Selection of Parameters for Blade-to-blade Finite-volume Mesh for CFD Simulation of Axial Turbines

Samara National Research University, Department of Aircraft Engines Theory, 34, Moskovskoye shosse, Samara, 443086, Russia

Abstract

This paper describes the first part of the global work done by the authors aimed at finding the best settings for a numerical model for the calculations of axial uncooled turbines using RANS approach. The authors studied more than 80 papers published over the past 5 years in the examined field. Their analysis did not allow to identify unified recommendations for the creation of numerical models. The selection of model parameters is usually motivated by general considerations of numerical simulation, which follow from the method. In none of the papers the selection of parameters is correlated with the structure of the flow in the turbine. Many specific simulation issues were not covered at all.

For the research, more than 1000 models of full-size axial turbines (including multistage turbines) and their elements were created. They differed in the number, size, parameters of the elements of finite volume meshes, in turbulence models, in the degree of simplification. The results were compared with the experimental data.

As a result, the following was obtained:

1. A method for developing and optimizing the working process of turbines using numerical simulation based on the RANS approach is proposed. The search for the optimal turbine configuration is carried out using light computational models, which are based on the simplified channel geometry and the finite volume mesh. Their application makes it possible to reliably find the optimal turbine configuration 2.8 times faster. The characteristics of the selected variants are verified with the help of verification models that consider the real geometry of the channels and have a minimum error.

2. Recommendations are given on the selection of parameters for finite volume meshes and the selection of turbulence models for numerical models of the working process of axial turbines designed to perform optimization and verification calculations.