Naoki Shibukawa

Navier-Stokes Analysis of Unsteady Transonic Flows Through Gas Turbine Cascades With and Without Coolant Ejection

An implicit time-marching higher-order accurate finite-difference method for solving the two-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations was applied to the numerical analyses of steady and unsteady, subsonic and transonic viscous flows through gas turbine cascades with trailing edge coolant ejection. Annular cascade tests were carried out to verify the accuracy of the present analysis. The unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms associated with the interaction between the trailing edge vortices and shock waves and the effect of coolant ejection were evaluated with the present analysis.Copyright

Aerodynamic and Structural Numerical Investigation of Unsteady Flow Effects on Last Stage Blades

The aim of this paper is to present some of research results of our current collaborative program to increase steam turbine efficiency with the development of high-performance blade and exhaust hood design methodology using large-scale aerodynamic and structural interaction analysis. Aerodynamic optimum designs of stator blades are already introduced in many designs of actual operating commercial steam turbine units. However, aerodynamic optimum designs of rotating blades are still difficult due to high centrifugal force and vibration stress on rotating blades. This paper focuses on rotating blades and exhaust diffusers that affect the flow field just downstream of last stage long blades. The large-scale high-accuracy CFD analysis of unsteady wet steam flows has been successfully introduced for simulations of low pressure exhaust diffuser using the Earth Simulator of Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. This result shows that the diffuser domain analysis can provide static pressure recovery coefficients and its circumferential deviations with enough accuracy for design use except correct location predictions of separations. The unsteady flow analyses of the typical designed last stage with the measured and calculated downstream static pressure distribution as the outlet boundary condition were conducted. The unsteady flow analyses of the typical designed low pressure exhaust diffuser with the measured and calculated upstream flow conditions as the inlet boundary condition were also conducted. Some of the calculated results were compared with measured data. The large-scale parallel computing Finite Element Analysis of turbine blades with inter-connection parts has been also successfully introduced on the Earth Simulator. The calculation result shows that the eigen frequencies of the present group of loosely-connected rotating blades correspond well to the existing measured data. For the next step, the unsteady structural analysis is being conducted with the calculated unsteady forces on the rotating blades as the FEA boundary conditions. Some of the FEA results are also presented in this paper.Copyright

Investigation and improvement of the staggered labyrinth seal

Recent studies on staggered labyrinth seals have focused on the effects of different parameters, such as the pressure ratio and rotational speed on the leakage flow rate. However, few investigations pay sufficient attention to flow details and the sealing mechanism, which would be of practical importance in designing seals having higher performance. This paper establishes a theoretical model to study the seal mechanism, thus revealing that leakage is determined by the pressure ratio and geometric structure. Numerical simulation is implemented to illustrate details of the flow field within the seal structure. Viscous dissipation is used to quantitatively investigate the contribution that each location makes to the seal performance, revealing that orifices and stagnation points are the most important positions in the seal structure, generating the most dissipation. The orifice is carefully studied by using the theoretical model. Experiments for different pressure ratios are conducted and the results match well with those of the theoretical model and numerical simulation, verifying the theoretical model and analysis of the seal mechanism. Three new designs, based on a good understanding of the seal mechanism, are presented, with one reducing leakage by 24.5%.

Numerical Investigation of Steam Turbine Exhaust Diffuser Flows and Their Three Dimensional Interaction Effects on Last Stage Efficiencies

The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology for high accurate aerodynamic numerical analysis and its design application of steam turbine down-flow type exhaust diffusers including their three dimensional flow interaction effects on last stage efficiencies.Down-flow type exhaust diffusers are used in large scale steam turbines from 200MW to 1400MW class units for power generation plants mainly. The axial length of typical 1000MW class large scale steam turbines is about 30–40m and its four low pressure (LP) down-flow type exhaust diffusers occupy a large amount of space. The axial lengths and diameters of these exhaust diffusers contribute significantly to the size, weight, cost, and efficiency of the turbine system. The aerodynamic loss of exhaust hoods is nearly the same as that of stator and rotor blading in LP steam turbines, and there remains scope for further enhancement of steam turbine efficiency by improving the design of LP exhaust hoods.In the design process of last stages, the average static pressure in the last stage exit is introduced accurately using numerical analysis and experimental data of model steam turbines and model diffusers. However the radial and circumferential unsteady aerodynamic interaction effects between last stages and their exhaust diffusers are still need to be investigated to increase the accuracy of the interaction effect on the last stage efficiencies.This paper presents numerical investigation of three dimensional wet steam flows including three dimensional flow interaction effects on last stage efficiencies in a down-flow type exhaust diffuser with non-uniform inlet flow from a typical last stage with long transonic blades designed with recent aerodynamic and mechanical design technology.Copyright

