Continuous milli-scale and micro-scale structures such as FlowPlate® microreactors have emerged as a promising element of process intensification due to their inherently effective rates of mass and heat transfer. These microfluidic devices have proven to be a preferred solution in place of energy-intensive batch processes for certain pathways of fine chemical and pharmaceutical synthesis, most notably fast reactions taking place on the scale of milliseconds to seconds. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become an increasingly valuable tool in the field of microreactor design and optimization for its ability to locally map complex fluid flow patterns and resolve microscopic scales of reactive mixing that are challenging to characterize experimentally. The primary objective of this research was thus to develop and validate a mathematical model for the simulation of chaotic flow and homogeneous mixing in continuous microreactors. The model needed to be versatile enough to handle transition between flow regimes within a given reactor as well as the coexistence of both chaotic and laminar flow patterns in the micromixing elements that comprise said reactors. This was successfully achieved through the implementation of a k-ω SST (shear-stress transport) turbulence model that accounts for the impact of small-scale temporal and spatial fluctuations generated in the micromixer geometries studied herein; be it a liquid-liquid mixer (LLM), a serpentine (SZ) or a tangential (TG) mixer. In a first CFD study, the computational predictions were validated based on excellent agreement with experimental pressure loss (R^2 > 0.997) and residence time distribution (RTD) data (R^2 > 0.97) in several LL microreactors at Reynolds numbers ranging from 210 to 2140. Furthermore, the local velocity distribution and streamlines were mapped across the 3D domain of these reactors and it was discovered, based on the emergence of advective recirculation zones and turbulent dispersion, that a drastic change in flow behaviour occurred in these mixing elements at a Reynolds number of about 640. The interspacing of LLM elements with straight microchannels proved to be a suitable approach to modulating pressure loss while concurrently maintaining the chaotic secondary flow patterns generated from the mixers. In a second CFD study, the impact of micromixer geometry on the local velocity fields and advective transport performance was investigated both from a macromixing and micromixing perspective. Like the LLM, the SZ and TG mixers conferred chaotic secondary flow patterns at characteristic Reynolds numbers between 500 and 1000. As such, it was concluded that it would be ideal to operate these mixers at water flow rates of at least 30 ml/min. Contour plots of the velocity magnitude coupled with the computation of RTD showed that the SZ virtually mimics a plug-flow profile over a volume of 77 mm3 or greater at 50 g/min. The RTD of the LLM and TG resembles that of a mixed flow pattern given that approximately 65-80% of their fluid volume is occupied by recirculation zones. As such, it required 65 LLMs in series (3105 mm3) and 80 TGs (1142 mm3) to approach the same pattern as 10 SZs (77 mm3) from a macromixing perspective. Micromixing time distributions (MTD) were also characterized by locally computing the decay time of small-scale segregation (t_SSS) as a function of flow rate, wherein higher flow rates generated lower characteristic mixing times. The TG and LLM conferred the broadest range of mixing times, spanning nearly four orders of magnitude in the range of [0.02 ms, 10 ms], whereas the SZ generated a much narrower MTD ranging between [0.024 ms, 0.69 ms]. Finally, the impact of geometry and flow conditions on reaction yield was assessed by characterizing the extent of a finite-rate reaction relative to an infinitely fast reaction taking place in parallel. The calculated yield for the competitive-parallel reaction scheme showed that the second Damköhler number (Dall) computed based on the mean tSSS provides useful information about whether the process will be limited by the intrinsic rate of reaction or by the rate of mass transfer, even though the reaction process is controlled by a combination of the RTD as well as loss of LSS and SSS. It was concluded that the change in MTD as a function of power dissipation should coincide with the reaction yield response, and that any deviation in that relationship is because of macroscopic blending of reactants in the entrance region.

