the NACA65 blade calculation fairly. The average error of 24 calculation points is 2.59%. Then the improved model was compared with several existing models. Besides the CDA062, C4 and polynomial thickness distribution blade tip clearance loss is predicted using the refined prediction formula and the biggest prediction error is 5.46%. Therefore, the improved formula still has a good prediction effect when the blade type change. It is considered that within a certain range of maximum thickness of the blade type and tip gap sizes, the improved formula can give good predictions even though the blade type is different.
Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion Modelling Accounting for Fan Boundary Layer Ingestion and Inlet Distortion
Authors: Athanasakos Georgios , Aretakis Nikolaos , Alexiou Alexios , Mathioudakis Konstantinos
Published: January 2021

A modelling approach of Boundary Layer Ingesting (BLI) propulsion systems is presented. Initially, a distorted compressor model is created utilizing the parallel compressor theory to estimate the impact of inlet distortion on fan performance. Next, a BLI propulsor model is developed considering both distortion effects and reduced inlet momentum drag caused from boundary layer ingestion. Finally, a Turbo-electric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP) model is set up, consisting of the BLI propulsor model, the associated turboshaft engine model and a representation of the relevant electrical system. Each model is validated through comparison with numerical and/or experimental data.

A design point calculation is carried out initially to establish propulsor key dimensions for a specified number of propulsors and assuming common inlet conditions. Parametric design point analyses are then carried out to study the influence of propulsors number and location under different inlet conditions, by varying fan design pressure ratio between 1.15 and 1.5. BLI and non BLI configurations are compared at propulsion system level to assess the BLI benefits. The results show that maximum BLI gains of 9.3% in TSFC and 4.7% in propulsive efficiency can be achieved with 16 propulsors and FPR = 1.5, compared to podded propulsors, while further benefits can be achieved by moving the propulsor array backwards in the airframe.
Fan Design Investigation on the Airbus Nautilius Engine Integration Concept
Authors: Godard Benjamin , Negulescu Camil
Published: January 2021

Recent innovative engine integration systems present interesting prospects for considerable aircraft fuel burn reduction. In this context, the Airbus Nautilius is a patented engine integration concept embedding two Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) turbofans at the rear of the fuselage so as to take the full benefit of the boundary layer ingestion (BLI). This concept presents very promising power savings compared to classical podded configurations when neglecting the penalty on fan performance. However, as the engine is now working in distorted boundary layer flow conditions, these benefits can be partially offset by an additional fan performance penalty. In order to assess these additional losses and therefore to refine the potential of this concept, a numerical fan design activity has been conducted by Onera on behalf of and in collaboration with Airbus. First, blade design modifications have been applied to a pre-existing UHBR fan stage originally designed for “classical” podded configurations in order to maximize the isentropic efficiency in cruise conditions. The results of this first activity shows that more than half of the fan isentropic efficiency penalty due to the distortion at the engine inlet can be recovered by few design iterations. Secondly, an operability assessment at take-off high-lift conditions has been conducted on the optimized geometry and ensures that the fan stall margin remains acceptable. In conclusion, these results confirm the initial potential and mark an additional step towards a broader assessment of the Nautilius engine integration concept, which shall be further completed by acoustic and aeroelastic studies.
On the Efficiency of a Conical Under-Platform Damper for Turbines
Authors: Denimal E. , Wong C. , Salles L. , Pesaresi L.
Published: January 2021

