Robust model of a transient wind tunnel for off-design aerothermal testing of turbomachinery

Abstract Short duration wind tunnels offer an economical approach to study the aero-thermal operation of propulsion components, while reproducing temperature ratios, Reynolds and Mach numbers of the actual engine conditions. The present paper aims at modeling with high fidelity the von Karman Institute compression tube facility. This wind tunnel was simulated using the EcosimPro suite to characterize the behavior of each subcomponent during the whole test envelope, including the turbine map at off-design. The numerical predictions were then assessed through the comparison with experimental data. The model was proven to be an effective tool to accurately evaluate all the operating regimes that a research turbine experienced during the experimental sequence. Consequently, the present model allows exploiting the complete test run duration to obtain unique experimental data from the turbomachinery operating at far off-design conditions. The capability to experimentally test components at off-design is fundamental to understand the flow physics of any gas turbine engine operating at extreme conditions and to characterize the transient performances of fluid-machinery in high-speed propulsion concepts. However, technical dissemination on these aspects is scarce.

[1]  T. Yasa,et al.  Determination of the Efficiency of a Cooled HP Turbine in a Compression Tube Facility , 2006 .

[2]  Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala,et al.  Turbine Efficiency for Unsteady, Periodic Flows , 2012 .

[3]  Jason Howard,et al.  Sub-idle modelling of gas turbines: Altitude relight and windmilling , 2007 .

[4]  Luis Miguel García-Cuevas,et al.  Characterization of a radial turbocharger turbine in pulsating flow by means of CFD and its application to engine modeling , 2013 .

[5]  A. Trippi,et al.  Effects of inlet pressure fluctuations on axial flow compressors , 1989 .

[6]  Michael J. Flanagan,et al.  Low-Heat-Load-Vane Profile Optimization, Part 2: Short-Duration Shock-Tunnel Experiments , 2008 .

[7]  Randall M. Mathison,et al.  History of Short-Duration Measurement Programs Related to Gas Turbine Heat Transfer, Aerodynamics, and Aeroperformance at Calspan and OSU , 2013 .

[8]  J. S. Rao,et al.  Transient Stress Analysis and Fatigue Life Estimation of Turbine Blades , 2004 .

[9]  Michael G. Dunn,et al.  Turbine-stage heat transfer - Comparison of short-duration measurements with state-of-the-art predictions , 1988 .

[10]  Rory Keogh.  Aerodynamic performance measurements of a film-cooled turbine stage , 2001 .

[11]  Paul F. Beard,et al.  Mass flow rate measurement in a transonic turbine test facility with temperature distortion and swirl , 2008 .

[12]  Guillermo Paniagua,et al.  High-fidelity rotor gap measurements in a short-duration turbine rig , 2012 .

[13]  Guillermo Paniagua,et al.  Review of the von Karman Institute Compression Tube Facility for Turbine Research , 2013 .

[14]  Nicolas Binder,et al.  Dynamic Response in Transient Operation of a Variable Geometry Turbine Stage: Influence of the Aerodynamic Performance , 2013 .

[15]  Guillermo Paniagua,et al.  Numerical Model of a Variable-Combined-Cycle Engine for Dual Subsonic and Supersonic Cruise , 2013 .

[16]  Thomas Povey,et al.  Method to improve precision of rotating inertia and friction measurements in turbomachinery applications , 2012 .

[17]  T. Yasa,et al.  Unsteady Strong Shock Interactions in a Transonic Turbine : Experimental and Numerical Analysis , 2008 .

[18]  R. A. Delaney,et al.  Vane-blade interaction in a transonic turbine. I - Aerodynamics , 1992 .

[19]  L. Porreca,et al.  TURBINE STAGE MASS FLOW EVALUATION IN A COMPRESSION TUBE FACILITY , 2002 .

[20]  Francesco Di Matteo,et al.  Start-Up Transient Simulation of a Liquid Rocket Engine , 2011 .

[21]  Richard J. Anthony,et al.  A Review of the AFRL Turbine Research Facility , 2013 .

[22]  Hugh W. Coleman,et al.  Analytical and Experimental Assessment of Two Methods of Determining Turbine Efficiency , 2000 .

[23]  Paul Fletcher,et al.  Gas Turbine Performance , 1998 .

[24]  Kam Chana,et al.  A Review of the Oxford Turbine Research Facility , 2013 .

[25]  Pavlos K. Zachos,et al.  Modelling and Analysis of Turbofan Engines Under Windmilling Conditions , 2013 .