ME 630 Turbomachinery _______________ Sample Midterm Exam Questions and Problems

Part I. Short Answer Questions

1. An impulse turbine stage is characterized by ______________________.

2. For steady, one-dimensional adiabatic flow in a duct, the _____________________ is

constant.

3. The total-to-static stage efficiency is defined as ____________________.

4. The row efficiency is defined as ______________________.

5. The Mach number is defined as ______________________.

6. Normally, compressibility effects do not have to be considered if the Mach number is below
about ____________________.

7. For a turbine, the polytropic efficiency is normally __________________ than the adiabatic
efficiency.

8. For steady, one-dimensional adiabatic flow in a duct, the entropy

_______________________________________________ .

9. For steady, one-dimensional isentropic flow in a duct, the stagnation pressure

____________________________________.

10. Euler's turbine equation for a turbine rotor row is as follows:

__________________________, assuming steady 1-D flow.

11. The velocity diagram for a stage describes ________________ speed,

___________________ velocity, ___________________ velocity and ___________________
angle, and ___________________ angle.

12. The relationship between U, V, and W is as follows:

___________________________________________________.

13. The sound speed for a perfect gas is given by ______________________.

14. The mass flow parameter is defined as ___________________________.

15. Rotating turbine blades are sometimes referred to as _________________________.

16. In a centrifugal compressor, the rotating part through which fluid flows is called the
_______________________________.
17. A typical operating pressure ratio for a power gas turbine is
______________________________.

18. In a power gas turbine engine, the ratio of turbine specific work to compressor specific work
is typically about _______________________.

19. For incompressible flow through a diffuser, the pressure rise coefficient is defined as
____________________________.

20. For compressible flow through a turbine blade passage, the total pressure loss coefficient is
defined as ____________________________.

21. The stagnation pressure is defined as ___________________________.

22. The incidence angle is the flow inlet angle minus the
_______________________________________________.

23. The term "bucket" is sometimes used to refer to _________________.

24. The total -to-static stage efficiency is less than the total-to-total stage efficiency because
___________________________________________.

25. The sound speed of a perfect gas is given by ______________________.

26. For air at normal conditions, the sound speed is about _________ ft/s.

27. For steady, one-dimensional isentropic flow in a duct, the stagnation pressure
____________________________________.

28. The suction surface of a turbine blade is the

_________________________________________ surface.

29. For flow through a turbomachine rotor, the ___________________________ is constant.

30. For flow through a turbomachine stator, the ___________________________ is constant.

Part II. Problems

1. Air flows steadily through a turbine stator row. The inlet pressure is 50 psia and the inlet
temperature is 400 F. The exit pressure is equal to 30 psia, and the expansion process obeys the
equation P = c(rho)n, with n = 1.3. Calculate the row efficiency. (hint: it follows that T2/T1 =
(P2/P1)(n-1)/n.)
(Ans. 0.819)

2. A single stage turbine operates steadily, with a flowrate equal to 10 lbm/s. The rotor blade
wheelspeed at mean diameter is equal to 600 ft/s. The rotor inlet and exit axial velocities are the
same, and equal to 300 ft/s. The inlet flow angle is 60, and the exit flow angle is -20. Estimate
the turbine specific work in Btu/lbm, and the turbine power in hp (1 hp = 2545 Btu/h). If the
fluid is air (cp = 0.24 Btu lbm-1R-1) and the inlet temperature is 340 F, estimate the inlet/exit
pressure ratio. Assume steady, adiabatic flow. Assume a total-to-total efficiency of about
0.9. (Ans. 15.1, 213.0, 1.38)

3. Air flows steadily through a turbine blade wind tunnel cascade. The inlet stagnation pressure
is 120 psia, the inlet stagnation temperature is 140 F, and the inlet velocity is equal to 350 ft/s.
The exit stagnation pressure is equal to 114 psia. The inlet flow angle is equal to 10 deg., and the
exit flow angle is equal to 60 deg. Calculate the exit Mach number, exit pressure and mass flux
for the cascade.
(Ans. 178.8 lbm s-1 ft-2)

Part III. Short Problems

For the following problems, assume that the working fluid is air, with = 1.4, and R = 53.34 ft
lbf lbm-1 R-1 . Unless specified, turbomachines are axial flow type.

