Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://idr.nitk.ac.in/handle/123456789/19884

Browse

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Item
    Computational study of radial gap effect between impeller and diffuser on the unsteadiness of vaned diffuser in a centrifugal compressor
    (Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2017) Anish, S.; Sitaram, N.
    Understanding the unsteady fluid dynamics inside the diffuser holds the key to improve the performance of centrifugal compressor. A detailed computational study has been conducted in a low-speed centrifugal compressor to understand the unsteady flow mechanisms that govern the static pressure recovery inside the vaned diffusers. Simulations are carried out for three different leading edge locations at design and off-design conditions. The study is carried out using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations. This study revealed that the unsteady fluctuations exhibit contrasting behavior at different radial gaps and flow coefficients. An optimum radial gap is strictly a function of the stage loading. A high radial gap helps contain the fluctuations at low flow coefficients, but it enhances the fluctuations at high flow coefficients. If the leading edge is kept close to the impeller blade, then the above design flow coefficient of the vaned passage facilitates a reduction in the unsteady fluctuations. On the contrary, keeping the leading edge close to the impeller blade can accelerate the unsteady fluctuations at low flow coefficients. © 2017, The Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
  • Item
    An investigation on the effect of pitchwise endwall design in a turbine cascade at different incidence angles
    (Elsevier Masson SAS 62 rue Camille Desmoulins Issy les Moulineaux Cedex 92442, 2017) Kiran, K.N.; Anish, S.
    This paper describes the effects of non-axisymmetric endwall profiling on the aerodynamic performance of a linear turbine cascade at different incidence angles. The sinusoidal profiling is carried out with constant profile curvature along the mean streamline path. Three different profiles, with varying hump to dip height, are analyzed numerically and the performances are compared with the planar profile. Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in their conservative form using Finite Volume Method with SST turbulence model. The calculated results indicate that the profiled endwall minimizes the lateral movement of weaker boundary layer fluid from the hub-pressure side corner. In comparison with planar case, the flow deviations are largely contained with endwall profiling but closer to the endwall it enhances the overturning and secondary flow kinetic energy. The reduction in loss coefficient is estimated to be 1.3%, 8.7% and 38% for incidence angles of ?10°, nominal and +15° respectively. The sinusoidal profiling has brought down the pitch averaged flow deviation and secondary flow kinetic energy at nominal and positive incidence angles but the impact is insignificant at negative incidence. Profiling minimizes the rolling up of the passage vortex and makes the passage vortex to migrate closer to the endwall. This flow modification brings down the losses in the core flow but enhances the losses near the endwall. © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS
  • Item
    An aerothermal investigation of purge flow behaviour in a linear turbine cascade with upstream wakes
    (Bentham Science Publishers, 2018) Babu, S.; Anish, S.
    Background: Over all efficiency of a turbofan engine can be improved by increasing turbine inlet temperature. To withstand the high turbine inlet temperatures advanced cooling techniques and robust materials are required. Air supplied from compressor can be used to purge turbine components and disk cavities from the incoming hot gas. Objective: In the present study, an attempt is made to understand the aerodynamic and thermal effects caused by the purge flow in the presence of stationary upstream wakes. Methods: Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes Equation coupled with SST turbulence model is used for computational study. Base case experimental data conducted on a 5 blade linear cascade is used for numerical validation. The coolant to mainstream blowing ratio is varied from 0.2 to 1.2 with a step size of 0.2. Results: It is observed that with an increase in the blowing ratio, the mass averaged total pressure losses also increase. Purge flow shifts the passage vortex away from the endwall and causes significant overturning up to a span of 30-40mm, before they exhibit underturning up to midspan. In an effort to reduce the losses, purge ejection angle is reduced to 45° from 90°. Significant loss reduction and improved endwall protection are observed at 45° ejection angle. This ejection angle provides enough acceleration and momentum to the fluid inside the endwall boundary layer. But the upstream secondary wakes and secondary flows enhanced the mixing losses within the blade passage. Conclusion: The turbulent mixing generated by upstream wakes reduced the film cooling effectiveness over the endwall. The numerical results show that film cooling effectiveness can be improved by reducing the purge ejection angle. Various patents have been discussed in this article. © 2018 Bentham Science Publishers.