Underplatform Dampers are commonly used in aircraft engines to limit the risk of High-Cycle Fatigue of turbine blades. The latter is located in a groove between two consecutive blades. The dry friction contact interface between the damper and the blades dissipates energy and so reduces the vibration amplitudes. Two common geometries of dampers are used nowadays, namely wedge and cylindrical dampers, but their efficiency is limited when the blades have an in-phase motion (or a motion close to it), since the damper tends to have a pure rolling motion. The objective of the present study is to analyse a new damper geometry, based on a conical shape, which prevents from this pure rolling motion of the damper and ensures a high kinematic slip. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the damping efficiency of this geometry. Hence, in a first part, the kinematic slip is approximated with analytical considerations. Then, a nonlinear dynamic analysis is performed, and the damping efficiency of this new geometry is compared to the wedge and the cylindrical geometries. The results demonstrate that the conical damper has a high damping capacity and is more efficient and more robust than the two others.
Design and Experimental Characterization of a Swirl-Stabilized Combustor for Low Calorific Value Gaseous Fuels
Authors: Dybe S. , Bluemner R. , Zhang K. , Schimek S. , Duwig C. , Stathopoulos P. , Paschereit C. O. , Bartlett M.
Published: January 2021

Low calorific value (LCV) gaseous fuels are generated as by-products in many commercial sectors, e.g. as mine gas or bio-gas. Their efficient exploitation can be a considerable source of primary energy. Typically, product gases from biomass are characterized by low lower heating values (LHV) due to their high concentration of inert gases and steam. At the same time, their composition varies strongly based on the initial feedstock and may contain unwanted components in the form of tars and ammonia. These properties make the design of appropriate combustion systems very challenging and issues such as ignition, flame stability, emission control, and combustion efficiency must be accounted for. By employing a proprietary gas turbine burner at the TU Berlin, the combustion of an artificial LCV gas mixture at stoichiometric conditions has been successfully demonstrated for a broad range of steam content in the fuel. The current work presents the stability maps and emissions measured with the swirl-stabilized burner at premixed conditions. It was shown that the flame location and shape primarily depend on the steam content of the LCV gas. The steam content in the fuel was increased until flame blow-out occurred at LHVs well below the target condition of 2.87 MJ/kg (2.7 MJ/mN3). The exhaust gas is analyzed in terms of the pollutants NOx and CO for different fuel compositions, moisture contents, and thermal powers. Finally, OH* measurements have been carried out in the flame. A simple reactor network simulation was used to confirm the feasibility of the experimental results.
Numerical Study of Welding Residual Stresses in Blisk Repairs by Patching
Authors: Berger Ricarda , Hofmeister Benedikt , Gebhardt Cristian G. , Rolfes Raimund
Published: January 2021

Patching is a high-tech repair procedure that is very adequate for compressor blisks with larger damages. This repair concept has the advantage that the added patch provides the same mechanical strength as the parent material of the blade and the initial aerodynamic contour of the blade is fully restored. However, the welding process locally induces stresses in the heat affected zone at the patch-to-blisk interface. These welding residual stresses influence the fatigue life of the repaired blade and have to be considered during the design phase of patch repairs.

In this work, we contribute to the design of patch repairs by introducing a numerical simulation to predict weld-induced stresses in repaired compressor blades. Therefore, a finite element model is developed that includes sequential thermal and mechanical analyses of blisk blades. The temperature field caused by the welding torch is determined by performing a transient heat transfer analysis. The model also reflects the changes in the geometry due to the additional patch material and subsequent re-contoured patch. Different patch geometries are evaluated and compared in terms of their resulting stress levels. Basically, two kinds of patch geometries with long and short welding seams are studied. The stationary stress distribution of the repaired blade results from the superposition of residual stresses with steady stresses due to rotational and pressure forces.

Thus, we provide the basis for a new fatigue assessment of the repaired blade considering the residual stress level in the patch-to-blisk interface.
CFD Modelling of Steam Turbine Last Stage Blades at Low Load Using Multiple Mixing Plane Approach
Authors: Mambro Antonio , Congiu Francesco , Galloni Enzo
Published: January 2021

The continuous increase of variable renewable energy and fuel cost requires steam turbine power plants to operate with high flexibility. This situation leads to steam turbines running at very low volume flow (LVF) for an extended time. Ventilation power and temperature predictions have a significant impact on the thermo-economic optimization of the power plant and lifetime assessment of the ventilating stages.

