Turbomachine Blading Endwall Contouring for Secondary Flow Losses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbomachine designs face challenges in reducing secondary flow-induced losses at endwalls while maintaining performance across various operating ranges without adverse effects on flow dynamics.
Innovation Solution
A blading assembly with endwalls featuring targeted depressions and thickened areas on the pressure and suction sides of airfoils, positioned at least 10% of the chord away from the leading edge, to manage flow velocity and pressure distribution, thereby reducing secondary flows and enhancing operational range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If endwalls are contoured with depressions and thickened areas to reduce secondary flows, then flow losses are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endwall is equipped with different geometric features (depressions and thickened areas) at specific locations rather than uniform contouring. The depression is positioned in the pressure side region and the thickened area on the suction side region, creating locally optimized flow guidance that reduces secondary flows while maintaining manageable overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The endwall contouring is divided into distinct segments: a depression feature and a separate thickened area feature. These segmented features can be independently designed and manufactured, allowing for simplified production processes while achieving the combined effect of reducing secondary flows and flow losses
2Loss of energy
If endwall contouring is optimized for maximum loss reduction at design point, then flow losses are reduced at design point, but performance in off-design operating ranges deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The depression and thickened area dimensions are specifically optimized with particular dimensional relationships (such as the thickened area beginning at least 10% of the chord away from the leading edge) to create a geometric configuration that maintains effectiveness across varying flow conditions and operating ranges, not just at the design point
Data Source
AI summary
A blading assembly (21) for a turbomachine, and to a turbomachine having improved flow characteristics. The blading assembly (21) has an endwall (1) on which a plurality of airfoils are formed adjacent one another, each airfoil (20) of the plurality of airfoils having a leading edge (2), a trailing edge (3), a chord (c), a pressure side (4), and a suction side (5); the endwall (1) having, between adjacent airfoils (20), a depression (11) in a region (6) of the pressure side (4) and a first thickened area (10) in a region (7) of the suction side (5). The first thickened area (10) begins at a point at least 10% of the chord (c) away from the leading edge (2).