Aggressive demands for high power density and low-cost power modules in the automotive sector pose significant challenges to the thermal management systems. These challenges necessitate adopting highly effective cooling technologies in power modules to remain competitive in the semiconductor industry. Furthermore, the thermal management strategy must be simple, easy to integrate, compact, effective, efficient, reliable, and economical. This thesis is an effort to investigate the impact of fin geometry on the overall performance of finned-type liquid-cooled power electronic modules in electrified transportation. The cooling system's performance metrics, including thermal resistance, pressure drop, pumping power, and mass, are discussed in depth. Various cooling technologies are benchmarked. The finned-type cooling technique is chosen over other methods due to simplicity and low pressure drop. Integrated cooling or direct cooling of the module’s baseplate is selected due to considerable thermal resistance reduction because of thermal grease elimination. Potential fabrication techniques are thoroughly explored and compared in terms of mass production and prototyping suitability. Four different fin shapes, including circular (baseline), drop-shaped, symmetric convex lens, and offset strip in the staggered arrangement, are studied herein. The cooling agent is Water and Ethylene Glycol 50% volumetric mixture (WEG 50%). Typical operating conditions in electrified vehicles (EVs) such as flow rate and inlet temperature are assumed for the numerical analysis. A grid convergence study is carried out to ensure numerical solutions are within an acceptable error band. The thermal performance evaluation results showed that, on average, offset strip, drop-shaped, and the convex lens performed 39%, 20%, and 6% better than the baseline design, respectively. Additionally, the design candidates are compared in terms of mass and estimated machining cost. The results of the baseline case are verified against empirical correlations from the literature. The maximum deviation is less than 1% and 1.2% for finned-surface temperature and pressure drop, respectively. The difference is attributed to the end-wall effects. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

The use of turbocharged Diesel engines is nowadays a widespread practice in the automotive sector: heavy-duty vehicles like trucks or buses, in particular, are often equipped with turbocharged engines. An accurate study of the flow field developing inside both the main components of a turbocharger, i.e. compressor and turbine, is therefore necessary: the synergistic use of CFD simulations and experimental tests allows to fulfill this requirement. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the performance and the flow field that develops inside a centrifugal compressor for automotive turbochargers. The study is carried out by means of numerical simulations, both steady-state and transient, based on RANS models (Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations). The code utilized for the numerical simulations is Ansys CFX.   The first part of the work is an engineering attempt to develop a CFD method for predicting the performance of a centrifugal compressor which is based solely on steady-state RANS models. The results obtained are then compared with experimental observations. The study continues with an analysis of the sensitivity of the developed CFD method to different parameters: influence of both position and model used for the rotor-stator interfaces and the axial tip-clearance on the global performances is studied and quantified.   In the second part, a design optimization study based on the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach is performed. In detail, transient RANS simulations are used to identify which geometry of the recirculation cavity hollowed inside the compressor shroud (ported shroud design) allows to mitigate the backflow that appears at low mass-flow rates. Backflow can be observed when the operational point of the compressor is suddenly moved from design to surge conditions. On actual heavy-duty vehicles, these conditions may arise when a rapid gear shift is performed. / Användningen av turboladdade dieselmotorer ärr numera utbredd inom bilindustrin: i synnerhet tunga fordon som lastbilar eller bussar ärr ofta utrustade med turbo-laddade motorer. En utförlig förståelse av flödesfältet som utvecklas innuti båda huvudkomponenterna hos en turboladdare, dvs kompressor och turbin, är därför nödvändig: den synergistiska användningen av CFD-simuleringar och experimentel-la tester möjliggör att detta krav uppfylls. Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka prestanda och det flödesfält som utvecklas i en centrifugalkompressor för turboladdare. Studien utförs genom nu-meriska simuleringar, både steady state och transient, baserat på RANS-modeller (Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes-ekvationer). Koden som används för de numeriska simuleringarna är Ansys CFX.   Den första delen av arbetet ¨ar ett försöka att utveckla en CFD-metod för att förutsäga prestanda för en centrifugalkompressor med hjälp av steady-state RANS-modeller. De erhållna resultaten jämförs sedan med experimentella observationer. Studien fortsätter med en analys av känsligheten hos den utvecklade CFD-metoden till olika parametrar: Inflytande av både position och modell som används för rotor-statorgränssnitt samt axiellt spel mellan rotor och hus på de globala prestationerna studeras och kvantifieras.   I andra delen utförs en designoptimeringsstudie baserad på Design of Experiments (DoE). I detalj används tidsupplösta RANS-simuleringar för att identifiera vilken utformning av ported shroud som minskar backflöde i kompressorn under en snabb minskning av massflöde och varvtal och därmed ger bättre prestanda i transient surge. På tunga fordon kan dessa förhållanden uppstå under växling.

