Influence of Inlet Flow Profile, Fillet Radius and Trailing Edge Thickness on Secondary Flows in Turbine Vane Cascades

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Contributors

Abstract

A detailed understanding of the flow structures is essential for designing turbine blades with high efficiency. Secondary flow losses, which are influenced by geometrical and aerodynamic parameters, represent a significant portion of the total loss in high pressure turbines, especially in modern low aspect ratio bladings. This study investigates the effects of inlet flow profiles, fillet radius and trailing edge thickness (TET) on secondary flow losses in cascades representative for second stage turbine vanes. The experimental investigation was conducted using a full annulus turbine cascade at TU Dresden, operating at engine-relevant Mach numbers and near-ambient temperatures. Two vane profiles with different blade loadings, referred to as front-loaded and aft-loaded, were designed and tested to evaluate the impact of the varying parameters on the secondary flow losses for each blade loading. Both designs were evaluated in their baseline geometry and with increased fillet radii and TET within an annular cascade divided into four sectors. The inlet flow profile was varied with exchangeable inlet grids. Five-hole probe measurements were conducted upstream and downstream of the vanes. Based on the experimental results, the effect of the geometric features and blade loading distribution on secondary flow losses will be discussed. The vane designs with increased TET and fillet radii generally experience higher losses, while the gradient and characteristic loss pattern differs for the two blade loading distributions. To complement these findings, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed, providing additional insights into the behavior of the secondary flow loss mechanisms. Based on the experimental and numerical results the differences due to the varying parameters will be discussed.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2025
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Number of pages11
Volume10
ISBN (electronic)978-0-7918-8886-5
Publication statusPublished - 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

Conference

Title70th ASME Turbo Expo 2025: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition
SubtitleAI & Turbomachinery
Abbreviated titleTurbo Expo 2025
Conference number70
Duration16 - 20 June 2025
Website
Degree of recognitionInternational event
LocationRenasant Convention Center
CityMemphis
CountryUnited States of America

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-0900-8298/work/203811263

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Annular Cascade, Blade Loading, Endwall Flows, High Pressure Turbine, Mach number similarity, Secondary Flows, Vane, Vortices