Partial Squealer Research Articles

Aerodynamics of Tip Leakage Flows Near Partial Squealer Rims In an Axial Flow Turbine With and Without Wall Motion

The objective of present investigation is to study aerodynamics of tip leakage flows near partial squealer rims in an axial flow turbine cascade with and without end wall in motion. The reaction turbine blade used in the present investigations has a blade length of 400 mm and a geometric deflection of 82°. The blade chord is 102 mm with an aspect ratio of 3.9. The tip gap is maintained at 2% (2.04 mm) and the squealer rims were of 1.02 mm height. A total of seven cases were investigated with different squealer geometries including case without squealer rim. The coefficient of secondary loss coefficient (CSKE) is used as objective function. Minimum CSKE indicates minimum losses. From the investigations it is concluded that full suction side squealer rim is the optimum squealer geometry among all cases studied as CSKE was found to be minimum for this geometry. The optimum case was selected for wall motion studies. Three wall motions, namely; 75%,100% and 125% of the inlet meridional velocity were maintained and investigated. The CSKE is reduced with all three end wall motions except very close to the end wall. The exit flow angle is reduced near the end wall as compared to no wall motion.

Numerical analysis of the aerodynamic performance & heat transfer of a transonic turbine with a partial squealer tip

The purpose of this study is to evaluate thermal load and aerodynamic performance by applying different shapes of tips depending on the velocity region in a transonic turbine where subsonic and supersonic regions coexist. The RS1S, which is the transonic turbine of SNECMA, is used. To understand the tendencies, geometries A, B and C were created by varying the length of the pressure surface rim and the suction surface rim, and they were compared with a flat tip, squealer tip, pressure surface rim and suction surface rim. RANS computational analysis was performed using the commercial code ANSYS CFX 18.0, and aerodynamic performance was evaluated by using the mass-averaged total pressure loss coefficient at the 133% Cax and the mass flow rate of tip leakage. Thermal load was also evaluated by using the area-averaged heat transfer coefficient at the tip. Although the mass flow rate of leakage was smallest with the squealer tip, geometry C, the 75% rim of the pressure surface and the suction surface showed the lowest total pressure loss coefficient, which was 6.5% lower than that of the flat tip. In addition, when only the suction surface rim was applied, the area-averaged heat transfer coefficient was 10% lower than that of the flat tip.

Over-tip leakage flow and loss in a turbine cascade equipped with suction-side partial squealers

Over-tip leakage flow and loss in a turbine cascade equipped with suction-side partial squealer rims have been investigated for the squealer rim height-to-span ratios (hst/s) of 0.94%, 1.88%. 3.75%, and 5.63% in the case of a tip gap height-to-span ratio of h/s=1.36%. The casing wall and tip surface visualizations for hst/s=3.75% show that most of the incoming tip leakage flow tends to accelerate through a convergent (nozzle-like) tip gap flow channel and penetrates into the neighboring blade flow passage even upstream of the mid-chord in the form of a wall jet, whereas the rest of it is entrapped by the suction-side squealer rim, flows backward, and is separated from the tip surface along a backward flow separation line. Therefore, the tip surface can be divided into a separation bubble and a backward flow area by the backward flow separation line. A qualitative tip gap flow model for the suction-side squealer tip is suggested in this study. For the present suction-side squealer tip, the total pressure loss coefficient mass-averaged throughout the present measurement plane decreases consistently with increasing hst/s and is higher than that for the cavity squealer tip or the pressure-side squealer tip regardless of hst/s.

Tip gap flow characteristics in a turbine cascade equipped with pressure-side partial squealer rims

Tip gap flow characteristics and aerodynamic loss generations in a turbine cascade equipped with pressure-side partial squealer rims have been investigated with the variation of its rim height-to-span ratio (hp/s) for a tip gap height of h/s=1.36%. The results show that the tip gap flow is characterized not only by the incoming leakage flow over the pressure-side squealer rim but also by the upstream flow intrusion behind the rim. The incoming leakage flow tends to decelerate through the divergent tip gap flow channel and can hardly reach the blade suction side upstream of the mid-chord, due to the interaction with the upstream flow intrusion as well as due to the flow deceleration. A tip gap flow model has been proposed for hp/s=3.75%, and the effect of hp/s on the tip surface flow is discussed in detail. With increasing hp/s, the total-pressure loss coefficient mass-averaged all over the present measurement plane decreases steeply, has a minimum value for hp/s=1.88%, and then increases gradually. Its maximum reduction with respect to the plane tip result is evaluated to be 11.6%, which is found not better than that in the cavity squealer tip case.

