Investigation of a 4.5-Inch-Mean-Diameter Two-Stage Axial-Flow Turbine Suitable for Auxiliary Power Drives

The design and experimental investigation of a 4.5-inch-mean-diameter two-stage turbine are presented herein and used to study the effect of size on the efficiency of turbines in the auxiliary power drive class. The results of the experimental investigation indicated that design specific work was obtained at design speed at a total-to-static efficiency of 0.639. At design pressure ratio, design static-pressure distribution through the turbine was obtained with an equivalent specific work output of 33.2 Btu per pound and an efficiency of 0.656. It was found that, in the design of turbines in the auxiliary power drive class, Reynolds number plays an important part in the selection of the design efficiency. Comparison with theoretical efficiencies based on a loss coefficient and velocity diagrams are presented. Close agreement was obtained between theory and experiment when the loss coefficient was adjusted for changes in Reynolds number to the -1/5 power.