The effect of full coverage winglets on tip leakage aerodynamics over the plane tip in a turbine cascade

Abstract

The effect of full coverage (FC) winglets on tip leakage aerodynamics over the plane tip in a turbine cascade has been investigated with the variation of winglet width (w) up to w/p=15.83% for a tip gap-to-span (chord) ratio of h/s=1.36% (h/c=2.0%). A qualitative tip gap flow model for the FC winglet is suggested on the bases of the near-tip surface flow visualizations. As w/p increases, the passage vortex tends to be weakened meanwhile the tip leakage vortex becomes stronger and wall-jet-like. With an increment of w/p, the mass-averaged aerodynamic loss all over the measurement plane decreases steeply up to w/p=10.55% and then becomes almost unchanged. Thus, the FC winglet of w/p=10.55% is considered an optimal one for the plane tip. With respect to the baseline plane tip without winglet, the maximum mass-averaged loss reduction by installing the FC winglet on the plane tip is still somewhat smaller than that by employing the cavity squealer rim on the plane tip surface.