In the last decade with increasing capabilities of CFD and computational resources, significant steps have been made in assessing complex flow behavior. Full size or scaled experimental testing of different last stage blades for a wide range of low load operating conditions is expensive, therefore CFD provides new opportunities in low load assessment. However, prediction of the flow structure of the ventilating stages still represents a challenge for the current CFD tools in terms of calculation time and reliability of the results. There are many different approaches in assessing this phenomenon, which require different computer resources and may not be necessary for most industrial applications.

This paper presents the validation of the multiple mixing plane approach (MMP) presented by [9] for low-pressure steam turbine running at low load. Through a comparison with measurements results and more sophisticated methods, it is shown that this approach is able to sufficiently accurately predict the flow field and hence the ventilation power and temperature at low volume flow.
The Dynamic Calibration Uncertainty of Fast Response Pressure Probes
Authors: Boufidi Elissavet , Fontaneto Fabrizio
Published: January 2021

In this paper, error sources affecting the dynamic calibration of fast response pressure probes in shock tubes are examined. In particular, the sensors uncertainty, the uncertainty in the rising point of the pressure step and the nonideality of the step are treated. The latter refers to the presence of pressure oscillations past the shock front, which are particularly important in the case of low-pressure shock tubes, typically used for the calibration of pressure probes for turbomachinery applications. The nonideality effect is investigated using a Linear Time Invariant (LTI) second order model for the transfer function of the probe’s line-cavity system and an existing analytical model for the post-shock oscillations. The effect of these uncertainty sources to the experimentally determined transfer function of a fast response probe calibrated in the von Karman Institute (VKI) shock tube are finally presented.
Reference Stress Estimation for Anisotropic Materials Using Linear Elastic Finite Element Results
Authors: Scaletta Brent , Green Richard
Published: January 2021

Components in the hot section of a gas turbine engine experience extended high temperature dwells and cycles composed of multiple starts, changes in load, and variable duration. These loading profiles can lead to damage from cyclic viscoplasticity which is heavily path dependent as dwell stress, yield strength, and stress range change constantly during operation. Since an accurate prediction of accumulated damage is critical to managing an engine, reduced order methods for tracking material behavior over complex operation cycles are necessary tools to help avoid unplanned down time and optimize cost over the operational period.

One method for tracking the material behavior during path dependent cyclic viscoplasticity requires the use of reference stress. Reference stress is a bulk representative stress that can be used in conjunction with various lifing methodologies to determine component durability. Previous papers provided a method for calculating reference stress for isotropic materials using limit load estimation. The goal of this paper is to extend these methodologies to a reference stress estimation method for anisotropic materials to estimate life for single crystal turbine blades. Derived equations will be shown and results from simple Finite Element (FE) test cases will be discussed to demonstrate the accuracy of the anisotropic reference stress estimation.

Once reference stress is obtained, the long term forward creep stress of a component can be estimated for any given initial stress state. This approach can be used to calculate damage during shakedown resulting from redistribution and relaxation due to plasticity and creep, which can be critical for accurately predicting remaining useful life and optimizing engine management.
Computational and Experimental Study of the Unsteady Convection of Entropy Waves Within a High Pressure Turbine Stage
Authors: Pinelli Lorenzo , Marconcini Michele , Pacciani Roberto , Gaetani Paolo , Persico Giacomo
Published: January 2021

