Coal ash deposition was numerically modeled on a GE-E3 high pressure turbine vane passage. A model was developed, in conjunction with FLUENT™ software, to track individual particles through the turbine passage. Two sticking models were used to predict the rates of deposition which were subsequently compared to experimental trends. The strengths and limitations of the two sticking models, the critical viscosity model and the critical velocity model, are discussed. The former model ties deposition exclusively to particle temperature while the latter considers both the particle temperature and velocity. Both incorporate some level of empiricism, though the critical viscosity model has the potential to be more readily adaptable to different ash compositions. Experimental results show that both numerical models are reasonably accurate in predicting the initial stages of deposition. Beyond the initial stage of deposition, for which transient effects must be accounted.

The effect of hot streaks on deposition in a high pressure turbine vane passage was studied both experimentally and computationally. Modifications to Ohio State’s Turbine Reaction Flow Rig allowed for the creation of simulated hot streaks in a four-vane annular cascade operating at temperatures up to 1093°C. Total temperature surveys were made at the inlet plane of the vane passage, showing the variation caused by cold dilution jets. Deposition was generated by introducing sub-bituminous ash particles with a median diameter of 11.6 μm far upstream of the vane passage. Results indicate a strong correlation between surface deposits and the hot streak trajectory. A computational model was developed in Fluent to simulate both the flow and deposition. The flow solution was first obtained without particulates, and individual ash particles were subsequently introduced and tracked using a Lagrangian tracking model. The critical viscosity model was used to determine particle sticking upon impact with vane surfaces. Computational simulations confirm the migration of the hot streak and locations susceptible to enhanced deposition. Results show that the deposition model is overly sensitive to temperature and can severely overpredict deposition. Model constants can be tuned to better match experimental results, but must be calibrated for each application.

An accelerated deposition test facility was operated with three different coal ash species to study the effect of ash composition on deposition rate and spatial distribution. The facility seeds a combusting (natural gas) flow with 10–20 micron mass mean diameter coal ash particulate. The particulate-laden combustor exhaust is accelerated through a rectangular-to-annular transition duct and expands to ambient pressure through a nozzle guide vane annular sector. For the present study, the annular cascade consisted of two CFM56 aero-engine vane doublets; comprising three full passages and two half passages of flow. The inlet Mach number (0.1) and gas temperature (1100°C) are representative of operating turbines. Ash samples were tested from the three major coal ranks: lignite, subbituminous, and bituminous. Investigations over a range of inlet gas temperatures from 900°C to 1120°C showed that deposition increased with temperature, though the threshold for deposition varied with ash type. Deposition levels varied with coal rank, with lignite producing the largest deposits at the lowest temperature. Regions of heightened deposition were noted; the leading edge and pressure surface being particularly implicated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to identify deposit structure. For a limited subset of tests, film cooling was employed at nominal design operating conditions but provided minimal protection in cases of severe deposition.

An accelerated deposition test facility is used to study the effect of particle size and film cooling on deposit roughness, spatial distribution and thickness. Tests were run at gas turbine representative inlet Mach numbers (0.08) and temperatures (1080°C). Deposits were created from a sub-bituminous coal fly ash with mass median diameters from 4 to 16 microns (Stokes numbers ranging from 0.1 to 1.9. Two CFM56-5B nozzle guide vane doublets comprising three full passages and two half passages of flow were utilized as the test articles. Tests were run with three levels of film cooling. The addition of film cooling to the vanes was shown to decrease deposit capture efficiency by as much as a factor of 3 and shift the primary location of deposit buildup to the leading edge coincident with an increased region of positive cooling backflow margin. Video taken during tests noted that film cooling holes with negative backflow margin were primary areas of deposit formation regardless of film cooling percentage. Stokes number was shown to have a marked effect on vane capture efficiency, with the largest Stokes number ash (St = 1.9) approximately 3 times as likely to stick to the vane as the smallest Stokes number ash (St = 0.1). Post test observations on deposit thickness were made using a coordinate measurement machine. Deposit thickness was noted to be reduced with decreasing Stokes number and increased film cooling percentage. Deposit surface roughness falls with particle size but is only weakly dependent on cooling level.

An accelerated deposition test facility was operated with four different coal ash species to study the effect of ash composition on deposition rate and spatial distribution. The facility seeds a combusting (natural gas) flow with 10–20 micron mass mean diameter coal ash particulate. The particulate-laden combustor exhaust is accelerated through a rectangular-to-annular transition duct and expands to ambient pressure through a nozzle guide vane annular sector. For the present study, the annular cascade consisted of two CFM56 aero-engine vane doublets, comprising three full passages and two half passages of flow. The inlet Mach number (0.1) and gas temperature (1100 °C) are representative of operating turbines. Ash samples were tested from the three major coal ranks: lignite, subbituminous, and bituminous. Investigations over a range of inlet gas temperatures from 900 °C to 1120 °C showed that deposition increased with temperature, though the threshold for deposition varied with ash type. Deposition levels varied with coal rank, with lignite producing the largest deposits at the lowest temperature. Regions of heightened deposition were noted; the leading edge and pressure surface being particularly implicated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to identify deposit structure. For a limited subset of tests, film cooling was employed at nominal design operating conditions but provided minimal protection in cases of severe deposition.