China is undergoing a rapid increase in their development of hydropower.Due to this rapid increase, China has become one of theleading countries in technological solutions regarding the constructionof the hydropower plant. The hydro resources in China are extensivebut building a new power plant is laborious and costly. Upgrading anexisting power plant is therefore of interest. Increasing the volume flowis one way, but this can bring problems to the hydraulic structures.The design of hydraulic gates is crucial for operating a hydropowerplant safely. An emergency gate is especially important as it protectsthe turbine situated downstream of the gate. In this study, a numericalsimulation of the shutdown process of a hydraulic vertical lift gatewas conducted. The simulation was done in two dimensions using theReynolds Navier Stokes Equations (RANS), together with the RNGk ≠ ‘ turbulence model and the Volume of Fluid method (VOF). Thegoal was to extract the pressure distribution around the gate, subsequently,attaining the hydrodynamic forces and also to observe andanalyze the flow surrounding the gate. The simulation was comparedwith existing experimental data, from a 1/18 scale model, for validation.Once the model was validated, eight different cases were tested toimprove the operating conditions. The closing speed of the gate andthe gate bottom angle was altered in order to reduce the down-pullforce and undesirable flow phenomena. It was found that lowering thegate speed to 8.1 m/min would have positive effect. As the gate closesrelatively fast with reduced forces compared to a faster speed, and withless induced vibrations than with a slower speed. Changing the gatebottom angle from 9¶ to 30¶, would also have a considerable positiveinfluence of the lowered gate vibrations. However changing the bottomangle needs to be more thoroughly studied concerning structuraleffects.

When it comes to design a wind turbine rotor, several parameters have to be taken into account. The present work focuses on the inclination of the blades with respect to the rotor plane, namely the pich angle. The main goal of the project was to design a small-scale wind turbine rotor for wind tunnel tests and in this thesis the optimization of a first prototype is presented. The characterization of the performances was carried out by coupling two different approaches: an experimental and a numerical one. For the experimental part, a proper setup was built and the wind turbine model was tested in a wind tunnel. The results were compared with a Blade Element Momentum theory code developed in Python, that involved also CFD simulations to assess the aerodynamic properties of the blade sections. The analysis characterized the performances at variable collective pitch in terms of power and thrust coefficient, showing that the intitial blade design was not the optimal one. Therefore, the optimal pitch angle that maximize the power porduction was found for variable conditions. The second part of the experiments focused on the case of pitch unbalanced and the potential risks connected to it. As a result, the analysis demonstrated that any kind of pitch unbalance generates losses in the power production and may lead to a possible increase of the thrust. To compare the results, a modified BEM code was developed by assuming an axisymmetric axial induction factor. Finally, an additional analysis on the wind turbine oscillations was made, finding a connection between lateral vibrations and rotor unbalance and revealing the resonance frequency of the structure.

In this thesis, the ribbed ducts of the internal cooling passage in turbine blading are investigated to demonstrate the effects of high speed rotation. Rotation coupled with high temperature operating conditions alters the mean flow, turbulence, and heat transfer augmentation due to Coriolis and centrifugal buoyancy forces that arises from density stratification in the domain. Gas turbine engines operate in particle laden environments (sand, volcanic ash), and particulate matter ingested by the engine can make their way into the blade internal cooling passages over thousands of operating hours. These particulates can deposit on the walls of these cooling passages and degrade performance of the turbine blade. Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) with temperature dependent properties is used for turbulent flow and heat transfer in the ribbed cooling passages and Lagrangian tracking is used to calculate the particle trajectories together with a wall deposition model. The conditions used are Re=100,000, Rotation number, Ro = 0.0 and 0.2, and centrifugal Buoyancy parameters of Bo=0, 0.5, and 1.0. First, the independent effects of Coriolis and centrifugal buoyancy forces are investigated, with a focus on the additional augmentation obtained in heat transfer with the addition of centrifugal buoyancy. Coriolis forces are known to augment heat transfer at the trailing wall and attenuate the same at the leading wall. Phenomenological arguments stated that centrifugal buoyancy augments the effects of Coriolis forces in outward flow