While turbine rim sealing flows are an important aspect of turbomachinery design, affecting turbine aerodynamic performance and turbine disk temperatures, the present understanding and predictive capability for such flows is limited. The aim of the present study is to clarify the flow physics involved in rim sealing flows and to provide high-quality experimental data for use in evaluation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The seal considered is similar to a chute seal previously investigated by other workers, and the study focuses on the inherent unsteadiness of rim seal flows, rather than unsteadiness imposed by the rotating blades. Unsteady pressure measurements from radially and circumferentially distributed transducers are presented for flow in a rotor–stator disk cavity and the rim seal without imposed external flow. The test matrix covered ranges in rotational Reynolds number, , and nondimensional flow rate, , of 2.2–3.0 × 106 and 0–3.5 × 103, respectively. Distinct frequencies are identified in the cavity flow, and detailed analysis of the pressure data associates these with large-scale flow structures rotating about the axis. This confirms the occurrence of such structures as predicted in previously published CFD studies and provides new data for detailed assessment of CFD models.
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March 2017
Research-Article
Unsteady Flow Phenomena in Turbine Rim Seals
Paul F. Beard,
Paul F. Beard
Osney Thermofluids Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: paul.beard@eng.ox.ac.uk
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: paul.beard@eng.ox.ac.uk
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Feng Gao,
Feng Gao
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences,
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
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Kam S. Chana,
Kam S. Chana
Osney Thermofluids Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: kam.chana@eng.ox.ac.uk
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: kam.chana@eng.ox.ac.uk
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John Chew
John Chew
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences,
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
Search for other works by this author on:
Paul F. Beard
Osney Thermofluids Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: paul.beard@eng.ox.ac.uk
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: paul.beard@eng.ox.ac.uk
Feng Gao
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences,
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
Kam S. Chana
Osney Thermofluids Laboratory,
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: kam.chana@eng.ox.ac.uk
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford,
Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
e-mail: kam.chana@eng.ox.ac.uk
John Chew
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences,
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
e-mail: f.gao@surrey.ac.uk
Contributed by the Structures and Dynamics Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR GAS TURBINES AND POWER. Manuscript received July 6, 2016; final manuscript received July 8, 2016; published online September 27, 2016. Editor: David Wisler.
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Mar 2017, 139(3): 032501 (10 pages)
Published Online: September 27, 2016
Article history
Received:
July 6, 2016
Revised:
July 8, 2016
Citation
Beard, P. F., Gao, F., Chana, K. S., and Chew, J. (September 27, 2016). "Unsteady Flow Phenomena in Turbine Rim Seals." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. March 2017; 139(3): 032501. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4034452
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