The detailed flow field and heat transfer were experimentally investigated in a channel with a circular cross section and equipped with a helical rib of low blockage ratio. Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (S-PIV) was applied in order to measure the three components of the mean and turbulent velocities in the symmetry plane of the channel. Additionally, steady-state Liquid Crystal Thermography (LCT) and Infrared Thermography (IRT) were employed in order to study the convective heat transfer coefficient on the wall. Measurements were carried out more than six pitches downstream of the rib origin, presenting periodic velocity and heat transfer fields from this location on. The resulting velocity and heat transfer fields show similarities with those present in channels of plane walls, such as low momentum and heat transfer areas upstream and downstream of the obstacle, and high kinetic energy and heat transfer a few rib heights downstream of the obstacle. On the other hand, the shape of the rib induces a swirling motion with the same sense as the rib. The azimuthal mean velocity is negligible in the core of the pipe, but it shows considerable levels close to the wall.

The leakage flows within the gap between the tips of unshrouded rotor blades and the stationary casing of high-speed turbines are the source of significant aerodynamic losses and thermal stresses. In the pursuit for higher component performance and reliability, shaping the tip geometry offers a considerable potential to modulate the rotor tip flows and to weaken the heat transfer onto the blade and casing. Nevertheless, a critical shortage of combined experimental and numerical studies addressing the flow and loss generation mechanisms of advanced tip profiles persists in the open literature. A comprehensive study is presented in this two-part paper that investigates the influence of blade tip geometry on the aerothermodynamics of a high-speed turbine. An experimental and numerical campaign has been performed on a high-pressure turbine stage adopting three different blade tip profiles. The aerothermal performance of two optimized tip geometries (one with a full three-dimensional contoured shape and the other featuring a multicavity squealer-like tip) is compared against that of a regular squealer geometry. In the second part of this paper, we report a detailed analysis on the aerodynamics of the turbine as a function of the blade tip geometry. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations, adopting the Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model and experimental boundary conditions, were run on high-density unstructured meshes using the numecafine/open solver. The simulations were validated against time-averaged and time-resolved experimental data collected in an instrumented turbine stage specifically setup for the simultaneous testing of multiple blade tips at scaled engine-representative conditions. The tip flow physics is explored to explain variations in turbine performance as a function of the tip geometry. Denton's mixing loss model is applied to the predicted tip gap aerodynamic field to identify and quantify the loss reduction mechanisms of the alternative tip designs. An advanced method based on the local triple decomposition of relative motion is used to track the location, size and intensity of the vortical flow structures arising from the interaction between the tip leakage flow and the main gas path. Ultimately, the comparison between the unconventional tip profiles and the baseline squealer tip highlights distinct aerodynamic features in the associated gap flow field. The flow analysis provides guidelines for the designer to assess the impact of specific tip design strategies on the turbine aerodynamics and rotor heat transfer.

Blade tip design and tip leakage flows are crucial aspects for the development of modern aero-engines. The inevitable clearance between stationary and rotating parts in turbine stages generates high-enthalpy unsteady leakage flows that strongly reduce the engine efficiency and can cause thermally induced blade failures. An improved understanding of the tip flow physics is essential to refine the current design strategies and achieve increased turbine aerothermal performance. However, while past studies have mainly focused on conventional tip shapes (flat tip or squealer geometries), the open literature suffers from a shortage of experimental and numerical data on advanced blade tip configurations of unshrouded rotors. This work presents a complete numerical and experimental investigation on the unsteady flow field of a high-pressure turbine, adopting three different blade tip profiles. The aerothermal characteristics of two novel high-performance tip geometries, one with a fully contoured shape and the other presenting a multicavity squealer-like tip with partially open external rims, are compared against the baseline performance of a regular squealer geometry. The turbine stage is tested at engine-representative conditions in the high-speed turbine facility of the von Karman Institute. A rainbow rotor is mounted for simultaneous aerothermal testing of multiple blade tip geometries. On the rotor disk, the blades are arranged in sectors operating at two different clearance levels. A numerical campaign of full-stage simulations was also conducted on all the investigated tip designs to model the secondary flows development and identify the tip loss and heat transfer mechanisms. In the first part of this work, we describe the experimental setup, instrumentation, and data processing techniques used to measure the unsteady aerothermal field of multiple blade tip geometries using the rainbow rotor approach. We report the time-average and time-resolved static pressure and heat transfer measured on the shroud of the turbine rotor. The experimental data are compared against numerical predictions. These numerical results are then used in the second part of the paper to analyze the tip flow physics, model the tip loss mechanisms, and quantify the aero-thermal performance of each tip geometry.

The detailed flow field and heat transfer were experimentally investigated in a channel with a circular cross section and equipped with a helical rib of low blockage ratio. Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (S-PIV) was applied in order to measure the three components of the mean and turbulent velocities in the symmetry plane of the channel. Additionally, steady-state liquid crystal thermography (LCT) and infrared thermography were employed in order to study the convective heat transfer coefficient on the wall. Measurements were carried out more than six pitches downstream of the rib origin, presenting periodic velocity and heat transfer fields from this location on. The resulting velocity and heat transfer fields show similarities with those present in channels of plane walls, such as low momentum and heat transfer areas upstream and downstream of the obstacle, and high kinetic energy and heat transfer a few rib heights downstream of the obstacle. On the other hand, the shape of the rib induces a swirling motion with the same sense as the rib. The azimuthal mean velocity is negligible in the core of the pipe, but it increases considerably close to the wall.

This article presents the implementation of a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) into the high-speed short-duration rotating turbine facility of the von Karman Institute. The advantage of PIV as a whole field measurement is emphasized in such circumstances for which the use of optical technique can drastically reduce the number of tests and the need for multiple intrusive expensive probes, ultimately lowering the testing cost. Practical solutions were demonstrated that address various challenges for the effective application of PIV. An endoscope delivered the laser sheet to the region of interest and a planoconcave window provided optical access for the measurement in the annular test section. A high-speed laser system and a high-speed camera were synchronized at 1 kHz sampling rate. Complementary measurements and dedicated image processing were performed to ensure the synchronization of the PIV images with the rotor position that was monitored through an encoder. The region of interest was the blade-to-blade plane at the 58% span turbine exit on a rectangular field of view covering approximately one rotor pitch and 0.15 rotor axial chord from the rotor trailing edge. Phase-locked-average velocity fields are obtained from PIV and compared against steady-state Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations along with four-hole probe measurement results. Together with an uncertainty analysis, the results demonstrate the promising robustness and accuracy of PIV. A practical guideline for PIV application in such kind of turbine test rigs is provided as a conclusion of the paper.