Design of the rotor blades of a mini hydraulic bulb-turbine

The rotor blades of a mini hydraulic turbine were designed using a quasi-three-dimensional method. The meridional flow is computed by a streamline curvature method and the blade-to-blade flow by a singularity method. The rotor blade sections are the NACA 66 (MOD) with a = 0.8 meanline. The camber and the stagger angle of the blade sections are adjusted to fulfil the prescribed angular momentum distributions, at the rotor inlet and outlet sections, and zero-incidence flow angle, at the blade leading edge.Turbine head and efficiency versus flow rate curves were obtained for different rotor blade stagger angles at constant rotational speed. Radial distributions of time-averaged velocity and pressure, measured at the rotor exit section with a five-hole probe, are also presented.The design and the experimental results are compared with three-dimensional inviscid flow numerical results computed by the FLUENT code. The domain is discretized by unstructured meshes with a maximum of 2.5 × 10⁶ elements. The numerical results show good agreement with the design values and the experimental results, validating the design hypothesis of small radial velocity in the flow through the rotor.     

Cooling system optimisation of turbine guide vane

This paper discuses the problem of cooling system optimisation within a gas turbine vane. The analysis involves the optimisation of size and location of internal cooling passages within the vane. Cooling is provided with ten circular passages and heat is transported only convectively. The task is approached in 3D configuration. Each passage is fed with cooling air of constant parameters at the inlet. Also a constant pressure drop is assumed along the passage length. The thermal boundary conditions in passages varied with diameter and local vane temperature (passage wall temperature). The analysis is performed by means of the evolutionary approach for the optimisation task and FEM for the heat transfer predictions within the component. The optimisation is realised with genetic algorithm where two ways of individual (cooling system candidate) representations are used and juxtaposed. These are the classical binary representation of the design variables and the floating point form. The results show some potential stored in a vane cooling system. Appropriate passage distribution makes it possible to improve the operation condition for highly loaded thermal components. Also the comparison between binary versus floating point representation of the design variables show some superiority of the latter.     

Leading edge film cooling enhancement for an inlet guide vane with fan-shaped holes

This paper describes the improvement of leading edge film cooling effectiveness for a turbine inlet guide vane by using fan-shaped film cooling holes. The modification details are presented in comparison with the base-line configuration of cylindrical holes. Numerical simulations were carried out for the base-line and modified configurations by using CFX, in which the κ-ε turbulence model and scalable wall function were chosen. Contours of adiabatic film cooling effectiveness on the blade surfaces and span-wise distributions of film cooling effectiveness downstream the rows of cooling holes interested for the different cooling configurations were compared and discussed. It is showed that with the use of fan-shaped cooling holes around the leading edge, the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness can be enhanced considerably. In comparison with the cylindrical film cooling holes, up to 40% coolant mass flow can be saved by using fan-shaped cooling holes to obtain the comparable film cooling effectiveness for the studied inlet guide vane.     

Design method of guide vane for Wells turbine

Guide vanes are installed in the Wells turbine in order to improve its efficiency, self-rotating characteristics and off design performance with stall. This work attempts to explain the role of these guide vanes on the basis of momentum theory. It is shown that the upstream vanes are more effective in enhancing efficiency than the downstream ones. A design method for guide vanes is suggested based on experimental data and potential theory. Experimental studies carried out by the author confirm the theory proposed.     

Design of a solar photovoltaic-powered mini cathodic protection system

A mini cathodic protection (CP) system based on solar photovoltaic power source has been designed and tested in the field. It is concluded that such modular systems are well suited for CP applications especially in remote and hilly terrains.     

Effect of guide vane shape on the performance of a Wells turbine

A Wells turbine has inherent disadvantages: lower efficiency and poorer starting characteristics. Providing guide vanes on either side of the rotor could be one of the most effective ways of improving its performance. Several papers have demonstrated the usefulness of 2D guide vanes so far. In order to achieve further improvement in the performance of the Wells turbine, the effect of 3D guide vanes has been investigated experimentally by testing a model under steady flow conditions. Then, the running and starting characteristics under irregular flow conditions have been obtained by a computer simulation using quasi-steady analysis. It is found that the running and starting characteristics of the Wells turbine with 3D guide vanes are superior to those with 2D guide vanes.     

Modeling and experimental validation on pressure drop in a reverse-flow cyclone separator at high inlet solid loading

High inlet solid loading is one of the most important features of cyclone separators in high density circulating fluidized beds (CFB). In this work, the effect of high solid loading on pressure drop in a reverse-flow cyclone was experimentally studied. The particles used were sand and γ-Al₂O₃. An extended range of inlet solid loadings (M), up to 30 kg of solids/ kg of air was tested at different inlet air velocities (V _in=16∼24 m/s), well beyond the solid loading range reported before. The experiments showed that, in the tested range of solid loadings, the cyclone pressure drop decreased dramatically with increasing solid loading when M<7.5 kg/kg and then almost remained constant. A new semi-empirical model for predicting cyclone pressure drop was also developed. The calculated and experimental results showed good agreement for particle free flow and particle laden flow.     

