Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of Vanes and Blades on Ingress in Axial Rim Seal for Turbine Stages

  • Special Column for the 9th Asian Joint Workshop on Thermophysics and Fluid Science 2022 (AJWTF 2022)
  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hot gas ingestion refers to the phenomenon of mainstream hot gas flowing into the space cavity of a turbine wheel. Previous studies have found that mainstream annulus pressure distribution plays an important role in hot gas ingestion, but due to its complexity, the mechanism of the interaction between mainstream flow and hot gas ingestion remains unclear. This paper adopts the URANS method, and three sealing flow rates are considered, named Cw=0, Cw=500, and Cw=5000. The time-averaged annulus pressure distribution shows that an increase in the sealing flow decreases the pressure value, and the effects of the sealing flow on the pressure distribution of the leading edge of the blade are much more influential than that of the trailing edge of the vane. The unsteady pressure time-space distribution in the annulus indicates that a time-space tilted distribution of pressure at the rim exits when the sealing flow exists. This phenomenon is mainly due to the strong feedback mechanism of the sealing flow to the annulus pressure field. A comparison of the pressure and mean radial velocity distribution of the mainstream shows that the ingestion mainly occurs on the blade side, where the pressure is lower than on the vane side. The flow characteristics at the wheel rim are analyzed with a sealing flow rate Cw=5000, and under these conditions, both pressure-induced ingestion and ingestion caused by a passage vortex can be inferred. The three-dimensional and inertial effects of the mainstream at the wheel rim lead to the generation of separation vortices on the blade side, and the presence of separation vortices leads to ingestion along the blade side. At the same time, pressure on the blade side will cause the fluid to have a radial inward flow tendency, which will promote the formation of separation vortices, leading to more serious ingestion in the high-pressure region on the blade side. The blade pressure field can be more significant than the vane trailing pressure field in the rim seal ingestion, and it contributes some explanations to the open question: the effect of blade on ingestion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

b :

outer radius of disk cavity/mm

C p :

dimensionless pressure coefficient, Cp=(p−pavg)/q

C w :

dimensionless sealing flow rate, Cw=m/µb

ΔC p :

dimensionless peak-trough pressure difference in the annulus, ΔCp=Cpmax−Cpmin

m :

mass flow rate/kg·s−1

p :

local static pressure/Pa

p avg :

line average static pressure across two pitches/Pa

q :

dynamic pressure of fluid at axial velocity in the annulus/Pa, q=ρW2/2

Re ϕ :

disk rotational Reynolds number, Reϕ=ρΩb2/μ

T :

time for one blade passing period/s

t :

time/s

U :

hub speed/m·s−1, U=Ωb

V :

total speed/m·s−1

V r :

local radial velocity/m·s−1

\({{\bar V}_{\rm{r}}}\) :

circumferential average radial velocity/m·s−1

\({{\bar V}_{\rm{r}}}/U\) :

dimensionless radial average velocity by hub speed

W :

axial velocity in the annulus/m·s−1

W s :

streamwise vortex

X :

axial coordinates from the vane trailing to the blade leading edge/m

θ :

normalized tangential coordinate between two vanes

μ :

dynamic viscosity/Pa·s

Ω :

rotating disk angular speed/rad·s−1

References

  1. Bayley F.J., Owen J.M., The fluid dynamics of a shrouded disk system with a radial outflow of coolant. Journal of Engineering for Power, 1970, 92(3): 335–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Chew J.W., A theoretical study of ingress for shrouded rotating disk systems with radial outflow. Journal of Turbomachinery, 1991, 113: 91–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chew J.W., Dadkhah S., Turner A.B., Rim sealing of rotor-stator wheelspaces in the absence of external flow. Journal of Turbomachinery, 1992, 114(2): 433–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Campbell D.A., Gas turbine disc sealing system design. AGARD Seal Technology in Gas Turbine Engines, 1978.

  5. Kobayashi N., Matsumato M., Shizuya M., An experimental investigation of a gas turbine disk cooling system. Journal of Engineering for Power, 1984, 106(1): 136–141.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Phadke U.P., Owen J.M., Aerodynamic aspects of the rim sealing of gas turbine rotor-stator systems parts 1–3. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 1988, 9: 98–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Dadkhah S., Turner A.B., Chew, J.W., Performance of radial clearance rim seals in upstream and downstream wheelspaces. Journal of Turbomachinery, 1992, 114(2): 439–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Hamabe K., Ishida K., Rim seal experiments and analysis of a rotor-stator system with nonaxisymmetric main flow. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1992, 78934: V001T01A060.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Owen J.M., Prediction of ingestion through turbine rim seals-part I: rotationally induced ingress. Journal of Turbomachinery, 2011, 133(3): 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Owen J.M., Prediction of ingestion through turbine rim seals-part II: externally induced and combined ingress. Journal of Turbomachinery, 2011, 133(3): 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Owen J.M., Zhou K., Pountney O., et al., Prediction of ingress through turbine rim seals: part 1—externally-induced ingress. Journal of Turbomachinery, 2012, 134(3): 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Green T., Turner A.B., Ingestion into the upstream wheelspace of an axial turbine stage. Journal of Turbomachinery, 1994, 116(2): 327–332.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sangan C.M., Zhou K., Owen J.M., et al., Experimental measurements of ingestion through turbine rim seals: part 1—externally-induced ingress. ASME Turbo Expo: Turbine Technical Conference and Exposition, GT2011: 741–753.

