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Velocity triangles and power output By Elementary theory

Fig1.5 Velocity Triangle

Figure 1.5 shows the velocity triangles of axial flow turbine stage and the
nomenclature employed. The gas enters the row of nozzle blades with a static pressure Pl,
temperature T1 and velocityC1, which is expanded to P2, T2 and leaves with an increased
velocity C2 at an angle 2. The rotor blade inlet angle will be chosen to suit the direction 2 of
the gas velocity V2 relative to the blade at inlet. 2 and V2 are found by vectorial subtraction
of the blade speed U from the absolute velocity C2. After being deflected and expanded in the
rotor blade passages, the gas leaves at P3, T3 with relative velocity V3 at angle 3. Vectorial
addition of U yields the magnitude and direction of the gas velocity at exit from the stage, C3
and 3. 3 is known as the swirl angle.
In a single-stage turbine Cl will be axial, i.e. 1= 0 and C1 = Cal. In a multi-stage
turbine, C1 and l will probably be equal to C3 and 3 so that the same blade shapes can be
used in successive stages: it is then sometimes called a repeating stage. Because the blade
speed U increases with increasing radius, the shape of the velocity triangles varies from root
to tip of the blade. We shall assume in this section that we are talking about conditions at the
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mean diameter of the annulus, and that this represents an average picture of what happens to
the total mass flow m as it passes through the stage. This approach is valid when the ratio of
the tip radius to the root radius is low, i.e. for short blades, but for long blades it is essential to
account for three dimensional effects.
(Cw2 + Cw3) represents the change in whirl (or tangential) component of momentum
per unit mass flow which produces the useful torque. The change in axial component (Ca2Ca3) produces an axial thrust on the rotor which may supplement or offset the pressure thrust
arising from the pressure drop (P2 - P3). In a gas turbine the net thrust on the turbine rotor will
be partially balanced by the thrust on the compressor rotor, so easing the design of the thrust
bearing. In what follows we shall largely restrict our attention to designs in which the axial
flow velocity Ca is constant through the rotor. This will imply an annulus flared as in Fig. 7.1
to accommodate the decrease in density as the gas expands through the stage. With this
restriction, when the velocity triangles are superimposed in the usual way we have the
velocity diagram for the stage shown in Fig. 1.5
From the first triangle

U CW 2 Ca 2 tan 2 Ca 2 tan 2 Ca 2 tan 2

From the second triangle
U Ca 3 tan 3 CW 3 Ca 3 tan 3 Ca 3 tan 3
Assuming that axial velocity is constant throughout the stage
Ca1 Ca 2 Ca 3 Ca and C1 =C3
U Ca 2 tan 2 Ca 2 tan 2 Ca (tan 2 tan 2 )
U Ca 3 tan 3 Ca 3 tan 3 Ca (tan 3 tan 3 )
U Ca (tan 2 tan 2 ) Ca (tan 3 tan 3 )

U
tan 2 tan 2 tan 3 tan 3
Ca

tan 2 tan 3 tan 2 tan 3

Applying the principle of angular momentum to the rotor, the stage work output per unit mass
flow is.
WS U CW U (C W 2 C W 3 )
WS U Ca 2 tan 2 Ca 3 tan 3
WS UCa tan 2 tan 3
WS UCa tan 2 tan 3
The power output of a single stage axial flow gas turbine is given by

W mUCa tan 2 tan 3

W mUCa tan 2 tan 3

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T-S diagram

Fig 1.6 T-S diagram of gas turbine stage

The temperature entropy diagram for the flow through a general turbine stage is
shown in fig1.6. Both static and stagnation values of temperature and entropies are indicated
at various stations.
The relation between static and stagnation temperatures (enthalpies) are given by
using energy equation from the first law of thermodynamics.
Q W E2 E1
(1)
For application in turbomachinery, the energy terms like internal energy, gravitational
potential energy and kinetic energy are included.
1
E U mgz mC 2
(2)
2
1
dE dU mg .dz md (C 2 )
(3)
2
1
E2 E1 U 2 U1 mg z2 z1 m C22 C12 (4)
2
Sub equation (4) in equation (1)
1
Q W U 2 U1 mg z2 z1 m C22 C12
(5)
2
From steady flow process through turbomachinery, the work term contains shaft work and
flow work
W Wshaft ( PV
(6)
2 2 PV
1 1)
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Sub equation (6) in equation (5)

