An Impact Assessment of Erosion of Nozzle Guide Vanes and Rotor Blades on Aerodynamic Performance of a Gas Turbine by CFD

Abstract

Abstract Nozzle guide vanes (NGVs) and rotor blades deteriorate due to erosion, and this may affect the aerodynamic characteristics of gas turbines. According to previous studies, the erosion of first-stage NGVs significantly affected the blade loading of the first-stage rotor. An increase in the tip gap also may significantly affect the gas turbine performance. In the present study, numerical investigations have been carried out using a real eroded nozzle and blade geometries for two purposes. One purpose was to clarify the influences underlying the deterioration of the nozzle and the rotor blade, such as the effects on the erosion of NGVs in the first stage and the effects of the tip gap on the gas turbine performance. The other was to develop a method to estimate the total gas turbine performance using a CFD simulation and a heat balance analysis. The results show that the erosion of NGV leads to an increased flow rate and affects the operating condition of the gas turbine cycle. This, in turn, can decrease the total thermal efficiency. The experimental results suggest that an increase in the tip gap width decreases rotor output almost linearly, and the numerical results showed the same tendency. The influence of the tip gap in the real gas turbine condition was also examined, revealing that an increase in the tip gap leads to an increase in the pressure loss in the nozzle downstream as well as around the rotor blade itself. Consequently, the total power output and the isentropic efficiency of the turbine decreased.