in the first pass while opposing the effect of Coriolis forces during inward flow in the second pass. In this study, it was found that in the first pass, centrifugal buoyancy had a greater effect in augmenting heat transfer at the trailing wall than in attenuating heat transfer at the leading wall. On the contrary, it aided heat transfer in the second half of the first pass at the leading wall by energizing the flow near the wall. Also, contrary to phenomenological arguments, inclusion of centrifugal buoyancy augmented heat transfer over Coriolis forces alone on both the leading and trailing walls of the second pass. Sand ingestion is then investigated, by injecting 200,000 particles in the size range of 0.5-175μm with 65% of the particles below 10 μm. Three duct wall temperatures are investigated, 950, 1000 and 1050 °C with an inlet temperature of flow and particles at 527 °C . The impingement, deposition levels, and impact characteristics are recorded as the particles move through the domain. It was found that the Coriolis force greatly increases deposition. This was made prevalent in the first pass, as 84% of the deposits in the domain occurred in the first pass for the rotating case, whereas only 27% of deposits occurred in the first pass for the stationary case with the majority of deposits occurring in the bend region. This was due to an increased interaction with the trailing wall in the rotating case whereas particles in the stationary case were allowed to remain in the mean flow and gain momentum, making rebounding from a wall during collision more likely than deposition. In contrast, the variation of wall temperatures caused little to no change in deposition levels. This was concluded to be a result of the high Reynolds number used in the flow. At high Reynolds numbers, the particles have a short residence times in the internal cooling circuit not allowing the flow and particles to heat up to the wall temperature. Overall, 87% of the injected particles deposited in the rotating duct whereas 58% deposited in the stationary duct. / Master of Science

In this dissertation, various VAT parameters are investigated to determine the effect of the overall efficiency of the turbine at a high Reynolds number. To increase the efficiency of the vertical axis turbines, 2D CFD simulations are completed in an effort to better understand the physics behind the operation of these turbines. Specifically, the effect of advance ratio, solidity, and wake interactions were investigated. Simulations were completed in OpenFOAM using the k-ω SST turbulence model at a nominal Reynolds number of 500,000 using a NACA 0015 airfoil. To simulate the motion of the turbine, Arbitrary Mesh Interfacing (AMI) was used. For all of the parameters tested, it was found that the geometric effective angle of attack seen by the turbine blades had a significant impact on the power extracted from the flow. The range of effective angles of attack was found to decrease as the advance ratio increased. In spite of this, a severe loss in the power coefficient occurred at an advance ratio of 2.5 during which the blade experienced dynamic stall. This effect was also seen when the number of turbine blades was changed to four, at a solidity of 1.08. This negative impact on performance was found to be due to the increase in the drag component of the tangential force when dynamic stall occurs. Results indicate that wake interactions between subsequent blades have a large impact on performance especially when the wake interaction alters the flow direction sufficiently to create conditions for dynamic stall. To improve the performance of the VAT in the presence of dynamic stall, calculations were completed of a static twisted blade profile using GenIDLEST and OpenFOAM. There was found to be no improvement in the lift coefficient when comparing the twisted blade profile with a 2D blade at the same median angle of attack as the twisted blade. To further see the effects of the twisted blade, an effective VAT pitching motion was given to the blade and again compared to a 2D blade with the same motion. In this case there was significant improvement seen in the performance of the twisted blade. / Master of Science

Directive-based programming of graphics processing units (GPUs) has recently appeared as a viable alternative to using specialized low-level languages such as CUDA C and OpenCL for general-purpose GPU programming. This technique, which uses directive or pragma statements to annotate source codes written in traditional high-level languages, is designed to permit a unified code base to serve multiple computational platforms and to simplify the transition of legacy codes to new architectures. This work analyzes the popular OpenACC programming standard, as implemented by the PGI compiler suite, in order to evaluate its utility and performance potential in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications. Of particular interest is the handling of stencil algorithms, which are an important component of finite-difference and finite-volume numerical methods. To this end, the process