bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Flame Transfer Functions and Dynamics of a Closely Confined Premixed Bluff Body Stabilised Flame With Swirl
Authors: Nygård Håkon T. , Worth Nicholas A. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The Flame Transfer Function (FTF) and flame dynamics of a single, highly swirled, closely confined, premixed flame is studied over a wide range of operating conditions at a fixed perturbation level at the dump plane. The equivalence ratio and bulk velocity are varied in order to examine the important ratio of flame height to velocity in scaling the flame response function. The enclosure geometry is kept constant, and therefore due to the close confinement and varying flame height, strong flame-wall interactions are present for some operating conditions. The effect of these interactions on the FTF due to changes in the “relative” or “effective confinement” of the flame can therefore be studied. When the equivalence ratio is sufficiently high, and therefore the effective confinement sufficiently small, modulations, or dips, in the gain and phase of the FTF are observed, due to interference of the perturbations created at the swirler and at the dump plane. Due to the small length scales and relatively high velocities in the current configuration, the dip is at a high frequency and spans a wide range of frequencies compared to similar studies which have previously identified similar phenomena. It is also observed that when the equivalence ratio was decreased, increasing the effective confinement, a critical point is reached where the modulations are suppressed. This is linked to a temporal shift in the heat release rate at the downstream location where the flame impinges on the combustion chamber walls during the oscillation cycle. The shift causes a decrease in the expected level of interference, demonstrating that the effective confinement is an important parameter to consider for the nature of the FTF response. Additionally, a Distributed Time Lag (DTL) model with two distinct time lags, capturing the swirler perturbations and the perturbations at the inlet, is successfully applied to the FTFs. The model provides a simple way to accurately capture the two dominant time scales in the problem without the need of prior knowledge of the cause of the perturbations, and a simple expression to recreate the complex valued FTF. In addition the model also provides insight into the time scales of the problem, demonstrating in the current work that time scales recovered from the DTL analysis are offset from simple Strouhal number scaling, due to the effects of increasing effective confinement.
A Proposal for Passive Wall Treatment Applied in High Performance Axial Flow Compressors
Authors: Díaz Rubén Bruno , Tomita Jesuino Takachi , Bringhenti Cleverson , Elizio de Paula Francisco Carlos , Lindquist Whitacker Luiz Henrique 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Numerical simulations were carried out with the purpose of investigating the effect of applying circumferential grooves at axial compressor casing passive wall treatment to enhance the stall margin and change the tip leakage flow. The tip leakage flow is pointed out as one of the main contributors to stall inception in axial compressors. Hence, it is of major importance to treat appropriately the flow in this region. Circumferential grooves have shown a good performance in enhancing the stall margin in previous researches by changing the flow path in the tip clearance region. In this work, a passive wall treatment with four circumferential grooves was applied in the transonic axial compressor NASA Rotor 37. Its effect on the axial compressor performance and the flow in the tip clearance region was analyzed and set against the results attained for the smooth wall case. A 2.63% increase in the operational range of the axial compressor running at 100%N, was achieved, when compared with the original smooth wall casing configuration. The grooves installed at compressor casing, causes an increase in the flow entropy generation due to the high viscous effects in this gap region, between the rotor tip surface and casing with grooves. These viscous effects cause a drop in the turbomachine efficiency. For the grooves configurations used in this work, an efficiency drop of 0.7% was observed, compared with the original smooth wall. All the simulations were performed based on 3D turbulent flow calculations using Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations, and the flow eddy viscosity was determined using the two-equation SST turbulence model. The details of the grooves geometrical dimensions and its implementation are described in the paper.
Hydrogen Enrichment Impact on Gas Turbine Combustion Characteristics
Authors: Mohammad Bassam S. , McManus Keith , Brand Anthony , Elkady Ahmed M. , Cuppoletti Daniel 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The current research provides the impact of hydrogen enrichment on gas turbine combustion characteristics. The uniqueness of this study is it isolates the hydrogen effects while minimizing the impact of other parameters that are known to influence combustion characteristics. Experiments are carried out under high operating pressure and a wide range of firing temperatures that extend from the Lean Blow Out (LBO) limit to beyond J class firing temperature. Aerodynamic effects are isolated by using a perforated plate burner to provide a simple flame structure. The study is conducted under perfectly premixed conditions to exclude the mixing effects from the problem under investigation. Air flow, residence time, pressure and temperature are all held constant to enable back to back comparison. Hydrogen enrichment is varied from 0 to 25 percent by volume while holding the combustor exit temperature constant. No cooling air or effusion air is used in the combustion zone to ensure that there is no impact on the problem under investigation and to focus the study on kinetics effects and flame shape variation. NOx, CO emissions, LBO limits as well as flame luminosity are reported. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are measured at the combustor exit and used to ensure test integrity and for confirmation of the exit temperature. A reactor network model is used to mimic the experimental work and study sensitivity. The effective residence time in the model is varied slightly to mimic the slight change observed in flame length with hydrogen addition. This basic research provides a key resolution to the contradictory results that are typically reported in the literature for the impact of hydrogen on NOx emissions.