Design and experimental validation of looped-tube thermoacoustic engine

The aim of this paper is to present the design and experimental validation process for a thermoacoustic looped-tube engine. The design procedure consists of numerical modelling of the system using DELTA EC tool, Design Environment for Low-amplitude ThermoAcoustic Energy Conversion, in particular the effects of mean pressure and regenerator configuration on the pressure amplitude and acoustic power generated. This is followed by the construction of a practical engine system equipped with a ceramic regenerator — a substrate used in automotive catalytic converters with fine square channels. The preliminary testing results are obtained and compared with the simulations in detail. The measurement results agree very well on the qualitative level and are reasonably close in the quantitative sense.     

Design and experimental validation of looped-tube thermoacoustic engine

The aim of this paper is to present the design and experimental validation process for a thermoacoustic looped-tube engine.The design procedure consists of numerical modelling of the system using DELTA EC tool,Design Environment for Low-amplitude ThermoAcoustic Energy Conversion,in particular the effects of mean pressure and regenerator configuration on the pressure amplitude and acoustic power generated.This is followed by the construction of a practical engine system equipped with a ceramic regenerator-a ...     

Performance analysis of a centrifugal compressor with variable inlet guide vanes

The flow in a centrifugal compressor stage with variable inlet guide vanes (VIGVs) is investigated by numerical simulation in this paper. Analysis of the performance curves and relative velocity vectograms indicates that performance curves shift toward small flow domain when VIGVs turn positively, and toward large flow domain when VIGVs turn negatively. Stage efficiency drops quickly after work condition enters a small flow domain through the peak efficiency point. Under the circumstance of large setting angles of the guide vanes, there exist obvious flow separations in guide vane passages within wide flow ranges, and back flow regions can be located at the front of splitter suction surfaces under large flow conditions, while under the condition of small flow, flow separations occur on suction surfaces of long blades. __________ Translated from Journal of Power Engineering, 2006, 26(6): 804–807 [译自: 动力工程]     

Computer modeling and experimental validation of a building-integrated photovoltaic and water heating system

A dynamic simulation model of a building-integrated photovoltaic and water heating system is introduced in this paper. The numerical model was developed based on the finite difference control volume approach. The integrated use of energy balance and fluid flow analysis allows the prediction of the system dynamic behavior under external excitations such as changes in weather, water consumption and make-up conditions. The validity of the modeling approach was demonstrated by comparing its predicted operating temperature changes and system daily efficiencies with the measured data acquired from an experimental rig at the City University of Hong Kong. The predictions from the model show good compliance with the experimental measurements.     

Effects of a turbine guide vane on hydrogen-air rotating detonation wave propagation characteristics

The rotating detonation engine is a new machine that can generate thrust via continuous rotating detonation waves (RDWs). In this study, experiments were performed on a structure combining a rotating detonation combustor (RDC) and a turbine guide vane to investigate the propagation characteristic of hydrogen-air RDW. The results showed that the velocity of detonation wave initially increased and then decreased with the increase of equivalence ratio, and it got a velocity of 84% Chapman-Jouguet value. The velocity of detonation wave generally rose by 4.31% comparing with the no guide vane tests, while the scope of steady-operation state became narrow. The oscillation pressure was reduced by 64% after passing through the guide vane, and the magnitude of pressure was only 0.4 bar at the guide vane exit. Meanwhile, part of the shock wave was reflected back to combustor resulting in some small pressure disturbances, and the propagation mode of reflected wave was related to the propagation direction of RDW.     

Effect of inlet guide vanes on the performance of small axial flow fan

Effects of the inlet guide vanes on the static characteristics, aerodynamic noise and internal flow characteristics of a small axial flow fan are studied in this work. The inlet guide vanes with different outlet angle are designed,which are mounted on the casing and located at the upstream of the impeller of the prototype fan. Both steady and unsteady flow simulations are performed. The steady flow is simulated by the calculations of Navier-Stokes equations coupled with RNG k-epsilon turbulence model, while the unsteady flow is computed with large eddy simulation. According to the theoretical analysis, the inlet guide vanes with outlet angle of 60° are regarded as the optimal inlet guide vanes. The static characteristic experiment is carried out in a standard test rig and the aerodynamic noise is tested in a semi-anechoic room. Then, performances of the fan with optimal inlet guide vanes are compared with those of the prototype fan. The results show that there is reasonable agreement between the simulation results and the experimental data. It is found that the static characteristics of small axial flow fan is improved obviously after installing the optimal inlet guide vanes. Meanwhile, the optimal inlet guide vanes have effect on reducing noise at the near field, but have little effect on the noise at the far field.     