This paper describes the transport and the interaction of pulsating entropy waves generated by combustor burners within a high pressure turbine stage for aeronautical application. Experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out in the context of the European Research Project RECORD. Experimental campaigns considering burner-representative temperature fluctuations (in terms of spot shape, fluctuation frequency and total temperature variation percentage) injected upstream of an un-cooled high-pressure gas turbine stage have been performed in the high-speed closed-loop test-rig of the Fluid Machine Laboratory (LFM) of Politecnico di Milano (Italy). The pulsating entropy waves are injected at the stage inlet in streamwise direction at four different azimuthal positions featuring a 7% over-temperature with respect to the main flow with a frequency of 90 Hz. Detailed time-resolved temperature measurements (in the range of 0–200 Hz) upstream and downstream of the stage, as well as in the stator–rotor axial gap were performed. Time-accurate CFD simulations with and without entropy fluctuations imposed at the stage inlet were performed with the TRAF code, developed by the University of Florence. A numerical post-processing procedure, based on the DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform) of the conservative variables has been implemented to extract the low frequency content connected to the entropy fluctuations. Measurements highlighted a significant attenuation of the entropy wave spot throughout their transport within the stator channel and their interaction with the rotor blade rows, highly depending on their injection azimuthal position. Simulations show an overall good agreement with the experiments on the measurement traverses, especially at the stage outlet. By exploiting the combination of experiments and simulations, the aerodynamic and thermal implications of the temperature fluctuation injected upstream of the stage were properly assessed, thus allowing suggest useful information to the designer. The comparison with the experiments confirms the accuracy of the CFD method to solve the periodic, but characterized by a low frequency content event, associated with the entropy wave fluctuation.
Probabilistic Analysis of the Fatigue Life of Offshore Wind Turbine Structures
Authors: Nispel Abraham , Ekwaro-Osire Stephen , Dias João Paolo
Published: January 2021

The structural response of the main components of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) is considerably sensitive to amplification as their excitation frequencies approach the natural frequency of the structure. Furthermore, uncertainties present in the loading conditions, soil and structural properties highly influence the dynamic response of the OWT. In most cases, the cost of the structure reaches around 30% of the entire OWT because conservative design approaches are employed to ensure its reliability. As a result, this study aims to address the following research question: can the structural reliability of OWT under fatigue loading conditions be predicted more consistently? The specific aims are to (1) establish the design parameters that most impact the fatigue life, (2) determine the probability distributions of the design parameters, and (3) predict the structural reliability. An analytical model to determine the fatigue life of the structure under 15 different loading conditions and two different locations were developed. Global sensitivity analysis was used to establish the more important design parameters. Also, a systematic uncertainty quantification (UQ) scheme was employed to model the uncertainties of model input parameters based on their available information. Finally, the framework used reliability analysis to consistently determine the system probability of failure of the structure based on the fatigue limit state design criterion. The results show high sensitivity for parameters usually considered as deterministic values in design standards. Additionally, it is shown that applying systematic UQ produces a better approximation of the fatigue life under uncertainty and more accurate estimations of the structural reliability. Consequently, more reliable and robust structural designs may be achieved without the need for overestimating the offshore wind turbine response.
Mechanism of Novel Streamlined Roughness Element Enhancing the Flow and Heat Transfer Performance From Arrays of Impinging Jets
Authors: Wu Zhuang , Zhu Hui-ren , Liu Cun-liang , Li Lin , Gao Qiang , Zhang Zheng
Published: January 2021

The numerical investigation of the flow and heat transfer characteristics from arrays of impinging jets with the roughed target surface is presented in this paper. Three novel streamlined roughness elements are proposed: similar round protuberance, similar trapezoidal straight rib, and similar trapezoidal curved rib. The jet Reynolds number ranges from 15000 to 30000, the protuberance height is h/H = 0.36, the rib height is h/H = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 respectively. The results show that the protuberance can shorten the nozzle to the stagnation point distance, increasing the heat transfer at the stagnation point by nearly 40%. The rib has a remarkable effect of guiding the flow in span-wise direction and away from the target surface, weakening the cross-flow effect. The straight rib gets a better guidance performance, the curved rib provides a larger surface area. An appropriate increase of rib height can improve local heat transfer, continuing to increase mainly enlarge heat transfer area. The decent aerodynamic shape decreases the flow discharge coefficient by only 2% at the rib height of 0.3H.
Effect of the Condition Number of the Inverse Fourier Transform Matrix on the Solution Behavior of the Time Spectral Equation System
Authors: Zhang Sen , Wang Dingxi , Li Yi , Wu Hangkong , Huang Xiuquan
Published: January 2021