On the Prediction of Rotating Stall in an Industrial Gas Turbine Compressor
Authors: Krishnababu Senthil K. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
An investigation is presented into the computation of rotating stall in an industrial gas turbine compressor using a hybrid whole annulus and single passage computational domain. The objective of this investigation is to demonstrate the use of large-scale unsteady computations with quicker turn-around times in the design cycle to develop and evaluate several variable guide vane schedules and/or bleed settings. This means that subsequent engine test campaign could be carried out with significantly lower test matrix size in terms of the number of variable guide vane schedules and/or the handling bleed settings thus reducing the overall development time and cost. Rotating stall that was measured and characterised during a previous compressor rig test (Krishnababu, et al. [1]) were successfully predicted by large-scale unsteady computations using TurboStream. The predicted number of stall cells and their speed agreed closely with the test data. The methodology validated was applied to predict and mitigate the rotating stall in the development of a compressor for a new gas turbine engine. Using this approach, it was possible to define bleed control system that ensured stall free operation.
On the Formulation of Nonreflecting Boundary Conditions for Turbomachinery Configurations: Part II — Application and Analysis
Authors: Wolfrum Nina , Bechlars Patrick , Beck Maximilian , Frey Christian , Schlüß Daniel 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The flow in turbomachinery components is complex due to the relative motion of rotating and non-rotating elements. A proper design and prediction of physical phenomena requires reliable CFD tools. One important aspect is the incorporation of sophisticated algorithms at the boundaries of the computational domain.
For inviscid, one-dimensional and two-dimensional Euler-flows there exist analytical solutions for the formulation of a boundary condition. Realistic applications, however, are viscous and consist of a complex three-dimensional character. Nevertheless, the analytical 2D nonreflecting boundary conditions are commonly used in CFD codes for their high computational efficiency and numerical robustness.
The application becomes more challenging when the boundaries are close to geometrical features such as blades and vanes. In practical applications, the position of the boundaries is dictated by geometrical constraints and hence the proximity to the blading cannot always be avoided. The interaction of rotating and non-rotating geometrical features in a turbomachine produces complex flow patterns that propagate in the form of acoustic, vorticity and entropy waves. A boundary condition must be implemented in such a way that waves can propagate undisturbed out of the computational domain. Any reflection may unphysically affect the solution within the computational domain which is especially harmful to sensitive values such as unsteady aeroelastic quantities. But also steady-state computations may suffer from errors produced by reflective boundary conditions.
The following paper is the second of two papers on the formulation of unsteady boundary conditions based on a two-dimensional analytical approach. The first part of this paper [6] explains how to extend 2D nonreflecting boundary conditions to real 3D annular domains by applying them in certain conical rotational surfaces. Two different formulations are discussed referring to the orientation of said rotational surfaces. In the first case the surfaces are oriented perpendicular to the boundary panel. In the second case the surfaces are aligned with the circumferentially averaged meridional flow velocity.
In the present paper a thorough analysis of the two different approaches will be given. Both formulations of the boundary algorithm are validated on the basis of several elementary model flows. The behavior is analyzed for various unsteady wave patterns of different propagation directions with respect to the boundary. It will be shown that the alignment of the rotational surfaces with the meridional flow has a beneficial effect on the reflective behavior for the majority of the investigated flow conditions.
The boundary conditions are then tested on realistic turbomachinery components in order to analyze their applicability on complex flows.
Numerical Analysis of the Stability and Operation of an Axial Compressor Connected to an Array of Pulsed Detonation Combustors
Authors: Dittmar Louise , Stathopoulos Panagiotis 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Conventional gas turbines are a very mature technology and performance improvements are becoming increasingly difficult and costly to achieve. Pressure Gain Combustion has emerged as a promising technology in this respect, due to the higher thermal efficiency of the respective ideal gas turbine cycles. Up to date, the majority of studies in the field has concentrated on the connection of the turbine to various types of pressure gain combustion systems. The current work focusses on the connection of an array of pulsed detonation tubes at the outlet of an axial compressor. An ideal 0-D plenum is assumed between the compressor outlet and the pulsed detonation tubes’ inlet. The tubes are simulated as time-dependent mass sinks in this plenum. A solution of the time-dependent mass conservation equations delivers the pressure variation in this ideal plenum for various combinations of its size, the tube number, the tube frequency, their firing pattern and their closing time. This pressure variation is subsequently used as a boundary condition in a numeric model of a compressor that can resolve very fast changes of its operational condition. The model is based on the solution of the time-dependent 1-D Euler equations with source terms for the blade forces and the work exchange with the fluid along the compressor stages. These source terms are computed from the operational map of the compressor. The influence of the aforementioned five parameters (number of tubes, frequency, closing time, firing pattern and plenum size) on the compressor operational stability and the flow in its stages is studied in detail. The aim is to benchmark the design of a plenum that results in the lowest possible compressor outlet pressure fluctuation without becoming too large. At the same time, the pressure fluctuations and their propagation along the compressor stages are analyzed.