Aerodynamic Interaction Effects From Upstream and Downstream on the Down-Flow Type Exhaust Diffuser Performance in a Low Pressure Steam Turbine

The purpose of this paper is to explain aerodynamic interaction effects from upstream and downstream on the down-flow type exhaust diffuser performance in a low pressure steam turbine. To increase exhaust diffuser performance, design data related to the aerodynamic interaction effects from upstream turbine stages and downstream exhaust hood geometry on the exhaust diffuser performance would be very useful. This paper presents numerical investigation of three dimensional wet steam flows in a down-flow type exhaust diffuser with non-uniform inlet flow from a typical last stage with long transonic blades designed with recent aerodynamic and mechanical design technology. Previous studies show that small scale model tests and CFD analyses of exhaust diffusers with uniform inlet flow conditions are not enough to investigate diffuser efficiency and detail diffuser flow mechanism because inlet flow structures including tip leakage flows and blade wakes superimposed from a last stage and several other upstream turbine stages in low pressure turbines affect flow separations that reduce the exhaust diffuser performance. Recent studies by the authors show that the introduction of radial distributions of velocities and flow angles at the inlet section of exhaust diffuser measured in a full scale development steam turbine increased the accuracy of numerical analysis of diffuser flow. In the present study, the computational domain was enhanced and the method of boundary condition definition was improved to increase the accuracy of boundary layer separation and separation vortex generation in wet steam flows. Using the improved method, the calculation results explained the aerodynamic interaction effects from upstream and downstream on the down-flow type exhaust diffuser performance.Copyright

A Correlation Between Vibration Stresses and Flow Features of Steam Turbine Long Blades in Low Load Conditions

The vibration stress of long steam turbine blades during low load operating conditions is examined in this paper. A series of experiments has been carried out to investigate the vibration stress behavior, and the steady and unsteady pressure fluctuation. It is found that a steady pressure distribution over the blade tip is much to do with the unsteady pressure and fluctuation of the vibration stress. A precise investigation of unsteady wall pressure near blade tip explains the relationship between pressure fluctuation and the vibration stress, and reveals the existence of particular frequency which affects blade axial modes. Blade to blade flow mechanisms and aerodynamic force and properties during low load operating condition were investigated by a steady CFD simulation. FFT of aerodynamic force by another steady full arc CFD simulation provides various pattern of harmonic excitation which account for the behavior of vibration stresses well. The mechanism of the rapid stress increase and a step drop were examined by considering CFD results and measured unsteady pressure data together.Copyright

Effects of Upstream Sprayed Water on Steam Flow Conditions and Blade Vibrations of a Low Pressure Steam Turbine

A shutdown operation of a large size steam turbine could possibly cause flashing phenomena of the pooled drain water in low-pressure heaters. The boiled steam is sometimes in the same amount as the main flow in the case where shutdown is executed during low load conditions, and returns to the steam flow path through the extraction lines. A series of experimental works with a subscale model turbine facility has been carried out to investigate the vibration stress behavior, and the steady and unsteady pressures under the flashing back conditions. It was observed that the blades of the two stages before the last stage (L-2) and a stage before the last stage (L-1) endured their peak vibration stresses immediately after the flash-back flow reached the turbine. In the meantime, the vibration stresses of the last stage (L-0) blades were reduced.In this paper, the behavior of the water droplets and their vaporization in the steam path were mainly investigated. A series of experiment was conducted in which several amounts of controlled sprayed water were continuously supplied into the turbine. The transient steam condition and blade’s vibration stresses were measured at the same time. The results showed the possibility that sprayed water upstream can change the mass flow rate and temperature downstream to avoid the unstable steam flow and overheating of the long blades during low load operation.© 2016 ASME

An Experimental Investigation of the Influence of Flash-Back Flow on Last Three Stages of Low Pressure Steam Turbines