  • Item
    Transient analysis of upstream wake inside turbine blade passage with purge flow
    (Elsevier Masson SAS 62 rue Camille Desmoulins Issy les Moulineaux Cedex 92442, 2020) Babu, B.; Anish, S.
    Secondary air bled from the compressor which bypasses the combustion chamber is used to seal the turbine components from incoming hot gas. Interaction of this secondary air (also known as purge flow) with the mainstream flow can alter the flow characteristics of turbine blade passage. This paper presents numerical investigation of interaction between ejected purge flow and mainstream flow in the presence of upstream disturbances/wakes. Steady as well as unsteady simulations are carried out using Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations and SST turbulence model. The numerical results are validated with experimental measurements obtained at the blade exit region using an L shaped 5 hole probe and Scanivalve. Upstream wakes are generated by a circular cylinder, kept upstream of blade leading edge at different pitch-wise positions. For transient analysis cylinders are kept at stagnation line (STW) and middle of the blade passage (MW). The analysis reveals the interaction effects of two more additional vortices, viz. the cylinder vortex (Vc) and the purge vortex (Vp). Steady state analysis shows an increase in the underturning at blade exit due to the squeezing of the pressure side leg (PSL) of horse shoe vortex towards the pressure surface by the cylinder vortices (Vp). The unsteady analysis reveals the formation of filament shaped wake structures which breaks into smaller vortical structures at the blade leading edge for STW configuration. These filaments lead to the formation of additional pressure surface vortices. On the contrary, in MW configuration, the obstruction created by the purge flow causes the upper portion of cylinder vortices bend forward, creating a shearing action along the spanwise direction. In MW configuration, the horse shoe vortices generated from the upstream cylinder are broken by the purge vortex whereas in the STW configuration it slides over the purge vortex and move towards the suction surface under the influence of the pitchwise pressure gradient. © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS
  • Item
    Aerodynamic performance of profiled endwalls with upstream slot purge flow in a linear turbine cascade having pressure side separation
    (American Institute of Physics Inc., 2021) Babu, S.; Anish, S.
    In aeroengines, purge flow directly fed from the compressor (which bypasses the combustor) is introduced through the disk space between blade rows to prevent the hot ingress. Higher quantity of purge gas fed through the wheel space can provide additional thermal protection to the passage endwall and blade surfaces. However, the interaction of purge flow with the mainstream flow leads to higher secondary losses. Secondary losses inside a turbine blade passage can be reduced effectively by endwall contouring. This paper presents computational investigation on the influence of non-axisymmetric endwall contouring over endwall secondary flow modification in the presence of purge flow with the pressure side bubble (PSB). The experimental analysis was conducted for the base case without purge and base case with purge (BCP) configurations having flat endwalls. The total pressure loss coefficient and exit yaw angle deviation were measured with the help of a five-hole pressure probe. Static pressure distribution over the blade midspan was obtained by 16 channel Scanivalve. Aerodynamic performances of three different profiled endwalls are numerically analyzed and are compared against the BCP configuration. The effects of different contoured endwall geometries on endwall static pressure distribution and secondary kinetic energy were also discussed. Analysis shows that in the first contoured endwall configuration (EC1), the formation of stagnation zones at a contour valley close to the suction surface causes the exit total pressure loss coefficient to increase. The shifting of the contour valley near to the pressure surface (EC2 configuration) has resulted in local acceleration of the diverted pressure side leg of the horseshoe vortex over the hump toward the end of the passage. In the third configuration (EC3 configuration), reduced valley depth and optimum hump height have effectively redistributed the endwall pitchwise pressure gradient. The increased static pressure coefficient at the endwall near to the pressure surface has eliminated the PSB formation. In addition, computational results of unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes simulations are obtained for analyzing transient behavior of PSB, with more emphasis on its migration on the pressure surface and transport across the blade passage. The additional work done by the mainstream fluid to transport the low momentum PSB fluid has caused higher aerodynamic penalty at the blade exit region. In this viewpoint, the implementation of contoured endwalls has shown beneficial effects by eliminating the PSB and related secondary vortices. At 27% of axial chord downstream of the blade trailing edge, a 4.1% reduction in the total pressure loss coefficient was achieved with endwall contouring. © 2021 Author(s).