The Effects of Reynolds Number on the Stall and Pre-Stall Behaviour of Compact Axial Compressors
Authors: Hutchings Jack , Hall Cesare 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Compact axial compression systems are of interest to the domestic appliance industry. The associated low Reynolds number leads to high losses compared to large-scale compressors due to a transitional flow field with large regions of separation. This paper investigates how Reynolds number variations affect the three-dimensional and unsteady flow field in a compact compressor both pre-stall and in stall. An experimental study has been conducted using a scaled-up singlestage axial compressor across a Reynolds number range of 104 to 105. Steady and unsteady casing static pressure measurements, along with rotor upstream and downstream unsteady velocity measurements, have been used to observe the rotor flow field. As the Reynolds number is reduced below a critical value, 60,000 in the case of the compressor studied, the pressure rise coefficient of the compressor decreases. The exact value of the critical Reynolds number is expected to vary with the compressor geometry. This fall off in performance corresponds to an increase in the compressor rotor secondary flows. Prior to stall, a broadband hump at around 50% of the blade passing frequency is present in the near-field casing static pressure spectra. At Reynolds numbers below the critical value, multiple equally spaced peaks also appear around the peak of the broadband hump. The spacing of these peaks has been found to be exactly equal to the measured stall cell speed once rotating stall is established. When operating in stall, the stall cell is found to increase in size and slow down as Reynolds number decreases. The measured spectra and observed flow structures show that disturbances exist prior to stall at frequencies consistent with the frequencies within stall. The size and shape of the stall cells that form are related to the extent of the three-dimensional flow field present prior to stall. Below a critical value, all of these flow features are highly sensitive to Reynolds number.
Application and Verification of an Engineering Approach to Assess Notch Support for Low Cycle Fatigue Loadings
Authors: Garnadt Florian , Kontermann Christian , Almstedt Henning , Oechsner Matthias 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Notches according to the design of components often represent the failure location. If a crack is nucleating in the area of a notch, crack growth speed is a function of the stress gradient. The difference in allowable cycles between a notched and an unnotched structure can be quantified by a notch support factor. The approach presented in this paper is based on the determination of the stress intensity factor of a short crack in the vicinity of a notch using FEA. To consider the influence of plasticity induced crack closure the analytical approach by Newman is employed. This relatively easy and straight-forward approach is benchmarked in two ways. First, the results are compared with a series of experimental data produced for notched round bar specimens made of a forged steel. Here, crack growth is measured by using the alternating current potential drop method. Second, crack growth is calculated with a full numerical approach. The results are discussed in detail to investigate the application range of the easy-to-use Engineering Approach to compute notch support factors for real component structures.
Influences of Turbulence Boundary Conditions on RANS and URANS Simulations for an Inter-Turbine Duct
Authors: Firrito Alessio , Bousquet Yannick , Binder Nicolas , Pintat Ludovic 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
In recent years, lot of turbine research is focused on the study and optimization of inter-turbine ducts, an aero-engine component for which the design is becoming more challenging due to the turbofan architecture evolution. Starting from the early design phase, the knowledge of the component performance and outlet flow pattern is crucial in the design of the low pressure turbine. To improve prediction, multi-row unsteady simulations are deployed. Unfortunately, some questions arise in the use of these simulations, among others the knowledge of the turbulent boundary conditions and the contribution of the unsteady simulations to the flow solution. In this paper steady and time resolved RANS simulations of a turning inter-turbine duct are investigated. Particularly, two questions are addressed. The first one is the influence of the turbulent quantities boundary conditions in the case of a k–ω Wilcox turbulence model in the flow field solution. The second one is the contribution of the unsteadiness to the mean flow prediction. It will be shown that the mean flow depends on inlet turbulence only if the turbulence length scale is relatively high; otherwise the flow field is almost turbulence-invariant. For the unsteady simulations, unsteadiness modifies the mean flow solution only with low inlet turbulence.