The time spectral method is a very popular reduced order frequency method for analyzing unsteady flow due to its advantage of being easily extended from an existing steady flow solver. Condition number of the inverse Fourier transform matrix used in the method can affect the solution convergence and stability of the time spectral equation system. This paper aims at evaluating the effect of the condition number of the inverse Fourier transform matrix on the solution stability and convergence of the time spectral method from two aspects. The first aspect is to assess the impact of condition number using a matrix stability analysis based upon the time spectral form of the scalar advection equation. The relationship between the maximum allowable Courant number and the condition number will be derived. Different time instant groups which lead to the same condition number are also considered. Three numerical discretization schemes are provided for the stability analysis. The second aspect is to assess the impact of condition number for real life applications. Two case studies will be provided: one is a flutter case, NASA rotor 67, and the other is a blade row interaction case, NASA stage 35. A series of numerical analyses will be performed for each case using different time instant groups corresponding to different condition numbers. The conclusion drawn from the two real life case studies will corroborate the relationship derived from the matrix stability analysis.
Numerical Simulation of Pressure Loss and Heat Transfer Characteristics for Additively Manufactured Channels
Authors: Arko Bryan , Iverson Chad , Staudigel Nicholas
Published: January 2021

This body of work provides an initial study of modeling both surface roughness and heat transfer concurrently in a numerical simulation of micro-channels representative of those that might be found in a turbine cooling application. Increased use of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing techniques for turbomachinery components enable the manufacture of complex features to achieve higher operational performance. Accurate modeling of flow losses and heat transfer effects are critical to designing parts which achieve optimal efficiency paired with durability. Surface finish is rougher with AM compared to more traditional manufacturing techniques; therefore enhancing the pressure loss and heat transfer effects. Proper implementation of surface roughness within the computational model and correct modeling of the near wall boundary mesh must be maintained to produce accurate results. This study focuses on the comparison of near wall mesh treatment coupled with surface roughness to determine a practice for obtaining accurate pressure loss and heat transfer within a cooling passage, as compared to measurements.

Steady-state computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models consisting of a wind tunnel inlet nozzle and outlet diffuser, along with internal cooling passages represented using micro-channels, has been run for a range of Reynolds numbers and simulated roughness levels. Analysis of a baseline configuration with aerodynamically smooth walls is first compared to the measured data to verify the assumption of aerodynamically smooth walls. Surface roughness is then added to the channel walls, from published test coupon measurements, and compared to published experimental data for a range of Reynolds numbers. The metal surrounding the passages is also included as a conjugate heat transfer model providing heat addition to the fluid. Pressure loss and heat transfer is compared to the measured data as a friction factor and Nusselt number for the range of Reynolds numbers. Since surface roughness units and measurements vary, an effect of surface roughness values on pressure loss and heat transfer will also be investigated to determine the importance of using and converting to the correct units for the numerical model. This serves as a starting point for a guideline that will help when both heat transfer and surface roughness are included in a CFD model. Further study is recommended to understand the diminishing levels of increase in friction factor and Nusselt number observed as surface roughness was continually increased in the numerical simulation.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Array Jet Impingement Cooling on a Leading-Edge Curved Surface
Authors: Torres Jorge , Zawati Husam , Fernandez Erik , Kapat Jayanta , Rodriguez Jose
Published: January 2021

Aerothermal performance of an asymmetrical-profile, leading-edge jet impingement array is studied using numerical and experimental techniques. This array consists of a single row of 9 jets impinging on a leading edge of diameter ratio D/d = 2, and a distinct suction side/pressure side akin to that of an actual turbine blade. Two different jet-to-target heights are tested, while the jet spacing of 4 jet diameters is kept constant. A range of jet-averaged Reynolds numbers between 20k – 80k are tested. The mean flow field of the mid-jet plane is quantified experimentally, through a non-intrusive experimental method of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), while area-averaged heat transfer is measured by the constant temperature copper block technique. The target surface is divided into several copper blocks to investigate the area-averaged heat transfer at each jet. The numerical portion of the presented work serves to investigate the fidelity of the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) k-ω turbulence model and how well it can predict the flow field within the geometrical domain of the leading edge.
Matching Design of Active Magnetic Bearing and Elastic Support Vibration Isolator
Authors: Yao Yichen , Su Yixin , Yu Tianye , Ren Gexue , Yu Suyuan
Published: January 2021

In modern industries, high-speed machinery occupies a fundamental place. However, rotating machinery will inevitably produce a variety of structural noise and vibration. Generally, vibration isolation means can be divided into active vibration isolation and passive vibration isolation, among which the most representative are active magnetic bearings (AMBs) and vibration isolators, respectively. The combination of active magnetic bearings and vibration isolators is widely used in rotating machinery because of its excellent effect in vibration and noise reduction.

