Markus Brettschneider

Unsteady Rotor Hub Passage Vortex Behavior in the Presence of Purge Flow in an Axial Low Pressure Turbine

The paper presents an experimental and computational study of the unsteady behavior of the rotor hub passage vortex in an axial low-pressure turbine. Different flow structures are identified as having an effect on the size, strength, shape, position, and the unsteady behavior of the rotor hub passage vortex. The aim of the presented study is to analyze and quantify the sensitivities of the different flow structures and to investigate their combined effects on the rotor hub passage vortex. Particular attention is paid to the effect of the rim seal purge flow and of the unsteady blade row interaction. The rotor under investigation has nonaxisymmetric end walls on both hub and shroud and is tested at three different rim seal purge flow injection rates. The rotor has separated pressure sides at the operating point under investigation. The nondimensional parameters of the tested turbine match real engine conditions. The 2-sensor fast response aerodynamic probe (FRAP) technique and the fast response entropy probe (FENT) systems developed by ETH Zurich are used in this experimental campaign. Time-resolved measurements of the unsteady pressure, temperature and entropy fields between the rotor and stator blade rows are taken and analyzed. Furthermore, the results of URANS simulations are compared to the measurements and the computations are also used to detail the flow field. The experimental results show a 30% increase of the maximum unsteadiness and a 4% increase of the loss in the hub passage vortex per percent of injected rim seal cooling flow. Compared to a free stream particle, the rim seal purge flow was found to do 60% less work on the rotor.

A Low Pressure Turbine at Extreme Off-Design Operation

In a cooperative project between the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion Systems and MTU Aero Engines GmbH, a two-stage low pressure turbine with integrated 3D airfoil and endwall contouring is tested. The experimental data taken in the altitude test-facility study the effect of high incidence in off-design operation. Steady measurements are covering a wide range of Reynolds numbers between 40,000 and 180,000. The results are compared with steady multistage CFD predictions with a focus on the stator rows. A first unsteady simulation is taken into account as well. The CFD simulations include leakage flow paths with disk cavities modeled. Compared to design operation the extreme off-design high-incidence conditions lead to a different flow-field Reynolds number sensitivity. Airfoil lift data reveals changing incidence with Reynolds number of the second stage. Increased leading edge loading of the second vane indicates a strong cross channel pressure gradient in the second stage leading to larger secondary flow regions and a more three-dimensional flow-field. Global characteristics and area traverse data of the second vane are discussed. The unsteady CFD approach indicates improvement in the numerical prediction of the predominating flow-field.

A Low Pressure Turbine With Profiled End Walls and Purge Flow Operating With a Pressure Side Bubble

This paper presents an experimental and computational study of non-axisymmetric rotor end wall profiling in a low pressure turbine. End wall profiling has been proven to be an effective technique to reduce both turbine blade row losses and the required purge flow. For this work a rotor with profiled end walls on both hub and shroud is considered. The rotor tip and hub end walls have been designed using an automatic numerical optimisation that is implemented in an in-house MTU code. The end wall shape is modified up to the platform leading edge. Several levels of purge flow are considered in order to analyze the combined effects of end wall profiling and purge flow. The non-dimensional parameters match real engine conditions. The 2-sensor Fast Response Aerodynamic Probe (FRAP) technique system developed at ETH Zurich is used in this experimental campaign. Time-resolved measurements of the unsteady pressure, temperature and entropy fields between the rotor and stator blade rows are made. For the operating point under investigation the turbine rotor blades have pressure side separations. The unsteady behavior of the pressure side bubble is studied. Furthermore, the results of unsteady RANS simulations are compared to the measurements and the computations are also used to detail the flow field with particular emphasis on the unsteady purge flow migration and transport mechanisms in the turbine main flow containing a rotor pressure side separation. The profiled end walls show the beneficial effects of improved measured efficiency at this operating point, together with a reduced sensitivity to purge flow.© 2011 ASME

An LP Turbine at Extreme Off-Design Operation

In a cooperative project between the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion Systems (ILA) and MTU Aero Engines GmbH a two-stage low pressure turbine with integrated 3D airfoil and endwall contouring is tested. The experimental data taken in the altitude test-facility study the effect of high incidence in off-design operation. Steady measurements are covering a wide range of Reynolds numbers between 40,000 and 180,000. The results are compared with steady multistage CFD predictions with a focus on the stator rows. A first unsteady simulation is taken into account as well. The CFD simulations include leakage flow paths with disc cavities modeled. Compared to design operation the extreme off-design high-incidence conditions lead to a different flow-field Reynolds number sensitivity. Airfoil lift data reveals changing incidence with Reynolds number of the second stage. Increased leading edge loading of the second vane indicates a strong cross channel pressure gradient in the second stage leading to larger secondary flow regions and a more three-dimensional flow field.Global characteristics and area traverse data of the second vane are discussed. The unsteady CFD approach indicates improvement in the numerical prediction of the predominating flow field.Copyright