Conceptual Design and Instrumentation Study for a 2-D, Linear, Wet Steam Turbine Cascade Facility

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dc.contributor.authorMcFarland, Jacob Andrewen
dc.contributor.committeechairNg, Wing Faien
dc.contributor.committeememberKornhauser, Alan A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBattaglia, Francineen
dc.contributor.departmentMechanical Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:49:37Zen
dc.date.adate2009-01-15en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:49:37Zen
dc.date.issued2008-12-04en
dc.date.rdate2010-12-22en
dc.date.sdate2008-12-15en
dc.description.abstractThe design of last stage low pressure steam (LP) turbines has become increasingly complicated as turbine manufacturers have pushed for larger and more efficient turbines. The tip sections of these LP turbines encounter condensing wet steam at high velocities resulting in increased losses. These losses are difficult to predict with computational fluid dynamic models. To study these losses and improve the design of LP turbines a study was commissioned to determine the feasibility and cost of a steam cascade facility for measuring low pressure turbine blade tip section aerodynamic and thermodynamic performance. This study focused on two objectives: 1) design a steam production facility capable of simulating actual LP turbine operating conditions, and 2) design an instrumentation system to measure blade performance in wet steam. The steam production facility was designed to allow the test section size to be selected later. A computer code was developed to model the facility cycle and provide equipment requirements. Equipment to meet these requirements, vendors to provide it, and costs were found for a range of test section sizes. A method to control the test section conditions was also developed. To design the instrumentation system two methods of measuring blade losses through entropy generation were proposed. The first method uses existing total pressure probe techniques. The second method uses advanced particle imaging velocimetry techniques possibly for the first time in wet steam. A new method is then proposed to modify the two techniques to take measurements at non-equilibrium states. Finally accuracy issues are discussed and the challenges associated with achieving periodic flow in this facility are investigated.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-12152008-120840en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12152008-120840/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/36165en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartMcFarland_Masters_Thesis.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectInstrumentationen
dc.subjectSteam Turbinesen
dc.subjectSteam Cascadeen
dc.subjectWet Steamen
dc.subjectNucleationen
dc.subjectCondensationen
dc.titleConceptual Design and Instrumentation Study for a 2-D, Linear, Wet Steam Turbine Cascade Facilityen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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