This paper concentrates on the analysis of the vibration transmission mechanism of the active magnetic bearings coupled with the vibration isolators. A 30 kW prototype pump is taken as an example to help describe the research method. The model of the pump is first established. The stationary pump components and the rotor are respectively modeled through the finite element method and converted to substructure modal expression after low-order modal extraction. The bearing force is simplified to spring-dampers with equivalent stiffness and equivalent damping relating to the exciting frequency. The vibration isolators are simplified as three-dimensional spring-dampers.

Based on the model, this paper then investigates the matching relation of the AMBs and the vibration isolators and proposes a dynamic vibration isolation design method for the rotor-AMBs-flexible support system. On the basis of the frequency-domain response of the original design, this design method gives the frequency-domain curves of the desired stiffness and damping of the suitable active vibration isolation, which can be used to guide the controller design of the AMBs and isolators selection.

According to the design, we have done laboratory experiments on the prototype pump. The results show that the design method based on matching relation has good performance in vibration isolation.
Numerical Investigation on Unsteady Characteristics in Different Rim Seal Geometries: Part A
Authors: Lei Xie , RuoNan Wang , Guang Liu , ZengYan Lian , Qiang Du
Published: January 2021

Secondary sealing flow is of great importance in the turbine disk cooling and sealing system. The amount of cooling air extracted from the compressor is crucial to engine efficiency. To determine a minimum amount of cooling air, the flow characteristic of the rim seal should be investigated. Numerical simulation is carried out to investigate the flow field near the rim seal region. Both RANS and URANS numerical simulation methods are used in the commercial CFD code ANSYS CFX to analyze axial and radial rim seals. In the simulation, a 1/33 sector is selected as computing region to simulate the flow field and the SST turbulent model is used. The steady and unsteady simulation results of pressure distribution and seal efficiency are analyzed and compared. The computed results show that due to the different geometry configuration, the pressure distribution also shows inconsistency. Unsteady phenomena are observed in both axial and radial type of rim seals. Radial sealing lip can suppress the inherent unsteadiness and interaction between main flow and sealing flow, thus showing higher sealing efficiency. Comparing to steady results using the RANS method; unsteady simulation, using the URANS method, can capture the pressure difference and seal efficiency fluctuation at the disk rim more efficiently. Also, the interaction between the rotor and stator is considered in unsteady simulation, so the unsteady simulation is recommended. The results obtained in the current paper are useful to the investigation and design of turbine rim seals.
Film Cooling Performance on Turbine Blade Suction Side With Various Film Cooling Hole Arrangements
Authors: Zhou Zhiyu , Li Haiwang , Xie Gang , You Ruquan
Published: January 2021