of applying the OpenACC Fortran API to a preexisting finite-difference CFD code is examined in detail, and all modifications that must be made to the original source in order to run efficiently on the GPU are noted. Optimization techniques for OpenACC are also explored, and it is demonstrated that tuning the code for a particular accelerator architecture can result in performance increases of over 30%. There are also some limitations and programming restrictions imposed by the API: it is observed that certain useful features of modern Fortran (2003/8) are effectively disabled within OpenACC regions. Finally, a combination of OpenACC and OpenMP directives is used to create a truly cross-platform Fortran code that can be compiled for either CPU or GPU hardware. The performance of the OpenACC code is measured on several contemporary NVIDIA GPU architectures, and a comparison is made between double and single precision arithmetic showing that if reduced precision can be tolerated, it can lead to significant speedups. To assess the performance gains relative to a typical CPU implementation, the execution time for a standard benchmark case (lid-driven cavity) is used as a reference. The OpenACC version is compared against the identical Fortran code recompiled to use OpenMP on multicore CPUs, as well as a highly-optimized C++ version of the code that utilizes hardware aware programming techniques to attain higher performance on the Intel Xeon platforms being tested. Low-level optimizations specific to these architectures are analyzed and it is observed that the stencil access pattern required by the structured-grid CFD code sometimes leads to performance degrading conflict misses in the hardware managed CPU caches. The GPU code, which primarily uses software managed caching, is found to be free from these issues. Overall, it is observed that the OpenACC GPU code compares favorably against even the best optimized CPU version: using a single NVIDIA K20x GPU, the Fortran+OpenACC code is seen to outperform the optimized C++ version by 20% and the Fortran+OpenMP version by more than 100% with both CPU codes running on a 16-core Xeon workstation. / Master of Science

The urgent need to reduce green house gas emissions from the transport sector, particularly from heavy-duty trucks, has underscored the importance of developing more efficient internal combustion engines. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), this work investigated the impact of valve seat geometry on in-cylinder swirl, addressing a gap in research. Additionally, the suitability of steady-state simulations for providing valid qualitative data on port flow was assessed. To answer both research questions, two approaches were followed: steady-state port flow RANS simulations, and transient RANS simulations in a running engine setup. The results from the steady-state simulations highlighted the limitations of this approach to qualitatively predict swirl, as this quantity is highly dependent on the mesh. Despite these limitations, the steady-state simulations were still able to capture the trade-off between swirl and discharge coefficient, outlined in the literature. Transient simulations revealed that in-cylinder swirl is affected by the geometry of the valve seats. It was found that valve seats that direct the flow towards the liner, while avoiding strong flow separation tend to promote higher swirl, whereas valve seats that induce strong flow separation lead to lower swirl ratios. Despite the trade-off between swirl and volumetric efficiency, the volumetric efficiency losses were found to be practically negligible. The study emphasizes the need for a more comprehensive set of simulations, including more valve lifts and pressure ratios. Given the unsuitability of the steady-state simulations to predict swirl trends, future investigations should focus on replacing this approach by transient simulations with steady-state geometry and boundary conditions, properly addressing flow time-dependency at relatively low computational cost, and facilitating validation with experimental data.

[ES] En los turbocompresores con turbina de geometría variable (VGT por sus siglas en inglés) los vanos del estator se mueven a una posición cerrada para generar una contrapresión durante el modo de frenado del motor. De este modo, se generan ondas de choque en el estator. Además, en otras aplicaciones donde se utilizan turbinas radiales como en ciclos reversos de Brayton para refrigeración, ciclos orgánicos Rankine, y en las turbinas para la unidad de potencia auxiliar, dependiendo de las condiciones de operación, pueden aparecer condiciones sónicas y ondas de choque. El presente trabajo se centra en el estudio del comportamiento del flujo a través de una turbina de geometría variable de un turbocompresor comercial en condiciones fuera de diseño alcanzando condiciones de choque. Se ha realizado un análisis detallado del patrón de flujo dentro de la turbine usando simulaciones CFD, identificando y cuantificando los fenómenos más importantes bajo diferentes condiciones de operación. Se han llevado a