Heat Transfer and Film Cooling of Blade Tips and Endwalls

This paper investigates the flow, heat transfer, and film cooling effectiveness of advanced high pressure turbine blade tips and endwalls. Two blade tip configurations have been studied, including a full rim squealer and a partial squealer with leading edge and trailing edge cutouts. Both blade tip configurations have pressure side film cooling and cooling air extraction through dust holes, which are positioned along the airfoil camber line on the tip cavity floor. The investigated clearance gap and the blade tip geometry are typical of that commonly found in the high pressure turbine blades of heavy-duty gas turbines. Numerical studies and experimental investigations in a linear cascade have been conducted at a blade exit isentropic Mach number of 0.8 and a Reynolds number of 9×105. The influence of the coolant flow ejected from the tip dust holes and the tip pressure side film holes has also been investigated. Both the numerical and experimental results showed that there is a complex aerothermal interaction within the tip cavity and along the endwall. This was evident for both tip configurations. Although the global heat transfer and film cooling characteristics of both blade tip configurations were similar, there were distinct local differences. The partial squealer exhibited higher local film cooling effectiveness at the trailing edge but also low values at the leading edge. For both tip configurations, the highest heat transfer coefficients were located on the suction side rim within the midchord region. However, on the endwall, the highest heat transfer rates were located close to the pressure side rim and along most of the blade chord. Additionally, the numerical results also showed that the coolant ejected from the blade tip dust holes partially impinges onto the endwall.

Aerodynamic character of partial squealer tip arrangements in an axial flow turbine. Part II: Detailed numerical aerodynamic field visualisations via three dimensional viscous flow simulations around a partial squealer tip

The present investigation deals with the numerical visualisation of tip leakage flow from 'partial-length squealer rims' that are constructed separately on the suction side in a single stage turbine rig. After describing the static pressure field on the tip surface with a squealer rim, the vortical flow features around the squealer rim and inside the tip gap are visualised in vertical planes. The leakage flow paths under the control of squealer rims are described in various planes parallel to the blade tip platform on which the squealer rims are attached. Turbine exit total pressure as calculated from the numerical model is presented for the baseline tip and tips with squealer rims. It is clearly shown that a partial squealer rim arrangement can be extremely effective in weakening the tip leakage vortex in a turbine facility provided that the squealer rim height is specified correctly. The study shows that the chordwise length of partial squealer rims near the suction side corner does not significantly affect the desensitisation process. The aerodynamic benefit of using a partial squealer tip arrangement located near the suction side of the tip platform in a turbine stage is demonstrated.

Aerodynamic character of partial squealer tip arrangements in an axial flow turbine. Part I: Detailed aerodynamic field modifications via three dimensional viscous flow simulations around baseline tip

This paper deals with the viscous flow simulations of the complex tip leakage flow in Axial Flow Turbine Research Facility (AFTRF). Special attention is paid to the 3D structure of the tip leakage flow mechanisms in a baseline tip configuration with no desensitisation. Although past experimental studies provide much insight into the physical understanding of the tip region aerodynamics, there are still many areas of the flow-field in which experiments are extremely difficult to perform. Fine details of the entrance flow near the pressure side where the tip leakage jet starts to form, the leakage jet formation between the tip surface and outer casing, the re-circulatory flow zone very near the pressure side corner, the interaction area of the tip vortex with the conventional passage flow, the influence of the relative motion of the outer casing and leakage flow reversal can be visualised with excellent resolution. After the presentation of the measured inlet boundary conditions and a grid independency study, the baseline tip flow simulations are discussed in detail.

Aerodynamics of Tip Leakage Flows Near Partial Squealer Rims in an Axial Flow Turbine Stage

This paper deals with an experimental investigation of aerodynamic characteristics of full and partial-length squealer rims in a turbine stage. Full and partial-length squealer rims are investigated separately on the pressure side and on the suction side in the “Axial Flow Turbine Research Facility” (AFTRF) of the Pennsylvania State University. The streamwise length of these “partial squealer tips” and their chordwise position are varied to find an optimal aerodynamic tip configuration. The optimal configuration in this cold turbine study is defined as the one that is minimizing the stage exit total pressure defect in the tip vortex dominated zone. A new “channel arrangement” diverting some of the leakage flow into the trailing edge zone is also studied. Current results indicate that the use of “partial squealer rims” in axial flow turbines can positively affect the local aerodynamic field by weakening the tip leakage vortex. Results also show that the suction side partial squealers are aerodynamically superior to the pressure side squealers and the channel arrangement. The suction side partial squealers are capable of reducing the stage exit total pressure defect associated with the tip leakage flow to a significant degree.

Effect of Tip Gap and Squealer Geometry on Detailed Heat Transfer Measurements Over a High Pressure Turbine Rotor Blade Tip

The present study explores the effects of gap height and tip geometry on heat transfer distribution over the tip surface of a HPT first-stage rotor blade. The pressure ratio (inlet total pressure to exit static pressure for the cascade) used was 1.2, and the experiments were run in a blow-down test rig with a four-blade linear cascade. A transient liquid crystal technique was used to obtain the tip heat transfer distributions. Pressure measurements were made on the blade surface and on the shroud for different tip geometries and tip gaps to characterize the leakage flow and understand the heat transfer distributions. Two different tip gap-to-blade span ratios of 1% and 2.6% are investigated for a plane tip, and a deep squealer with depth-to-blade span ratio of 0.0416. For a shallow squealer with depth-to-blade span ratio of 0.0104, only 1% gap-to-span ratio is considered. The presence of the squealer alters the tip gap flow field significantly and produces lower overall heat transfer coefficients. The effects of different partial squealer arrangements are also investigated for the shallow squealer depth. These simulate partial burning off of the squealer in real turbine blades. Results show that some partial burning of squealers may be beneficial in terms of overall reduction in heat transfer coefficients over the tip surface.