Numerical and Experimental Studies of 3D Hypersonic Inlet

The results of numerical and experimental studies of a new configuration of 3D hypersonic inlet with the minimum throat area, which was called a convergent inlet, are presented in this paper. It is shown that the use of this inlet configuration allows one to reduce the drag and thermal protection of surfaces of a hypersonic engine within the entire range of flight velocities. The calculations were performed within the framework of inviscid gas model by the method of finite volumes. The flow and inlet characteristics, taking account of viscosity, were also calculated using the boundary layer equations. The experimental studies were performed within the Mach number range from 2 to 10.7 and Reynolds number based on the model inlet height of Re=1-5×106. The results included the flow parameters on the external compression surface and in the inlet duct, the Mach number in the throat, the air flow rate, the total pressure recovery coefficient, the inlet drag, and the boundary layer characteristics on compressi     

Design of the measurements validation procedure and the expert system architecture for a cogeneration internal combustion engine

A research activity has been initiated to study the development of a diagnostic methodology, for the optimization of energy efficiency and the maximization of the operational time in those conditions, based on artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as artificial neural network (ANN) and fuzzy logic.The diagnostic procedure, developed specifically for the cogeneration plant located at the Engineering Department of the University of Perugia, must be characterized by a modular architecture to obtain a flexible architecture applicable to different systems. The first part of the study deals with the identifying the principal modules and the corresponding variables necessary to evaluate the module “health state”.Also the consequent upgrade of the monitoring system is described in this paper. Moreover it describes the structure proposed for the diagnostic procedure, consisting of a procedure for measurement validation and a fuzzy logic-based inference system. The first reveals the presence of abnormal conditions and localizes their source distinguishing between system failure and instrumentation malfunctions. The second provides an evaluation of module health state and the classification of the failures which have possibly occurred. The procedure was implemented in C++.     

Thermal modeling of a natural convection greenhouse drying system for jaggery: An experimental validation

The aim of this work is to develop a thermal model so as to predict the jaggery temperature, the greenhouse air temperature and the moisture evaporated (jaggery mass during drying), during the drying of jaggery under natural convection conditions. The experiment was conducted separately for 0.75 kg and 2.0 kg of jaggery pieces having dimensions of 0.03 × 0.03 × 0.01 m³ for complete drying. The jaggery was dried in a roof-type even span greenhouse with floor area of 1.20 × 0.78 m². Experiment was carried out during February 5–8, 2004 at IIT Delhi (28°35′N 72°12′E) from 10 am to 5 pm. A computer program was developed in MATLAB software so as to calculate the jaggery temperature, the greenhouse air temperature and the moisture evaporated and was also used to predict the thermal performance of the greenhouse on the basis of solar intensity and ambient temperature. The software developed was experimentally validated. It was shown that the analytical and experimental results for jaggery drying are in good agreement.     

Experimental and computational analysis on guide vane losses of impulse turbine for wave energy conversion

This paper deals with the detailed flow analysis of impulse turbine with experimental and computed results for wave energy power conversion. Initially, several turbulence models have been used in two-dimensional (2-D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis to find a suitable model for this kind of slow speed unconventional turbine. Experiments have been conducted to validate the CFD results and also to analyze the aerodynamics at various stations of the turbine. The three-dimensional (3-D) CFD model with tip clearance has been generated to predict the internal flow and to understand the effect of tip clearance leakage flow on behavior of the turbine in design and off-design conditions. As a result, it is found from the 2-D results that the comparison between computed and experimental data is good, qualitatively and the turbulence model, standard k–ε can predict the experimental values reasonably well, especially the efficiency of the turbine. Experimental results reveal that the downstream guide vanes are more responsible for low efficiency of the turbine and it is measured that 21% average pressure is lost due to downstream guide vanes. It is proved from the 3-D CFD model with tip clearance that it can predict the experimental values quantitatively and qualitatively. Furthermore, it is estimated from the computed results that the efficiency of the turbine has been reduced about 4%, due to tip clearance leakage flow at higher flow coefficients.     

DF_（8BI）型机车电气室进气系统的设计

介绍了DF8BI型机车电气室进气系统的设计情况。既保留了侧壁的大叶窗,又在车顶为电气室的主要用风设备布置了独立风道,解决了电气室用风紧张的问题。     

Automatic efficiency optimization of an axial compressor with adjustable inlet guide vanes

The inlet attack angle of rotor blade reasonably can be adjusted with the change of the stagger angle of inlet guide vane (IGV); so the efficiency of each condition will be affected. For the purpose to improve the efficiency, the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) controller is designed to adjust the stagger angle of IGV automatically in order to optimize the efficiency at any operating condition. The A/D signal collection includes inlet static pressure, outlet static pressure, outlet total pressure, rotor speed and torque signal, the efficiency can be calculated in the DSP, and the angle signal for the stepping motor which control the IGV will be sent out from the D/A. Experimental investigations are performed in a three-stage, low-speed axial compressor with variable inlet guide vanes. It is demonstrated that the DSP designed can well adjust the stagger angle of IGV online, the efficiency under different conditions can be optimized. This establishment of DSP online adjustment scheme may provide a practical solution for improving performance of multi-stage axial flow compressor when its operating condition is varied.     

Performance evaluation of solar PV/T system: An experimental validation

In this communication, an attempt has been made to develop a thermal model of an integrated photovoltaic and thermal solar (IPVTS) system developed by previous researchers. Based on energy balance of each component of IPVTS system, an analytical expression for the temperature of PV module and the water have been derived. Numerical computations have been carried out for climatic data and design parameters of an experimental IPVTS system. The simulations predict a daily thermal efficiency of around 58%, which is very close to the experimental value (61.3%) obtained by Huang et al.