Faculty Publications

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  • 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
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    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.
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    Computational investigation on secondary flows in a linear turbine cascade with tapered dual fence
    (Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2019) Kiran, K.N.; Babu, B.; Anish, S.
    The focus of the present work is to minimize the secondary flow losses inside a linear turbine cascade by means of a novel design of streamwise dual fence. The leading edge and trailing edge of the fences have been modified so as to reduce the total pressure loss coefficient in the passage. The study has been carried out computationally based on RANS simulations with SST turbulence model. Numerous simulations have been undertaken with single fence and dual fence models and compared with the base case model. The dual fence model with tapered trailing edge exhibits significant loss reduction compared to the base case. A suitable fence height ratio (FHR) has been identified for the dual fence model. The FHR = 2 configuration reduces the secondary flow kinetic energy by 78 % within the blade passage and it reduces the exit angle deviation significantly throughout the span. Detailed flow field analysis has been carried out to understand the physical mechanism behind the loss reduction with dual fence models. It is observed that fence-1 breaks the pressure side leg of the horse shoe vortex at the beginning of their formation itself. The radial penetration of the suction side leg of the horse shoe vortex is restrained by fence-2. These combined effects prevent the formation and mixing of two prominent loss core regions thereby avoiding the accumulation of low energy fluid near the suction side of blade. © 2019, KSME & Springer.
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    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