A shutdown operation of a large size steam turbine could possibly cause flashing phenomena of the pooled drain water in low-pressure heaters. The boiled steam is sometimes in the same amount as the main flow in the case where shutdown is executed during low load conditions, and returns to the steam flow path through the extraction lines. A series of experimental work with a subscale model turbine facility has been carried out to investigate the vibration stress behavior, and the steady and unsteady pressures under the flashing back (FB) conditions. It was observed that the blades of the two stages before the last stage (L-2) and a stage before the last stage (L-1) presented their peak vibration stresses immediately after the flash-back flow reached the turbine. In the meantime, the vibration stresses of the last stage (L-0) blades were reduced for a few tens of seconds. It can be thought that the flash-back flow pushed out the reverse flow region around the L-0 blades and allow the blades to be more stable. A detailed examination with measured data of the L-2 blade explained that, as long as the flash-back flow has small wetness, the blade is excited in its specific vibration modes in larger than eighth harmonic of rotational speed, but once the flash-back flow carries water droplets, the fluid force in random frequencies remarkably increases and excites the blade in less than seventh harmonic range.

Numerical Investigation of Three-Dimensional Wet Steam Flows in an Exhaust Diffuser With Non-Uniform Inlet Flows From the Turbine Stages in a Steam Turbine

The purpose of this paper is to present a numerical evaluation method for the aerodynamic design and development of high-efficiency exhaust diffusers in steam turbines, as well as to present the comparison between the numerical results and measured data in an actual real scale development steam turbine. This paper presents numerical investigation of three-dimensional wet steam flows in a down-flow-type exhaust diffuser that has non-uniform inlet flows from a typical last turbine stage. This stage has long transonic blades designed using recent aerodynamic and mechanical design technologies, including superimposed leakages and blade wakes from several upstream low pressure turbine stages. The present numerical flow analysis showed detail three-dimensional flow structures considering circumferential flow distributions caused by the down-flow exhaust hood geometry and the swirl velocity component from the last stage blades, including flow separations in the exhaust diffuser. The results were compared with experimental data measured in an actual development steam turbine. Consequently, the proposed aerodynamic evaluation method was proved to be sufficiently accurate for steam turbine exhaust diffuser aerodynamic designs.Copyright

Effects of Design Variations of Rotor Entry Cavity Geometry on Shrouded Steam Turbine Performance

This paper presents an experimental study of the effect of geometry variations of the rotor entry cavity on shrouded steam turbine performance. A series of experiments was carried out where different configurations of the geometry of the entry cavity were tested. Blade geometry and tip clearance remained unaltered for all cases examined. Interactions between cavity and main flow are carefully investigated and their consequences on shrouded steam turbine stage efficiency are examined. Geometry variations of the entry cavity were installed in a pre-existing ‘baseline’ case of high efficiency. Five different test cases were examined. For the first two of these cases a ring having a constant width of 2mm and 4mm in radial direction is used. The next two cases employ a non-uniform, wavy insert and for the last case a backwards slanted insert is used that covers most of the inlet to cavity area, maintaining a safety distance of 2mm from the downstream rotor. The cases are divided into two groups, based on the same inlet cavity volume. The first group of three cases has a cavity volume reduction of 14% compared to the baseline case, whereas in the second group two cases are examined which maintain a 28% cavity volume reduction compared to the baseline case. Stage performance and flow field data were acquired and analyzed. Strong interactions between cavity and main flow are observed for all cases, not only at the location where the variations were installed. An observed effect can also be seen downstream of the rotor affecting the stage performance. Measurements were performed with the use of miniature probes ensuring minimum blockage effects especially within the cavity, both at rotor inlet as well as downstream of the second rotor. The use of a uniform geometry variation for the inlet rotor cavity in both groups proved to be the best in terms of stage efficiency. Although more complex and non-uniform variations were also used, the simple design of uniform geometry caused the least disturbance in the flow downstream of the 2nd rotor, having at the same time a moderate positive influence at the exit of the 2nd stator. The use of a constant width insert ring (thickness = 2mm) showed an efficiency gain of at least 0.3% from cases with 14% cavity volume reduction, whereas in the cases with 28% cavity volume reduction the use of a uniform ring of 4mm width produced a marginal efficiency gain of 0.1% at the operational point.Copyright