1
Q Wshaft ( PV
m C22 C12
2 2 PV
1 1 ) U 2 U1 mg z2 z1
2
1
Q Wshaft U 2 PV
m C22 C12
2 2 U1 PV
1 1 mg z 2 z1
2
We know that enthalpy H=U+PV
1
Q Wshaft H 2 H1 mg z2 z1 m C22 C12
2
Rearranging the above equation
1
1
H1 mgz1 mC12 Q H 2 mgz2 mC22 Wshaft
2
2
In terms of specific quantities
1
1
h1 gz1 C12 q h2 gz2 C22 wshaft
(7)
2
2
Equation (7) is the steady flow energy equation for a control volume/open system
Since most of the turbo machines are adiabatic machines, there is no heat transfer
(q=0). In these machines the change in potential energy is negligible as compared to change
1
in enthalpy h2 h1 and kinetic energy C22 C12
2
1
1
h1 C12 q h2 C22 wshaft
2
2
The shaft work is given by
1
1

wshaft h1 C12 h2 C22

2
2

If the entry and exit velocity are small or the difference between them is negligible the
shaft work is given by the difference between static enthalpies two states.
wshaft h1 h2
In the stator/nozzle the shaft work is absent and the flow is almost adiabatic.
1
1
h1 C12 h2 C22 constant
2
2
The stagnation enthalpy is given by
1
h0 h C 2
2
h0
1

1 C 2
h 2h

T0
C2
1

T 2C pT
R
W .K .T C p
1
T0 ( 1)C 2
1
T
2 R T

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T0 ( 1)C 2
1
T
2a 2
T0 ( 1) 2
1
M
T
2

The temperature loss coefficient in the stator/nozzle is given by

2C
h h
T T
N 2 2 S 2p T2 T2 S 22 2 S
1 2
C2
C2 2C p
C2
2
The pressure loss coefficient in the nozzle is given by
P P
YN 01 02
1
C22
2
The temperature loss coefficient in the rotor is given by
2C
h h
T T
R 3 3S 2p T3 T3S 32 3S
1 2
V3
V3 2C p
V3
2
The pressure loss coefficient in the rotor is given by
P P03rel
YR 02 rel
1
V32
2

Degree of reaction
Degree of reaction is defined as the ratio of enthalpy drop in the rotor to that of the
enthalpy drop in the stage.
Enthalpy drop in Rotor

Enthalpy drop in stage

h h 3 T2 T3
2

h1 h3 T1 T3
Assuming that axial velocity is constant throughout the stage
Ca1 Ca 2 Ca 3 Ca and C1 =C3
C p (T1 T3 ) C p (T01 T03 ) UCa (tan 2 +tan 3 )
1
C p (T2 T3 ) (V32 V2 2 )
2
2
2
1 Ca Ca



2 cos 3 cos 2

1
Ca 2 (sec 2 3 sec 2 2 )
2
1
Ca 2 [(tan 2 3 1) (tan 2 2 1)]
2
1
C p (T2 T3 ) Ca 2 (tan 2 3 tan 2 2 )
2

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1
C p (T2 T3 ) Ca 2 [(tan 3 tan 2 )(tan 3 tan 2 )]
2
1 2 [(tan 3 tan 2 )(tan 3 tan 2 )]
Ca
2
UCa (tan 2 tan 3 )
Ca
(tan 3 tan 2 )
2U
Degree of reaction in terms of gas angles
U
U
tan 2 tan 2 tan 2 tan 2
Ca
Ca

U
U
tan 3 tan 3 tan 3 tan 3
Ca
Ca
Ca
(tan 3 tan 2 )
2U
Ca
U
U

tan 2
tan 3

2U
Ca
Ca

U
U
tan 2
tan 3
Ca
Ca

Ca
2U

tan 3 tan 2

2U
Ca

Ca
2U

Ca
tan 3 tan 2
2U

Blade-loading coefficient
The blade-loading coefficient is used to express work capacity of the stage.
It is defined as the ratio of the specific work of the stage to the square of the blade velocity

Ws C p Tos Ca

(tan 2 tan 3 )
U2
U2
U

Flow coefficient
The flow coefficient is defined as the ratio of the inlet velocity Ca to the blade speed U
C
a
U

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The blade angles in terms of , , and

(tan 2 tan 3 )

(tan 3 tan 2 )

2
adding and sub above eqn we get
1
( 2)
2
1
tan 2
( 2 )
2
we know that
tan 3

U
tan 2 tan 2 tan 3 tan 3
Ca
1
1
( 2)
2

1
tan 3
( 2 2)
2
1
1
tan 2
( 2 )
2

1
tan 2
( 2 2)
2
Let us consider 50% reaction at mean radius
tan 3

=0.5
1

tan 3 tan 2

3 2 and 2 3
consider C1 C3 1 = 3 = 2
4 tan 3 2 4 tan 2 2
4 tan 2 2 4 tan 3 2

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