1. At a certain location in a turbomachine, P = 30 psia, T = 140 oF andV = 900 ft/s. Calculate the
stagnation pressure and stagnation temperature. (Ans. 43.6, 207.5)

2. A gas turbine stator row has a mean diameter equal to 25 in., and a blade height (at exit) equal
to 2.0 in., and gaging equalto 0.5. If Po = 100 psia, To = 940 oF and P= 72.1 psia at the exit,
calculate the mass flow rate in lbm/s. (Ans. 102.0)

3. For a certain turbine stage, the flow coefficient is equal to 0.33, the reaction is equal to 0.44,
the specific work is equal to 32.0 Btu/lbm, and the mean diameter wheel speed is equal to 800
ft/s. Calculate the loading coefficient. (Ans. 1.25)

4. Given that for a symmetrical turbine stage W3 = V4 = 630 ft/s, V3 = W4 = 1200 ft /s and U3 =
U4 = 800 ft/s, calculate the specific work in Btu/lbm. (Ans. 41.6)

5. At a certain rotor exit T = 140 oF, P = 10 psia, W = 600 ft/s and V = 300 ft/s. Calculate the
stagnation pressure and relative stagnation pressure.
6. The Whirlywidgit turbine company produces a single stage model, which at 3600 RPM and a
flow rate of 3413 lbm/hr produces 16 kW of power. Calculate the stagnation temperature drop
through the turbine.

7. Calculate the total-to-static efficiency of a turbine in which POI = 100 psia , TOI = 500 oF, POE =
46.9 psia, TOE = 333 oF and ME = 0.30. (Ans. 0.8542)

8. Calculate the loss coefficient, f, (based on total-to-static drop) for a stator row in which P01 =
50 psia, M1 = 0.40, P02 = 48 psia and M2 = 0.80. (Ans. 0.1080)

9. A converging-diverging nozzle has a throat area of 5.0 in2. Calculatethe maximum flow rate in
lbm/s if Po= 100 psia and To = 100 oF. (Ans. 11.2)

10. The preliminary design of a radial flow turbine calls for a rotational speed of 3600 RPM,
inlet radius of 6 in., outlet mean radius of 2 in., inlet swirl velocity of 200 ft/s and outlet swirl
velocity of 40 ft/s. Calculate the specific work in Btu/lbm. (Ans. 1.40)

11. Air flows steadily through a compressor stage. The flow enters the rotor with an angle equal
to 25 degrees, and exits the rotor with an angle equal to 57 degrees. The inlet velocity is 430 ft/s,
and the wheel speed is 775 ft/s. The above conditions are at the mean diameter. Axial velocity is
constant through the stage. Estimate the stage specific work in Btu/lbm. (Ans. 12.9)

12. At the exit of a turbine stage, the temperature is equal to 400 oF, the Mach number is 0.4, and
the flow angle is 10 degrees. If the wheel speed at mean diameter is equal to 1100 ft/s, calculate
the relative exit Mach number. (Ans. 0.80)

For the following problems, assume that the working fluid is steam, with = 1.3, and R = 85.75
ft lbf lbm-1 R-1 . Turbomachines are the axial flow type.

13. Given that for a steam turbine stage, the flow coefficient is equal to 0.44, the loading
coefficient is equal to 1.2, the rotor blade gaging (lg) is equal to 0.42 and U3 = U4 = 900 ft/s,
calculate the stage reaction and specific work in Btu/lbm. Assume Vx3 = Vx4. (Ans. 0.35, 38.8)

14. The preliminary design of a steam turbine stage calls for a rotational speed of 3600 RPM.
The rotor hub diameter is equal to 51.0 in., and the rotor blade height is equal to 4.0 in. Thr flow
coefficient is equal to 0.5. The preliminary design is to be a symmetrical stage with zero exit
swirl. Calculate the rotor gaging and specific work in Btu/lbm. (Ans. 0.4472, 29.8)

15. At a certain location in a turbomachine, P = 76 psia, T = 500 oF and V = 1190 ft/s. Calculate
the stagnation pressure in psia and stagnation temperature in oF. (Ans. 98.4, 559)

16. A steam turbine stator row has a mean diameter equal to 48 in., a blade height (at exit) equal
to 3.0 in., and exit flow angle equal to 60 deg. If Po = 300 psia, To = 640 oF and P= 194 psia at
the exit, calculate the mass flow rate in lbm/s. (Ans. 816.0)