  14. Chew J.W., Green T., Turner A.B., Rim sealing of rotor-stator wheelspaces in the presence of external flow. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1994, 78835: V001T01A041.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hills N.J., Chew J.W., Turner A.B., Computational and mathematical modelling of turbine rim seal ingestion. Journal of Turbomachinery, 2002, 124(2): 306–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Bohn D., Johann E., Krüger U., Experimental and numerical investigations of aerodynamic aspects of hot gas ingestion in rotor-stator systems with superimposed cooling mass flow. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1995, 78781: V001T01A034.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bohn D., Rudzinski B., Sürken N., et al., Experimental and numerical investigation of the influence of rotor blades on hot gas ingestion into the upstream cavity of an axial turbine stage. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2000, 78569: V003T01A088.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bohn D.E., Decker A., Ma H., et al., Influence of sealing air mass flow on the velocity distribution in and inside the rim seal of the upstream cavity of a 1.5-stage turbine. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, 2003, 36886: 1033–1040.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Wang C.Z., Johnson B.V., De J.F., et al., Comparison of flow characteristics in axial-gap seals for close-and wide-spaced turbine stages. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, 2007, 47934: 1219–1229.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Roy R.P., Xu G., Feng J., et al., Pressure field and main-stream gas ingestion in a rotor-stator disk cavity. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2001, 78521: V003T01A089.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Roy R.P., Feng J., Narzary D., et al., Experiments on gas ingestion through axial-flow turbine rim seals. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2005, 127(3): 573–582.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Hualca F.P., Horwood J.T.M., Sangan C.M., et al., The effect of vanes and blades on ingress in gas turbines. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2020, 142(2): 021020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Graikos D., Carnevale M., Sangan C.M., et al., Influence of flow coefficient on ingress through turbine rim seals. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2021, 143(11): 111010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Xie L., Wang R., Liu G., et al., Numerical investigation on unsteady characteristics in different rim seal geometries: part A. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2020, 84188: V07CT14A013.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Lian Z., Du Q., Liu G., et al., Numerical investigation on unsteady characteristics in different rim seal geometries: part B. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2020, 84072: V02BT33A025.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wang R., Du Q., Liu G., et al., Influence of secondary sealing flow on performance of turbine axial rim seals. Journal of Thermal Science, 2020, 29: 840–851.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Wang R., Liu G., Du Q., Lian Z., Xie L., An improved control method of rim seal based on auxiliary sealing holes. GPPS, Beijing, China, Sep 2019, pp: 16–18.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Du Q., Wang R., Xie L., et al., A novel design of rim sealing flow for improving sealing effectiveness. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2023, 145(7): 071003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Xie L., Du Q., Liu G., et al., Investigation of unsteady flow characteristics in axial rim seal. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2021, 84980: V05BT14A002.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Cheng S., Li Z., Li J., Investigations on the sealing effectiveness and unsteady flow field of 1.5-stage turbine rim seal. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2019, 141(8): 081003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Xie L., Du Q., Liu G., et al., Flow characteristics in turbine wheel space cavity. Energy Reports, 2021, 7: 2262–2275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Bohn D.E., Decker A., Ohlendorf N., et al., Influence of an axial and radial rim seal geometry on hot gas ingestion into the upstream cavity of a 1.5-stage turbine. Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, 2006, 4238: 1413–1422.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Schuepbach P., Abhari R.S., Rose M.G., et al., Sensitivity of turbine efficiency and flow structures to varying purge flow. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 2010, 26(1): 46–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Scobie J.A., Hualca F.P., Sangan C.M., et al., Egress interaction through turbine rim seals. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2018, 140(7): 072504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation Outstanding Youth Foundation (Grant No. 52122603), the National Science and Technology Major Project (J2019-III-0003-0046) and the cloud computing supported by the Beijing Super Cloud Computing Center.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Ran Ren, Qiang Du, Guang Liu, Yanlian Zeng & Lei Xie

  2. National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Light-duty Gas-turbine, Beijing, 100190, China

    Ran Ren, Qiang Du, Guang Liu, Yanlian Zeng & Lei Xie

  3. School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Ran Ren, Qiang Du, Guang Liu, Yanlian Zeng & Lei Xie

Authors
  1. Ran Ren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qiang Du
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guang Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yanlian Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lei Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Qiang Du or Guang Liu.

Ethics declarations

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ren, R., Du, Q., Liu, G. et al. Influence of Vanes and Blades on Ingress in Axial Rim Seal for Turbine Stages. J. Therm. Sci. 33, 833–846 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-024-1986-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-024-1986-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation