Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

EN 317 Thermo-fluid Devices

Blade arrangements and analysis model

For radial inflow turbine
Ashank Deo(20d170006) Atharva Chodankar(20D170008) Atharva Waghmare(20D170009)
Vaibhav Vishwakarma(20D170042) Prathmesh Shimpi(20D110016)
Group VI, Reading Assignment-2

Paper topic:
A methodology for the preliminary design and performance prediction of high-pressure ratio radial-
inflow turbines.
By Andrea Meroni, Miles Robertson, Ricardo Martinez-Botas, Fredrik Haglind
Keywords: Radial inflow turbine, Validation, High pressure ratio

Objective of the study and the analysed system configuration:

The paper presents a comprehensive method for the performance prediction and validation of Radial
Inflow Turbines operating at High Pressure Ratio conditions based on the existing data sets of HPR
turbines available in open literature. The methodology and the results of the study are intended to be
used as a benchmark for the future development of radial-inflow turbines in high-pressure ratio
applications.

Figure 1: Geometry of a Radial Inflow Turbine Figure 2: Flow path through a radial inflow turbine

Radial inflow turbines first appeared as an operating unit for power generation in the hydraulic turbine
field. Francis turbine, the most common water turbine is an inward flow reaction turbine that
combines the concepts of radial and axial flow. The inward-flow radial turbine includes large ranges
of power generation, mass flow rates, and rotational speeds and is used in huge hydroelectric power
generation units producing hundreds of megawatts as well as small closed cycle gas turbines which
generate a few kilowatts of power. The pressure ratio for radial turbines used in turbochargers can be
up to 4:1, but in some applications, as for example in their use in power generation systems, it can be
as high as 6:1 (Howard Hodson, n.d.).

Overall methodology and assumptions:

A Performance prediction methodology was performed by the authors in which they attempted to
develop a general tool that could be applicable to any fluid and operating condition

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 Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay
EN 317 Thermo-fluid Devices

o Considering unchoked and choked flow conditions a model was conceived and implemented to
include a complete and consistent numerical strategy for the design and performance prediction
of the radial inflow turbines.
o The model was written in the MATLAB and followed a mean-line* approach, for which the
thermodynamic and flow conditions were computed at the mean line in the turbine meridional
plane and were representative of mass-weighted averaged conditions over the whole section.
* Mean-line modeling is used to investigate the effect of key design parameters such as operating
conditions, velocity ratio and rotational speed on overall performance such as power, efficiency and
rotor size
o For the preliminary design model, the authors developed an iterative method where the initial
input parameters are used to calculate the design variables, which are then iteratively altered
till a non-choked rotor and nozzle condition is achieved, following which the rotor inlet and
exit equations mentioned in the paper are solved and the data is post processed.
o In the off-design modelling strategy an existing turbine design was used as the input and turbine
performance maps were generated as output.
Now for solving the equations used in performance prediction methodology of turbines; empirical
models were used to calculate losses and exit flow angles for each blade row.
o The Authors took into consideration the fact that losses from nozzles cannot be neglected for
obtaining meaningful results from the model simulation and thus three types of nozzle losses
were considered: the passage loss, the trailing edge loss, and the post-expansion loss. The loss
correlations were based on the formulation by Baines for radial turbines.
o The rotor model included the evaluation of losses internal and external to the blade passages.
o The external losses were modelled as a sudden enthalpy drop at constant static pressure while
the internal losses were modelled with correlations by Baines
o The authors assumed the blockage effect to be negligible taking experimental data into
consideration.
A sensitivity analysis was then applied for the off-design turbine model to find the most sensitive
calibration coefficients with respect to the output mass flow rate and isentropic efficiency and to find
range of values for which the calibration coefficients fulfil the choking conditions required by the test
cases. To consider the mutual interactions between the different calibration coefficients, the authors
used a probabilistic approach in MATLAB to perform the global sensitivity analysis.
Now to calibrate the model:
o Six test cases of HPR turbines which used air as the working fluid were chosen from open
literature by the authors and performance prediction methodology was applied to these cases .
Calibration method loss models were fitted against the mass flow rate and efficiency maps of
the selected experimental test cases.
o A multi-objective optimisation was performed by the authors and the calibration coefficients
were changed to provide the best possible agreement with the experimental data.
o In order to evaluate suitability of the model, the results of the calibration were assessed by
validation with two other test cases, one of which was an ORC turbine, whose features were
different from the turbines used in the calibration process.
o The authors assumed the volute losses to be negligible and incorporated them in nozzle losses
as a volute was not considered in the calibration test case.
Finally, a validation of the design and off-design models was performed by the authors in order to assess
the suitability of the loss coefficients obtained after calibration. The design model was first validated
using the test cases which were used for the calibration of the off-design model. Afterwards, its results
were compared with the mean-line and CFD results at the design point for an ORC turbine operating
with the fluid R143a.

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 Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay
EN 317 Thermo-fluid Devices

Things that we found interesting and limiting in the study:

o The flow diagram provided for modelling the strategy for high-pressure ratio RITs is very
intuitive and makes the overall process very clear and easy to understand.
o The author pays particular attention to the fact that on very high-pressure ratio RITs a proper
nozzle model, and associated losses, are paramount to obtaining meaningful results.
o The author provides two individual modelling strategies for the preliminary design model and
off design model of high pressure ratio radial inflow turbines.
o The author simply provides a reference to the readers for the different strategies that were used
for design and off-design performance prediction using the mean-line mode but does not
provide a general or brief overview about the same.
o The off design modelling strategy used in the paper by the authors is complicated and a bit
difficult to comprehend but it comprehensively covers all the 4 conditions of the nozzle and
rotor being choked or unchoked.

References:
Andrea Meroni, M. R.-B. (2018, December 1). A methodology for the preliminary design and
performance prediction of high-pressure ratio radial-inflow turbines,. Energy, 164, 1062-1078.
Howard Hodson, R. D. (n.d.). Radial Turbine Aerodynamics. Retrieved from University of Cambridge:
http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/whittle/current-research/hph/radial-otl/radial-otl.html
Figure 1: https://www.linquip.com/blog/radial-flow-turbine/
Figure2:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2F2076-
3417%2F8%2F11%2F2207%2Fpdfvor&psig=AOvVaw0TdQK99uyeJuC6SD86G7Uy&ust=1664470373515000&source=i
mages&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjRxqFwoTCIi3zr35t_oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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