Numerical simulations were carried out to study the film cooling effectiveness distributions of different hole arrangements on the suction side of a high pressure turbine blade under rotating condition. The chord length and the height of the blade are 60mm and 80mm, respectively. Totally 12 models with different hole arrangements and different injection angles were studied. Each blade model has three rows of round holes with diameter of 0.9mm on the suction surface. The first row and the third row are fixed at streamwise location of 12.4% and 34% respectively. Three injection angles, 30°, 45°, and 60°, were investigated. Simulations were conducted under three rotational speeds, 600rpm, 800rpm, 1000rpm, with blowing ratio varying from 0.5 to 2.0. The Mainstream Reynolds numbers corresponding to the rotational speeds are 40560, 54080, and 67600 respectively. The temperature of the mainstream and the coolant is set at 463K and 303K so as to control the density ratio at 1.47. Simulations were performed by using SST turbulence model and were solved by using the three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. Results showed that on the rotating turbine blade suction surface, film trajectories are drawn toward the midspan. The film trajectory arrangement may be different from the hole arrangement. Inline film trajectory arrangement can achieve higher film cooling effectiveness with slightly larger injection angle. Staggered film trajectory arrangement is better for uniform film cooling effectiveness distribution in spanwise and can achieve higher film cooling effectiveness with smaller injection angle. A smaller distance between the first row and the second row can achieve better film cooling performance at the downstream. With the increase of rotational speed, the mainstream Reynolds number increases, which improves the film cooling performance with smaller blowing ratio.
Estimation of Applied Stress at Fatigue Cracks of a Single Crystal Superalloy
Authors: Kobayashi Daisuke , Takama Katsuhiro , Ikeda Tomihiko
Published: January 2021

Needless to say, it is important to estimate the stress applied to a material when conducting failure analysis. In recent years, a material assessment method using electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) has been developed. It has been reported that a characteristic misorientation distribution corresponding to the fracture mode is seen in cross-sectional EBSD observation near the fracture surface of a Ni-based superalloy. Furthermore, the authors discovered EBSD striations on the crack cross-section, which is formed with each fatigue crack growth during a turbine shut-down process. This was discovered in misorientation analysis on a single-crystal superalloy blade used in a commercial land-based gas turbine. Since Ni-based superalloys have high deformation resistance, they do not undergo enough ductile deformation to form striations at the crack tip on the fracture surface during fatigue crack growth, and, as a result, striations corresponding to cyclic loadings are rarely observed in fractography. Even in such a Ni-based superalloy with brittle crack growth, the fatigue crack growth rate and the applied stress can be estimated by measuring EBSD striation spacing in misorientation analysis.

However, a practical problem in assessment is that the resolution limit fixed with field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEM) determine the range in which crack growth rate can be assessed. Hence, it is difficult to clearly discriminate the EBSD striations when the fatigue crack growth rate is too low, such as in the low stress intensity factor range (ΔK) region.

The applied stress can be calculated from ΔK. Therefore, in this paper, in order to estimate the applied stress during fatigue crack growth, we focused on estimating ΔK by measuring the plastic zone size along the crack growth.
Environmental Barrier Coating Oxidation and Adhesion Strength
Authors: Harder Bryan J. , Presby Michael J. , Salem Jon A. , Arnold Steven M. , Mital Subodh K.
Published: January 2021

Plasma Spray-Physical Vapor Deposition (PS-PVD) environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) of Yb2Si2O7 were deposited on SiC and exposed in a steam environment (90% H2O/O2) at 1426°C to form a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer between the substrate and EBC. In advanced ceramic material systems such as coated ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), the TGO layer is the weak interface in coated CMC systems and directly influences component lifetimes. The effect of surface roughness and TGO thickness on the adhesion strength were evaluated by mechanical testing of the coatings after exposure. Morphology and oxide layer thickness were analyzed with electron microscopy while the composition and crystal structure were tracked with X-ray diffraction. The strength of the system is evaluated with respect to oxidation rate to give a qualitative understanding of coating durability.
Influence of Ribs on Internal Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop in a Turbine Blade Trailing Edge Channel
Authors: Kim Suhyun , Suh Seungwon , Baek Seungchan , Hwang Wontae
Published: January 2021

Convective cooling inside the internal passage of a turbine blade trailing edge is often insufficient at the sharp corner, when cutback slot cooling is not present. This study investigates the convective heat transfer and pressure drop in a simplified trailing edge internal channel. The internal passage has been modeled as a right triangular channel with a 9° angle sharp corner. Heated baseline (with no internal features) and ribbed copper plates have been examined via infrared thermography. A uniform heat flux heater is installed beneath the plates, and non-uniformities in the heat flux due to conduction is corrected by a RANS conjugate heat transfer calculation. The numerical simulations were validated beforehand by experimental results of mean velocity, friction factor, and temperature fields.

