Publication Date
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Christopher Marks (Committee Member), Rolf Sondergaard (Committee Member), Mitch Wolff (Advisor)
Degree Name
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)
Abstract
High-lift low-pressure turbine blades produce significant losses at the junction with the endwall. The losses are caused by several complex three-dimensional vortical flow structures, which interact with the blade suction surface boundary layer. This study investigates the unsteady characteristics of these endwall flow structures on a highly loaded research profile and the adjacent endwall using surface-mounted hot-film sensors. Experiments were conducted in a low-speed linear cascade wind tunnel. The front-loaded blade profile was subjected to three different inlet conditions, consisting of two turbulence levels, and three incoming boundary layer thicknesses. Multiple surface-mounted hot-film sensors were installed throughout the passage. This thesis progressed in three stages of research. The first verified that the hot-film sensors could be used to detect flow structures in the cascade. The second used the results from installed hot-films to examine the unsteady characteristics of vortices formed near the leading edge and the propagation of the passage vortex across the passage where it interacts with a corner separation along the suction surface. Simultaneous measurements from the hot-film sensors were analyzed for frequency spectra and time lag in order to provide new insight into the endwall flow dynamics. Finally, signatures from the hot-films were linked to specific flow phenomena through concurrent flow visualization. At each stage of the investigation, results were compared to the results of a numerical simulation.
Page Count
95
Department or Program
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Year Degree Awarded
2018
Copyright
Copyright 2018, all rights reserved. My ETD will be available under the "Fair Use" terms of copyright law.
