Stator-clocking effects on the unsteady interaction of secondary flows in a 1.5-stage unshrouded turbine

Abstract

Effects of stator clocking on the unsteady interaction of stator and rotor secondary flows and performance are investigated in a 1.5-stage, high-pressure turbine. Due to the low aspect ratio design of the blade rows, vortical structures dominate the inlet flow field of the second stator row. Therefore the interaction of first stator and rotor secondary flows in relation to the stator-clocking position must be considered in order to achieve an optimized multi-stage performance. Four different stator-clocking positions are studied in this experimental investigation. The data comprise unsteady and steady probe measurements, which are acquired downstream of the rotor and the second stator blade row of a 1.5-stage, unshrouded turbine. A two-sensor fast response aerodynamic probe technique is used in the measurement campaign. It is found that multi-row interaction effects of vortical secondary flow features dominate the loss creation in turbine stages having low aspect ratio geometries. The periodic interaction of shed passage vortices of the first stator with secondary flow structures of the rotor creates regions characterized by reduced total pressure and increased turbulence, and entropy at fixed locations relative to the subsequent stator. Circumferential position of these interaction regions defines the spanwise distribution of total pressure loss in the downstream stator. Stator-clocking controls the spanwise distribution of loss in high-pressure turbines. However, the potential of reducing the loss is limited due to the three-dimensional nature of the flow, and hence, the non-uniform effect of a clocking position on the spanwise performance of a downstream stator.