Effect of uncertain operating conditions on the aerodynamic performance of high-pressure axial turbomachinery blades

Abstract

The objective existence of uncertain operating conditions can cause significant variations in the aerodynamic performance of turbomachinery. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the impact of six uncertain operating conditions on the aerodynamic performance of a turbine. Additionally, a global sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the most important operating condition parameters. To reduce the computational cost of uncertainty quantification (UQ), a new UQ framework, the Nested Sparse-grid Stochastic Collocation Method (NSSCM), is used. It has been observed that uncertain operating conditions can lead to significant variations in energy loss, which in turn directly impacts the operating efficiency of the turbine. This research finds that the suction surface and trailing edge of the blade are particularly sensitive to uncertain operating conditions. The impact of uncertainty on the static pressure coefficient decreases as the flow develops, while the uncertainty of the Mach number and energy loss coefficient increases. Inlet total pressure and outlet static pressure are the primary factors impacting turbomachinery aerodynamics, as determined by sensitivity analysis. This study provides new insights into the impact of uncertain operating conditions on turbine efficiency and can guide the development of more robust turbine designs in the future.