Axial Turbines

Gas Turbine Engineering (AEM403)

This lecture

§ Axial or Radial Turbines?

§ Turbine stage description arrangement
§ Technology and trends
§ Elementary theory
ØVelocity triangles
ØOne-dimensional analysis
ØExample
§ Performance parameters
Axial versus radial turbines
§ The vast majority of gas turbines employ axial flow turbines.

§ Radial flow turbines are only used for very low power engines,
to handle low mass flow rates. Other applications are in
turbochargers and cryogenic turbo-expanders.
§ Axial flow turbines are normally more efficient , and even on
small gas turbine engines they are mounted back-to-back with
a centrifugal compressor. This is also the case in APU units
generation up to 3MW and in mobile power plant applications.
§ Micro-gas turbines, typically of < 200 kW power output employ
radial turbines together with radial compressors as radial
turbines can handle low mass flow rates more effectively.
Axial turbine stages

§ An axial turbine stage is comprised of:

o A set of stationary nozzle guide vanes (NGV)
o A set of rotating blades

§ The hot gas is accelerated to high velocity in the

nozzle guide vanes, then the rotating wheel extracts
they kinetic energy from the gas
Multi-spool turbines
§ The Rolls-Royce Trent family of engines are
a 3 spool engines with the propulsion fan
being driven by the low pressure turbine at
~ 3,000 rpm,

§ the high pressure turbine drives the high

pressure compressor at ~ 12,000 rpm,

§ and an intermediate pressure turbine drives

the intermediate pressure compressor at ~
8,500 rpm.
Turbine entry temperature

Trent XWB
Turbine cooling – internal air system
Blade cooling
Factors affecting the number of turbines stages

§ The number of compressor spools

§ The amount of energy that must be extracted from
the hot gas.
§ Rotational velocity
§ Maximum possible turbine diameter
§ Power to weight ratio required
Classification

§ Turbines can be classified according to the amount of

energy converted in the stator and rotor sections. The
general classifications is:
§ Impulse turbine: Expansion occurs in NGV, then momentum
exchange occurs in rotor
§ Reaction turbine: Expansion occurs in both NGV and rotor
§ Reaction turbines have higher efficiency while impulse
turbines have higher power output per stage allowing fewer
stages.
Elementary Theory
Terminology and velocity triangles
Velocity triangles at mean diameter

C: Absolute velocity
U: Blade velocity = ωr, where ω is rotational speed
V: Relative air velocity
In the first stage, usually α1=0 (flow is axial)
Useful work
It is usually useful to assume that axial velocity remains constant throughout
the turbine. Thus velocity triangles can be superimposed:

From the geometry, we get:

U
= tan ↵2 tan 2 = tan 3 tan ↵3
Ca
The stage work per unit mass is then:

Ws = U (Cw2 + Cw3 ) = Ca (tan ↵2 + tan ↵3 )

Combining the two equations:

Ws = UCa (tan b 2 + tan b 3 )

There is no need for work done factor here as the flow is not against
adverse pressure gradient here, and growth of boundary layer is
much less than the case in compressors.
T-S Diagram
Using the steady energy equation, the work
done can be obtained in terms of stagnation
temperature drop across the stage:
Ws = c p DT0 s
Hence:
c p DT0 s = UCa (tan b 2 + tan b 3 )
Defining the total to total stage efficiency as:
T -T
h s = 01 03
T01 - T03¢
An expression for stage
" pressure ratio:
✓ ◆ 1#
Po3
To = ⌘t To1 1
Po1
Velocity triangles
 U Ca
To = (tan 2 + tan 3)
cp

" ✓ ◆ 1 #
Po3
To = ⌘t To1 1
Po1
Example - I
A single stage axial flow turbine has a mean radius of 28 cm. The hot gases enter the
turbine stage at 1800 kPa and 1250 K and the absolute velocity leaving the stator is
c2=590 m/s and inclined at an angle α2= 60o to the axial direction. The relative
angles at inlet and outlet of the rotor blade are β2= 26o and β3= 58o respectively. The
turbine efficiency is 0.86. Assume that the absolute velocity at the inlet and exit of the
stage to be equal (C1=C3). Also assume that ϕ=Ca/U to be constant through the
stage and take R=290 J/kg K and γ=1.33.