Nusselt number distributions show that convective heat transfer is significantly enhanced with ribs, and closely coupled with the vortical flow structure. Heat transfer at the corner is increased by more than a factor of two with ribs, due to secondary flow towards the corner. Although the pressure loss and friction increase slightly, the overall thermal performance, represented by the average Nusselt number with respect to the friction factor, increases by a factor of two with the ribs.
Numerical Investigation of the Low Pressure Compressor Tone Noise of a High Bypass Ratio Turbofan
Authors: Rossikhin Anton , Pankov Sergey , Mileshin Victor
Published: January 2021

The presented work investigates the tone noise of three booster stages designed for a high bypass ratio turbofan. Calculations were performed at the approach operational conditions. The frequency domain numerical method of multistage turbomachines tone noise simulation, developed in CIAM (Central Institute of Aviation Motors) and implemented in 3DAS (3 Dimensional Acoustics Solver) in-house solver was used. The aim was to perform once again the validation of the computational method and to obtain better understanding of the mechanisms of tone noise generation in multistage turbomachines. The results of the investigation were compared with the experimental data obtained in the CIAM C-3A acoustic test facility. In general satisfactory correspondence between the numerical calculations and the experiment was observed. This can be treated as a significant argument for the validity of the frequency domain method of the multistage turbomachinery tone noise calculations.
Numerical Characterization of a HP Compressor Stage Equipped With a Closed Shrouded Stator Cavity
Authors: Babin Cedric , Dumas Michel , Ottavy Xavier , Fontaneto Fabrizio
Published: January 2021

In axial compressors, shrouded stator cavity flows are responsible for performance degradation due to their interaction with the power stream. The present paper aims at exploring the possibility of employing a single stage high pressure axial compressor as a test vehicle for cavity flows investigations. In a first step, the robustness of the adopted RANS approach is tested against experimental data on the closed-cavity baseline configuration (i.e. no downstream-to-upstream recirculation). In a second phase, the effect of different hub cavities layouts of different levels of realism is numerically investigated. The focus is set on the representativeness of a closed cavity configuration with injection. The cavity flow topology and impact on the overall performance are considered in the analysis. At its final extent, this paper provides numerical and experimental guidelines for the robust assessment of cavity flows topology and performance effects.
Performance Enhancement of Gas Turbine Engines Topped With Wave Rotors and Pulse Detonation Combustors
Authors: Nageswara Reddy Pereddy
Published: January 2021

In the present research work, a novel method of integrating the conventional gas turbine engine with a Wave Rotor (WR) and a Pulse Detonation Combustor (PDC) is proposed to increase the specific work and thermal efficiency of the engine. Two gas turbine engine configurations, viz. (i) Baseline engine topped with a wave rotor and a steady flow combustor (BWRSFC), and (ii) Baseline engine topped with a wave rotor and a pulse detonation combustor (BWRPDC), have been analyzed with and without recuperative systems. In the case of BWRPDC, the principle of quasi-steady expansion of detonation products through a nozzle into the ejector to entrain and eject the bypassed compressed air along with detonation products exhausted from WR, and a steady expansion of remained detonation products of PDC through the WR to provide the required energy transfer to further compress and supply the un-bypassed compressed air to PDC, has been considered. The pressure of the ejected gases from the ejector will be 25% to 35% higher than the air pressure delivered by the compressor of baseline engine and can develop more specific work with enhanced thermal efficiency when expanded in the turbine. A computer code is developed in MATLAB to simulate the engine performance with and without recuperation / regeneration. For thermodynamic calculations, two un-recuperated micro-turbine engines called C-30 and C-60 made by Capstone Turbine Corporation are considered. C2H4/air is taken as the fuel-oxidizer. The variation in specific work, and thermal efficiency with wave rotor pressure ratio has been investigated for C-30 and C-60 engines. Further, a sensitivity analysis of the performance of BWRPDC with a change in the Entrainment Coefficient (EC) of ejector has also been made.