CFD calculations and comparison with measured data in a film cooled 1.5 stage high pressure test turbine : With two configurations of swirlers clocking

Sammanfattning: The gas turbine has an important role for the energy distribution due to its stability and flexibility. By increasing turbine inlet temperature (TIT) an increased thermal efficiency of the turbine can be achieved. The biggest limitation of the TIT is the material of the turbine components. To avoid this limitation, cooling is needed in the first stages of the turbine by air from the compressor. The downside of the cooling is the decrease of efficiency with excess of cooling air. To achieve an optimum cooling flow, the designing process is important. One major tool in the designing process is simulations by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). For optimum and correct cooling design, the CFD simulations needs to accurate predict the temperature transport through the turbine. Therefore, this study focused to estimate the accuracy of different CFD methods in predicting the temperature distribution through a 1.5 stage turbine with experimental results. The CFD simulations were done by using Ansys CFX and divided into two study cases with steady RANS. One with different turbulence models;  –, Wilcox –  and SST – . The other with two different simulation approaches of interfaces for frame change; Mixing plane and Frozen rotor. All simulations included two configurations of swirlers clocking for interest of their differences within the turbine and validation of the CFD simulations; Passage (PA) and Leading Edge (LE) clockings. The experimental results showed a formation of gradually more uniformed temperature profile with the fluid. This could not be seen in the same extend with any of the simulations. The temperature difference between the hot and cold section with all simulations were marginally decreased in comparison of the measurements. All results with steady RANS simulations tended to over and under predict the temperatures of the hot respectively cold sections within the fluid flow through the turbine. This occurred already after the first stage guide vanes and the difference from the measurements increased after the first stage rotor. This since the steady RANS tended to under predict the mixing process through the turbine. Differences between the turbulence models were noticeable after the rotor blades, where the   – turbulence model predicted most mixing of the evaluated turbulence models but badly compared to the measurements. Another outcome from this study was that the frozen rotor interface with several positions of the rotor blades did not stated better results compared to mixing plane interface for temperature distribution in axial turbines. On the other hand, one simulation of one position of the rotor with frozen rotor interface could be used to simulate an approximatively similar circumferential average temperature as the mixing plane with better convergence with the disadvantage of bigger domain. The gas turbine has an important role for the energy distribution due to its stability and flexibility. By increasing turbine inlet temperature (TIT) an increased thermal efficiency of the turbine can be achieved. The biggest limitation of the TIT is the material of the turbine components. To avoid this limitation, cooling is needed in the first stages of the turbine by air from the compressor. The downside of the cooling is the decrease of efficiency with excess of cooling air. To achieve an optimum cooling flow, the designing process is important. One major tool in the designing process is simulations by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). For optimum and correct cooling design, the CFD simulations needs to accurate predict the temperature transport through the turbine. Therefore, this study focused to estimate the accuracy of different CFD methods in predicting the temperature distribution through a 1.5 stage turbine with experimental results. The CFD simulations were done by using Ansys CFX and divided into two study cases with steady RANS. One with different turbulence models;  –, Wilcox –  and SST – . The other with two different simulation approaches of interfaces for frame change; Mixing plane and Frozen rotor. All simulations included two configurations of swirlers clocking for interest of their differences within the turbine and validation of the CFD simulations; Passage (PA) and Leading Edge (LE) clockings. The experimental results showed a formation of gradually more uniformed temperature profile with the fluid. This could not be seen in the same extend with any of the simulations. The temperature difference between the hot and cold section with all simulations were marginally decreased in comparison of the measurements. All results with steady RANS simulations tended to over and under predict the temperatures of the hot respectively cold sections within the fluid flow through the turbine. This occurred already after the first stage guide vanes and the difference from the measurements increased after the first stage rotor. This since the steady RANS tended to under predict the mixing process through the turbine. Differences between the turbulence models were noticeable after the rotor blades, where the   – turbulence model predicted most mixing of the evaluated turbulence models but badly compared to the measurements. Another outcome from this study was that the frozen rotor interface with several positions of the rotor blades did not stated better results compared to mixing plane interface for temperature distribution in axial turbines. On the other hand, one simulation of one position of the rotor with frozen rotor interface could be used to simulate an approximatively similar circumferential average temperature as the mixing plane with better convergence with the disadvantage of bigger domain.