§ Sketch the velocity triangle showing all angles

§ Calculate the absolute turbine exit angle
§ Calculate the rotational speed in rpm
§ Calculate the stage pressure ratio
§ Calculate the specific power delivered by the turbine
 !!!
Δ!! = tan !! + tan !! !
!!
Turbine performance

Parameters used to characterise turbine performance:

• Blade loading coefficient, or temperature drop
coefficient
• Degree of reaction
• Flow coefficient
• Nozzle loss coefficient
Turbine performance

The flow coefficient is defined as:

Ca
f=
U

Should be in the range of about 0.7- 0.9 for

maximum efficiency – depending on loading
Turbine performance
The blade loading coefficient is defined as (also
called the temperature drop):

2cp To
=
U2
U Ca
From To = (tan 2 + tan 3)
cp

2cp To
= = 2 (tan 2 + tan 3)
U2

Typically between 1.6 and 5

Turbine performance

The degree of reaction is an expression of the fraction

of expansion occurring in the rotor

(T2 - T3 )
L=
T1 - T3

Ca
L= (tan b 3 - tan b 2 )
2U

⇤= (tan 3 tan 2)
2
We attempt to keep it close to 0.5
Nozzle guide vane (NGV)

Loss coefficient for NGVs is defined as, referring to T-S

diagram:

T2 - T2¢
lN = 2
C 2 /( 2c p )

Pressure drop coefficient

Po1 P2
Yn =
Po2 P2
Gas flow angles
✓ ◆
1
tan 2 = 2⇤
2 2
✓ ◆
1
tan 3 = + 2⇤
2 2

1
tan ↵2 = tan 2+

1
tan ↵3 = tan 3
The Smith Chart
50% reaction

!
0.5 = tan !! − tan !! !
2

1
= tan !! − tan !!
!
! 1
= = tan !! − tan !! = tan !! − tan !!
!! !

!! = !!

!! = !! !
50% reaction

= 4 tan 3 2 = 4 tan↵2 2

= 4 tan 2 2 = 4 tan↵3 2
50% reaction designs
Total-to-static efficiency

In certain occasions, when the turbine is followed by a diffuser or

a propelling nozzle, it is required to distinguish the losses of the
turbine or turbine stage and downstream components. In this
case, the static temperature downstream rather than total
temperature is used to define efficiency. This essentially means
that the kinetic energy in the flow leaving the last rotor is wasted
as far as turbine stage efficiency is concerned. Thus Total-to-
Static efficiency is defined as:
T01 - T03
hts =
T01 - T3¢

Thus the value of total-to-static efficiency is lower than that of

total-to-total efficiency
Three dimensional aspects

Shape of the blade and velocity triangle may vary from root
to tip because:
• Increase in speed U with radius
• Whirl component of the flow causes static pressure
and temperature to vary along the radius (Radial
equilibrium was analysed for compressors)
With a uniform pressure at inlet, it is obvious that the
because of the whirl component downstream, the pressure
drop will vary along radius, giving rise to variation in
velocity C and thus leading to the need for the design of
twisted blades
Sources of friction losses

§ Profile loss: Associated with boundary layer growth over the

blade profile

§ Annulus loss: Associated with boundary layer growth on the

inner and outer annulus walls

§ Secondary flow loss: Associated with secondary flows present

in wall bounded flows when turned.

§ Tip clearance and shroud flow loss

Typical temperature and pressure profiles at NGV
outflow
Typical combustor exit temperature variations
Limiting factors in turbine design

§ Centrifugal stresses: These are proportional to the square of the

rotational speed. When speed is fixed, they place an upper limit on
annulus area.
§ Gas bending stresses: These are inversely proportional to the
number of blades and directly proportional to the blade height. The
number of blades cannot be increased beyond a certain limit
because of fixing considerations. Reducing blade height while
maintaining same annulus area implies increased diameter.
§ Optimising the design to meet conflicting mechanical and
aerodynamic requirements. This might mean compromising some
parameter for the sake of others depending on design requirements
Typical flow pattern in an HP turbine stage
Unsteady flow in a rotor row
End wall profiling

Hub surface

Tip surface

Used to control secondary flow and thus minimise

related loss
Example - II
Mass flow, 124.72 kg/s
Turbine entry total temperature, T01 1620 K
Rotor outlet total temperature, T03 1320 K
Turbine inlet total pressure, p01 25.79 bar
Rotor outlet total pressure, p03 8.97 bar
Rotational speed, w 9693 rev/min
Rotor mean radius, rm 406.4 mm
Flow coefficient, 0.6
Rotor absolute outlet angle, a3 -40°
(the minus sign means opposite to rotation)
NGV loss coefficient, ln 0.05
Cp 1260 J/kg K
g 1.3
R 287 J/kg K
Assume
1
tanb 3 = (0.5Y + 2 L )
2f

1
tan b 2 = (0.5Y - 2 L )
2f

1
tan a 3 = tan b 3 -
f

1
tan a 2 = tan b 2 +
f
Determine:
a) the power output
b) the temperature drop coefficient, Y
c) the total to total isentropic efficiency,
d) the rotor relative outlet gas angle, b3
e) the stage reaction, L
f) the relative inlet angle to the rotor, b2, and the gas absolute inlet
angle to the rotor (the NGV outlet angle), a2
g) sketch the velocity triangles
h) the NGV exit (rotor inlet) blade height