Swirler vanes installation angle impact on flow mixing efficiency behind the flame tube head of gas turbine engine combustion chamber

DOI: 10.34759/vst-2021-3-146-158

Аuthors

Aleksandrov Y. B.^*, Nguyen T. D.^**, Mingazov B. G.^***, Korol'kova E. V.^****, Sharafutdinov R. R.^*****

Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev, 10, Karl Marks str., Kazan, 420111, Russia

*e-mail: Alexwischen@rambler.ru
**e-mail: nguyenthedat1609@gmail.com
***e-mail: BGMingazov@kai.ru
****e-mail: mustang_mustang@mail.ru
*****e-mail: ramisharafutdinov@gmail.com

Abstract

Various structures of swirlers, differing by the blades installation angle within the range of 15–60 degrees, were developed for experimental study of mixing processes fr om the vane swirler by the layer-by-layer deposit welding technology.

The manufactured swirlers were blown-through on the experimental test bench with heated air.

The experimental study results indicate a general regularity characteristic for mixing in a swirled jet with surrounding air, consisting in the fact that:

1. With the swirl intensity increase (the vane installation angle increase), within the limits of the studied vane rotation angles, the ejection ability of the flow increases;

2. With moving away from the swirler mouth, the share attached (ejected) air mass increases in the axial direction of the swirled flow.

Based on the works of Akhmedov R.B., Lewis B. and Lefebvre A., mixing in a swirling flow, depending mainly on the turbulent mass transfer process, can be represented as a dependence on turbulent diffusion. It allows forming analytical dependences for mixing process calculation using the following assumptions:

1. The average radius of the swirler R_AV is the radius of the annular source R_CS;

2. A mixture of air and fuel is a gas flowing out of an annular source;

3. The flow swirling effect is being determined by its impact on the coefficient of turbulent diffusion.

Comparisons of the swirlers experimental data with various vane installation angles with analytical calculations reveal satisfactory qualitative and quantitative convergence. Analytical dependence is described by a power function close to linear.

In practice, the impact of the swirler vanes shape on the mixing process is of interest. An experimental study of the vane shape impact on the mixing ratio was conducted. The profiled vanes demonstrated a more uniform temperature field and the highest mixing ratios. Obviously, this is due to the fact that the profiled vanes application allows obtaining a more uniform flow behind the vanes due to the absence of separated flows in the inter-vane channel of the swirler. As the result, a pressure losses decrease occurs during the flow passage through the profiled vanes and, accordingly, an increase in the ejection ability of the jet occurs. It is worth noting that the same result was obtained in the work of Lefebvre A., wh ere the vanes profiling significantly reduces the pressure loss in the swirler.

The conducted experiment and analytical calculation aimed at studying the change in flow parameters depending on the installation angle and the vane profile allowed obtaining the following generalizing results. With an increase in the vane installation angle in the range of angles under study, the ejection ability of the swirling flow increases. The blade profiling strongly affects the temperature field. Unlike the flat ones, the profiled vanes create more uniform flow at the outlet without significant separation zones, reducing thereby hydraulic losses in the flame tube head and ensuring a high mixing ratio with secondary air. A change in the number of profiled and flat vanes has an insignificant impact on the hydraulic resistance change, in contrast to a change in the vane installation angle. Thus, the obtained results of the work may be handy while designing the effective flame tube head of the gas turbine engine combustion chamber.

Keywords:

gas turbine engine (GTD) combustion chamber, flow swirl, mixing ratio, swirler vane profile

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