Aeromechanical Characterization of a Last Stage Steam Blade at Low Load Operation: Part 1 — Experimental Measurements and Data Processing
Authors: Bessone A. , Guida R. , Marrè Brunenghi M. , Patrone S. , Carassale L. , Kubin Z. , Arnone A. , Pinelli L. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
This paper is the first of a two-part publication that aims to experimentally evaluate, simulate and compare the aerodynamic and mechanical damping for a last stage steam turbine rotor blade at part load operation. Resulting strong off-design partial load regimes expose the last stage moving blade (LSMB) to the possible onset of aero-elastic instabilities, such as stalled and un-stalled flutter. This interaction can lead to asynchronous blade vibrations and then the risk of blade failures for high cycle fatigue. In this framework, it is necessary to develop and validate new tools for extending operating ranges, controlling non-synchronous phenomenon and supporting the design of new flutter resistant LSMB.
To this end, a 3-stage downscaled steam turbine with a snubbered LSMB was designed by Ansaldo Energia and tested in the T10MW test facility of Doosan Skoda Power R&D Department within the FlexTurbine European project. The turbine was operated in a wet steam environment at very low volume flow conditions simulating different part load regimes. The steady flow field throughout the LSMB was characterized and the occurrence of flutter was investigated by inducing the blade resonance through an AC magnet excitation and measuring the overall damping.
The results presented in this paper indicate that the blade always operates over the flutter stability margin validating this new blade design. In the second part of this work, the mechanical and aerodynamic contribution to the damping will be separated in order to validate the aerodynamic damping prediction of an upgraded CFD tool, already adopted in the design phase of the blade at design point.
Error Considerations for Turbine-Generator Torsional Vibration Monitoring
Authors: Liska Jindrich , Jakl Jan , Kunkel Sven 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Turbine-generator torsional vibration is linked to electrical events in the power grid by the generator air-gap torque. Modern power systems are subject to gradual transformation by increasing flexibility demands and incorporation of renewable resources. As a result, electrical transient events are getting more frequent and thus torsional vibration is getting more and more attention. Especially in the case of large steam and gas turbines torsional vibration can cause material fatigue and present a hazard for safe machine operation. This paper freely builds on previous work, where a method for torsional vibration evaluation using an incremental encoder measurement was presented, in that it supplements error considerations to this methodology. Measurement errors such as precision of the rotor encoder manufacturing, choice of the proper sensor, its signal to noise ratio and the error of instantaneous velocity computation algorithm are analyzed. The knowledge of these errors is essential for torsional vibration as there is an indirect and relatively complicated path from the measurement to the final torsional vibration results compared to other kinds of vibration. The characteristics of particular errors of the processing chain are validated both on experimental data from a test rig as well as field data measured on turbine-generators in power plants.
Novel Approach for Optical Characterization of Thrust Collar Lubricated Area: Experimental and Numerical Results
Authors: Kerr Thomas , Delgado Adolfo 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Thrust collars (TCs) are bearing elements used in geared machinery that transmit axial loads from one shaft to another. TCs are primarily used in integrally geared compressors (IGCs), but are also found in gearboxes and marine propulsion applications. TCs are hydrodynamic elements featuring a converging-diverging wedge to generate a pressure field that reacts axial loads. Accurate modeling requires knowledge of the film characteristics such as cavitation, turbulence, and air ingestion, all of which reduce load capacity. Current models in the literature do not include mass-conserving cavitation algorithms or turbulent flow. The following paper introduces a new test rig that optically characterizes the thin film region of a thrust collar. The test rig geometries, speeds, and loads match those typically seen in IGC applications. The test rig utilizes a transparent acrylic window in conjunction with a high-speed camera to obtain high-speed images of the oil film. Images are filtered and averaged to obtain areas of interest in the oil film. Cavitation and turbulence areas are captured for pinion speeds of 2.5, 5, and 7.5 krpm, and axial loads of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kN. Cavitation occurs in the diverging (upper) region of the TC and appears at pinion speeds over 5,000 rpm, but does not change in shape after that speed. The cavitation is independent of applied load. Turbulence at the inlet region (bottom) occurs at all speeds, but increases to almost 35% of the total area at the highest speed. This paper also presents a finite element (FE) model that includes predictions for the static characteristics of the TC, specifically the cavitation area. The cavitation modeling uses an iterative Elord’s method, which conserves mass. The model predicts a similar cavitation area for all speeds and loads. A computation fluid dynamics (CFD) study predicts a similar cavitation area, and pressure field to the FE model. The CFD model predicts turbulence in the lower region that increases for increasing spin speed, which matches the experimental results. The CFD model tends to underpredict the turbulence area when compared to the experiments. As IGCs move into novel application areas to satisfy new needs, the increase in efficiency and capacity comes at a cost of more load and higher speed requirements on the TCs. This work will help original equipment manufacturers model TCs more accurately to ensure safe and efficient operation.