Thesis. 1978. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Ocean Engineering. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / M.S.

The existing 3-stage research turbine at Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory (TPFL) facility, Texas A & M University (TAMU) was replaced with a newly designed and manufactured 2-stage turbine in accordance with the design requirements as per DooSan, DHI. This new design of turbine consisted of bowed stator and rotor blades to study the effect on reduction of secondary ow losses and thus improvement in turbine efficiency if any. The new design also incorporated labyrinth seals on both inner and outer shrouds. Extensive Inter-stage and Performance experiments were carried out on this new turbine. Inter-stage measurements were accomplished by traversing three 5-hole probes radially and circumferentially, using the existing probe traverse system in TPFL. Performance tests were conducted for varying pressure ratio, at fixed rotational speed and for varying rotational speed with fixed pressure ratio and the efficiency was plotted against u/c_0. Each condition was tested and measured two to three times to check for reproducibility of the data. The results from inter-stage experiments show that the rotor row loss coefficient is about four times higher than the stator row loss coefficient. This high rotor loss coefficient reduces the total to static efficiency. From the performance tests, the maximum total-to-static efficiency observed was 85.2 percent located at around u/c_0 = 0.75. This relatively low efficiency is in consonance with the inter-stage results (high rotor loss coefficient).

Thesis (M.S. in Mechanical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Garth V. Hobson. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Dissertation supervisor and advisor: E. Roberts Wood. Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-210). Also available online.

In a previous work of a similar nature, the performance of a low speed axial turbine with a second stage nozzle was examined with respect to the effect of the variation of tip clearance for various tip shapes. Present findings suggest some interesting phenomena, including the effect of tip clearance on the flow within the rotor and show that poor resolution from a transducer and insufficient data points in the critical tip region, where a high velocity peak was found, were responsible for a number of incorrect conclusions in the original study. In terms of blade tip geometry, a standard flat tip shape was found to deliver only a marginally better performance when compared to a double squealer tip and the two streamlined shapes previously investigated. Although contemporary opinion suggests that a streamlined tip should increase the leakage flow and hence cause greater mixing losses, the machine efficiency was not significantly reduced. This is an exciting result since it suggests that a streamlined tip shape can be used to alleviate the problem of blade tip burnout without significantly reducing machine efficiency. When the single stage performance in the absence of a second nozzle was examined, slightly different trends were obtained. The low entropy tips produced slightly lower mixing loss, suggesting that the internal gap loss is an important parameter in determining the rate at which the leakage jet mixes downstream of the rotor. The flow behind the rotor (ie time averaged) was found to be in remarkable agreement with linear cascade data when time averaged even though the latter did not include any effects of relative motion. An increase in clearance was seen to reduce the Euler work and also to cause a deficit of mass flow across the remainder of the blade right down to the hub. The leakage flow was also seen to induce a flow blockage which resulted in a higher driving pressure across the rotor for the same mass flow rate. As in the previous study, the second stage nozzle efficiency was seen to be independent of tip clearance or tip shape and was moderately better than that of the first nozzle. However, the improvement was not found to be as large, due to a previously undetected very thin ring of high energy leakage fluid. When this is taken into account, the efficiency of the second stage nozzle is comparable to the first. The second nozzle was seen to have a flow straightening effect on the poorly deflected, high energy leakage flow, causing a rapid mixing process within these downstream blade passages. The growth of secondary flow was reduced at both the hub and the tip and this is believed to result in a slight decrease in loss. The outlet flow was closer to design conditions than that of the first stage nozzle. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

An experimental and numerical study of he aerodynamics and the associated heat transfer on turbine blades, has been carried out as part of the ongoing Armscor Denel aircraft engine maintenance program. The experimental tests were performed using an existing continuous flow cascade test facility at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. These experimental results were used to validate the two-dimensional numerical results, generated usmg a commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package, FLUENT. The existing experimental turbine test facility utilises a continuous flow cascade technique where a cooled, instrumented blade is rapidly introduced to the hot-air stream exposing it to the cascade flow. This creates the heat transient required for measurement of the isothermal heat transfer coefficients, using thin-film heat flux gauges. A static pressure test blade is used in conjunction with a scanivalve system, to determine the blade mid-span pressure distribution. This latest research effort requires validation of de Villiers' [2002] results, whilst improving the error discrepancies between the experimental and numerical analyses. Maintenance on the test rig has been performed, including the addition of a new pressure control system to ensure the correct cascade flow conditions and boundary conditions are obtained. Experimental pressure distribution measurements were performed, to validate previous work by de Villiers [2002] and to ensure the correct operation of the test rig. Experimental error was identified in de Villiers' [2002] suction surface pressure distribution, and new experimental pressure results were acquired. Following the essential overhaul of critical rig components, experimental heat transfer tests were performed. The newly restored equipment produced new isothermal heat transfer coefficient results that validated the results of de Villiers' [2002]. Numerous CFD meshing techniques were investigated and implemented in FLUENT, to produce the numerical solution. The pressure correlation proved to be excellent with an average error of 3%. The varying cascade inlet turbulence intensity was identified as a major source of heat transfer error. Implementing this variance into FLUENT, a significant reduction in error was seen. The resulting average heat transfer error measured 12%, a major improvement from 29% error in 2002. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2007.

A 2-D plain strain CFD/FEM model to simulate thermal shocks and stresses in a turbine blade has been set up using the commercially available software FLUENT and NASTRAN. The model was validated against the experimental data of Bohn et. al. and used to simulate real test cases. The steady state numerical model was set up for a single Mark II nozzle guide vane using the correct boundary conditions to resolve the flow field. A combined laminar and turbulent model was developed in FLUENT that was used to highly accurately predict the pressure, temperature and heat transfer coefficient distribution on the blade surface as well as the temperature distribution on the cooling holes inside the blade. The resulting temperature profiles on the blade and cooling holes were used as boundary conditions for the FEM analysis to resolve the internal temperature and stress profiles. The pressure, temperature and heat transfer distribution on the blade, from FLUENT, were compared to those from Bohn et. al. The predicted pressure distribution was exact with the experimental results and the predicted temperature distribution had an average overprediction of 1.4 % on both the pressure and suction side. The internal temperature profile predicted by NASTRAN was correctly predicted with an average over-prediction of 2 %. The stress contours were accurately predicted with the stress magnitude varying by 17 % to that of Bohn et. al. The reason for the difference between the MSC.NASTRAN and Bohn et. al. stress results is believed to be purely solver related. Bohn et al. used a FEM package called MSC.MARClMentat. With the steady state model validated, transient test cases were simulated that represent typical operational data. The mission profile was obtained for the T-56 engine found on the C130 cargo plane. The model was used to simulate the test case where the turbine inlet temperature (TIT) varied with time. The simulation results showed that stress was proportional to TIT, where changes in the TIT were seen later in the stress curve, due to conduction in the blade. Steep TIT changes, such as shock loads affected stress later than gentler TIT changes. Thus, the FLUENT / NASTRAN model was successfully validated, and used to simulate a flight mission profile. The goal to calculate quality unsteady stress profiles was achieved and forms the boundary conditions for thermal fatigue calculations. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

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