cabo simulaciones estacionarias usando Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) y no estacionarias (unsteady RANS) para obtener las características del flujo en el estator y en el rotor, además de obtener el mapa de la turbina. Los resultados CFD muestran que la región del dominio computacional donde aparecen las condiciones sónicas depende de la posición de los vanos del estator y la relación de presiones. Cuando los vanos del estator están en una posición cerrada (10% VGT), el fluido se acelera y, dependiendo de la relación de presiones, la presión estática en el lado de succión disminuye hasta cierto punto donde un incremento repentino revela la presencia de una onda de choque, la cual se expande por el espacio sin vanos. La intensidad de la onda de choque bajo la relación de presiones más altas varia con la velocidad de giro. Para analizar la interacción entre el rotor y el estator se llevaron a cabo simulaciones numéricas con los vanos del estator en una posición cerrada, 10% VGT, y en una posición más abierta, 30% VGT. El número de choques que una partícula del fluido experimenta aguas arriba del rotor está correlacionado con las pérdidas por choque del fluido. Cerca de los vanos del estator, las pérdidas de presión son altas, hacia el centro del espacio sin vanos las pérdidas disminuyen y cerca del rotor empiezan a incrementar. La interacción entre el rotor y el estator crea ondas de choque cuya intensidad depende de la posición del borde de ataque del rotor y de la velocidad de giro. A la velocidad de giro más alta, ocurren fluctuaciones en la carga cerca del borde de ataque, las cuales pueden comprometer la integridad de la pala. Cuando la turbina tiene los vanos del estator abiertos (80% VGT) y opera a la relación de presión más alta seleccionada, las condiciones de choque aparecen en el plano del borde de fuga del rotor. Además, el desarrollo del área chocada depende de la velocidad de giro y de las fugas en la punta del álabe. Así, se investigó los efectos de las fugas en la punta del alabe sobre el flujo principal bajo condiciones sónicas disminuyendo e incrementando el intersticio entre la punta del álabe y la carcasa hasta un 50% en base a la geometría dada por el fabricante. El flujo a través de este espacio se acelera para posteriormente mezclarse con el flujo principal y generar un vórtice. Los efectos del vórtice sobre el flujo en el plano ubicado en el borde de fuga del rotor cuando el intersticio varía son más significativos a altas velocidades que a bajas velocidades. El vórtice permanece más cerca del lado de succión a altas velocidades generando una región subsónica que incrementa con la altura del intersticio. Las fugas en la punta del álabe no afectan al flujo principal cerca del cubo cuando la turbina opera a altas y bajas velocidades. / [CA] En turbocompressors amb turbina de geometria variable (VGT per les seues sigles en anglès), les paletes de l'estàtor es mouen a una posició tancada per generar una contrapressió durant el mode de frenada del motor. D'aquesta forma, es generen unes ones de xoc en l'estàtor. A més, en altres aplicacions on s'utilitzen turbines radials com els cicles inversos de Brayton per a refrigeració, cicles orgànics de Rankine o en turbines per a la unitat de potencia auxiliar, depenent de les condicions d'operació poden aparéixer condicions sòniques i d'ones de xoc. El present treball es centra en l'estudi del comportament del flux en una turbina radial de geometria variable d'un turbocompressor comercial en condicions fora de disseny, arribant a condicions de xoc. S'ha realitzat un anàlisi detallat del patró de flux dins d'aquestes turbines utilitzant simulacions CFD, identificant i quantificant els fenòmens més importants a diferents condicions d'operació. S'han realitzat simulacions estacionàries utilitzant Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) i no estacionàries (Unsteady-RANS) per a obtenir les característiques del flux en l'estàtor i en el rotor, a més d'obtenir el mapa de la turbina. Els resultats CFD mostren que la regió del domini computacional on apareixen les condicions sòniques depenen de la posició de les paletes de l'estàtor i de la relació de pressions. Quan les paletes de l'estàtor estan en una posició tancada (10% VGT), el flux s'accelera i, depenent de la relació de pressions, la pressió estàtica en el costat de succió disminueix fins a cert punt on un increment brusc denota la presència d'una ona de xoc que s'expandix per l'espai sense paletes. L'intensitat de la ona de xoc a relacions de pressions elevades varia amb la velocitat de rotació. Per analitzar l'interacció entre rotor i estàtor es van realitzar simulacions numèriques amb les paletes de l'estàtor en una posició tancada, 10% VGT, i en una posició més oberta, 30% VGT. El nombre de xocs que una partícula del fluid experimenta aigües amunt del rotor està correlacionat amb les pèrdues per xoc del fluid. Prop de les paletes de l'estàtor, les pèrdues de pressión són elevades, cap al centre de l'espai sense paletes les pèrdues disminueixen i prop del rotor comencen a incrementarse. L'interacción