Chalmers University of Technology

Lecture 7 – Axial flow turbines

• Discussion on design task 1
• Elementary axial turbine theory
– Velocity triangles
– Degree of reaction
– Blade loading coefficient, flow coefficient
• Problem 7.1
• Some turbine design aspects
– Choice of blade profile, pitch and chord
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Axial flow turbines

• Working fluid is accelerated
by the stator and decelerated
by the rotor
• Boundary layer growth and
separation does not limit
stage loading as in axial
compressor

• Expansion occurs in stator and in relative frame of rotor

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Elementary theory
Perfect
• Energy equation for control V32 V12 gas

q  w  h3   h1   h03  h01  c p  T03  T01 

volumes (again): 0   2   2
• Adiabatic expansion process h03 h01

(work extracted from system -

sign convention for added
work = +w)
– Rotor => -w = cp(T03-T02) <=>
w = cp(T02-T03)
– Stator => 0 = cp(T02-T01)
=> T02= T01
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How is the temperature drop related to the blade angles ?

• We study change of angular
momentum at mid of blade
(as approximation)
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Governing equations and assumptions

• Relative and absolute refererence
frames are related by: V  C  U
• We only study designs where:
– Ca2=Ca3
– C1=C3
• You should know how to extend the equations!!!
• We repeat the derivation of theoretical work used
for radial and axial compressors:
Rate of change of angular momentum 
 Cw3r3  Cw 2 r2  Theoretical torque 
Theoretica l work    Cw3r3  Cw 2 r2   Cw3U 3  C w 2U 2 
Assume change of
direction for relative
velocity

 Flow at constant radius  U  Cw3  Cw2   U  C w3  C w 2 
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Principle of angular momentum

Stage work output w:
w  U  C w 2  C w3  
U  Ca 2 tan  2  Ca 3 tan  3 

Ca constant:
w  U  Ca 2 tan  2  Ca 3 tan  3  
UCa  tan  2  tan  3 
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Energy equation
Combine derived equations =>
w  UCa  tan  2  tan  3 
Energy equation:
w  c p T0, stage
We have a relation between temperature drop and blade angles!!! :

c p T0, stage  UCa  tan  2  tan  3  (7.3)

Exercise: derive the correct expression when 3 is small enough to allow 3
to be pointing in the direction of rotation.
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Dimensionless parameters
Blade loading coefficient, temperature drop coefficient:

c p T0, stage 2Ca


1 2
 Equation 7.3   tan  2  tan  3  (7.6)
U U
2
T2  T3
Degree of reaction: 
T1  T3
T2  T3
Exercise: show that this expression is equal to => 
when C3= C1 T01  T03
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 can be related to the blade angles!

C3 = C1 =>
c p Tstage  c p T0, stage  UC  tan  2  tan  3 
Relative to the rotor the flow does no work (in the relative frame
the blade is fixed). Thus T0,relative is constant =>

c p Trotor 
1 2

1 2

 V3  V2  Ca tan  3  tan  2
2
2

2
2 2

Exercise: Verify this by using the definition V2
T0,relative T 
of the relative total temperature: 2c p
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 can be related to the blade angles!

Plugging in results in definition of  =>

T2  T3 Ca
   tan  3  tan  2  (7.7)
T1  T3 2U
The parameter  quantifies relative amount of ”expansion” in
rotor. Thus, equation 7.7 relates blade angles to the relative
amount of expansion. Aircraft turbine designs are typically
50% degree of reaction designs.
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Dimensionless parameters
Finally, the flow coefficient:

Ca

U
Current aircraft practice (according
to C.R.S):
0.8    1.0
3.0    5.0
  0.5
Aircraft practice => relatively high
values on flow and stage loading
coefficients limit efficiencies
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Dimensionless parameters
Using the flow coefficient in 7.6 and 7.7 we obtain:

  2  tan  2  tan  3  (7.8)


   tan  3  tan  2  (7.9)
2
The above equations and 7.1 can be used to obtain the gas
and blade angles as a function of the dimensionless parameters

1 1  1
tan  2     2   tan  2  tan  2 
2 2  
1 1  1
tan  3     2   tan  3  tan  3 
2 2  
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Two simple homework exercises

• Exercise: show that the velocity triangles become symmetric for
 = 0.5. Hint combine 7.1 and 7.9

• Exercise: use the “current aircraft practice” rules to derive bounds

for what would be considered conventional aircraft turbine designs.
What will be the range for 3? Assume  = 0.5.
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Turbine loss coefficients:

Nozzle (stator) loss coefficients:
T2  T2
N  2
C2
2c p
p01  p02
YN 
p02  p2

Nozzle (rotor) loss coefficients:

T3  T3
R 
V22
2c p
p02,rel  p03,rel
YR 
p03,rel  p3
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Problem 7.1
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3D design - vortex theory

• U varies with radius
• Cw velocity component at stator
exit => static pressure increases
with radius => higher C2 velocity
at root
• Twist blades to take changing gas
angles into account
– Vortex blading
3D optimized blading
(design beyond free
vortex design)
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3D design in steam turbines

• Keep blade angles from
root to tip (unless rt/rr high)
• Cut cost
• Rankine cycle relatively
insensitive to component
losses
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Choice of blade profile, pitch and chord

• We want to find a blade that will minimize loss and perform the required
deflection
• Losses are frequently separated in terms:
Measured Grouped into one term
in cascade secondary loss s
       
Total  Profile  Tip clearance  Annulus  Secondary
Loss flow loss
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Choice of blade profile, pitch and chord

• As for compressors - profile families are used for thickness distributions.
For instance:
– T6, C7 (British types)
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Choice of blade profile, pitch and chord

• Velocity triangles determine gas angles not blade angles.
– arccos(o/s) should approximate outflow air angle:

• Cascade testing shows a rather large range of incidence angles for

which both secondary and profile losses are relatively insensitive
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Choice of blade profile, pitch and chord

• Selection of pitch chord:
– Blade loss must be minimized (the greater the required deflection the
smaller is the optimum s/c - with respect to λProfile loss)
– Aspect ratio h/c. Not critical. Too low value => secondary flow and tip
clearence effects in large proportion. Too high => vibration problems
likely. 3-4 typical. h/c < 1 too low.
– Effect on root fixing
• Pitch must not be too small to allow safe fixing to turbine disc rim