entre rotor i estàtor crea ones de xoc amb una intensitat que depèn de la posició de la vora d'atac del rotor i de la velocitat de rotació. A la velocitat de rotació més elevada, prop de de la vora d'atac ocorren fluctuacions en la càrrega que poden comprometre la integritat de la pala. Quan la turbina té les paletes de l'estàtor obertes (80% VGT) i opera a la relació de pressió més elevada de les seleccionades, les condicions de xoc apareixen en el pla de la vora de fuga del rotor. A més, el desenvolupament de l'àrea xocada depèn de la velocitat de rotació i de les fugues en la punta de les paletes. Així, s'ha investigat els efectes de les fugues en la punta de les paletes sobre el flux principal sota condicions sòniques, disminuint i incrementant l'interstici entre la punta de la paleta i la carcasa fins un 50\% en base a la geometria donada pel fabricant. El flux en aquest espai s'accelera per a posteriorment mesclar-se amb el flux principal i generar un vòrtex. Els efectes del vòrtex sobre el flux en el pla ubicat a la vora de fuga del rotor quan l'interstici varia són més significatives a velocitats altes que a velocitats baixes. El vòrtex roman més prop del costat de succió a velocitats elevades generant una regió subsònica que incrementa amb l'altura de l'interstici. Les fugues en la punta de les paletes no afecten al flux principal prop del cub quan la turbina opera tant a altes com baixes velocitats. / [EN] In turbochargers with variable geometry turbine (VGT), the stator vanes move to a closed position to drive high exhaust back pressure during the engine braking mode. Thus, shock waves are generated at the stator. Furthermore, depending on the operational conditions in the use of radial turbines in other applications like reverse Brayton cycle for refrigeration, Organic Rankine Cycles, and gas turbine auxiliary power unit (GTAPU), sonic flow and shock waves can appear. The current work focuses on studying the flow behavior of a commercial turbocharger turbine of variable geometry at off-design conditions reaching choked flow. A detailed examination of the flow patterns within the turbine has been carried out using CFD simulations, identifying and quantifying the most important phenomena under different operational points. Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) and unsteady RANS simulations have been performed to obtain the flow structures in stator and rotor as well as the turbine map. The CFD results show that the region of the computational domain where the sonic conditions appear depends on the stator vanes position and the pressure ratio. When the stator vanes are in the closed position (10% VGT) the flow through the stator accelerates and, depending on pressure ratio, the static pressure on the suction side decreases until a certain point where a sudden increase reveals the presence of a shock wave that expands through the vaneless space. The intensity of the shock wave at higher pressure ratio varies with the rotational speed. To analyze the rotor-stator interaction, numerical simulations were carried out with the stator vanes at the closed position, 10% VGT, and at wider position, 30% VGT. The number of shocks a fluid particle experiences upstream of the rotor is correlated with the fluid shock losses. Close to the stator vanes, the pressure losses are high; toward the center of the vaneless space, they start to decrease, and close to the rotor they start to increase. The rotor-stator interaction creates shock waves, whose intensity depends on the position of the rotor leading edge and the blade speed. At higher rotational speed, load fluctuation occurs close to the leading edge, which may compromise the blade's integrity. When the turbine has the stator vanes open (80% VGT) and operates at the selected higher pressure ratio, the choking condition appears in a plane at the rotor trailing edge. Furthermore, the development of the choked area depends on the rotational speed and tip leakage. Thus, the effect of the tip leakage flow on the main flow under sonic conditions was investigated decreasing and increasing the tip gap up to 50% of the original geometry given by the manufacturer. The flow through the gap accelerates and then mixes with the main flow, generating a vortex. The effects of the vortex on the flow at the rotor trailing edge plane when the tip gap varies are more significant at higher speed than at lower speed. The vortex stays closer to the tip suction side at higher speed, generating a subsonic region that increases with the tip gap height. At higher and lower rotational speeds, the tip leakage flow does not affect the main flow close to the hub. / I would like to acknowledge the financial support received through the "Subprograma de Formación de Profesorado Universitario (FPU)". Ministerio de Universidades. FPU18/02628 and by the "FPI Subprograma 2". Universitat Politècnica de València. PAID-10-18. / Echavarría Olaya, JD. (2023). Numerical Study of a Radial Turbine of Variable Geometry at Off-Design Conditions Reaching Choked Flow [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/196861