Effect of Trailing Edge Geometry on A Turbine

Blade Base Pressure

Mahmoud M. El-Gendi, Mohammed K. Ibrahim, Koichi Mori, Yoshiaki Nakamura
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603

Introduction Results
Trailing edge loss accounts for more than one third The time-averaged pressure distribution trend of
of total loss in turbine cascade. both trailing edge cases is similar. Moving
0.35
downstream, the pressure decreases gradually
0.3
Sudden jump because a turbine blade is an accelerated channel.
0.25
in loss next to
0.2
Loss

trailing edge 1
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
-0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
X/Cax
Mass average loss coefficient, Langston et al. [1]

Experimentally, at the trailing edge, Cicatelli and

Time-average dimensionless pressure (p/po1) distribution
Sieverding [2] observed a uniform pressure along the trailing edge
distribution at M2,is=0.4, whether Sieverding et al. [3]
found that this distribution is non-uniform at The base pressure (pb) increases with increasing
M2,is=0.79. the major-to-mionr axis ratio (a/b), which changed
from 0.5 to 3.0 and circular case represents a/b =
(a) Circular (b) Elliptic
1.0.
Time-averaged dimensionless pressure (p/po1) contours
Experimental
set up [2,3] Effect of major-to-minor axis ratio on the base pressure

a/b 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0

Both Mach number cases have a similar isentropic
Mach number distribution trend along the blade Pb/Po1 0.580 0.570 0.595 0.598 0.611
surface, so that our modification does not have a
significant effect on the blade load. At a/b = 3.0 the base pressure increases by 7.19%
Aim from circular case.
Because the base pressure value is important in
1

2 p
M is 1
1 p01
Suction
turbine design and affects loss, we propose a new, Side
practical trailing edge shape to improve the base
pressure and changes it from non-uniform to Suction
Pressure
uniform distribution at M2,is=0.79. Side
side

Pressure
Side

Numerical Methods

Time-averaged isentropic Mach number distribution along the blade surface

Percentage from circular case

In the circular trailing edge, there are three pressure
minima. Two of them next to the beginning of the
trailing (S/D = 0.75) at S/D = 0.66 and the third
one at S/D = 0.0. There is a circular region with low
pressure value downstream of the trailing edge
resulting from vortices formation. In the elliptic
trailing edge, there are only two pressure minima
next to the beginning of the trailing edge ( S/D =
1.2) at S/D = -1.02 and 0.9. In the outward direction
Boundary and flow conditions and computational grid ( 657 238 3 )
of these minima, the pressure increases gradually.
Conclusion
Using DDES as a first attempt to treat turbulence
through a turbine cascade, the non-uniform
pressure distribution along the trailing edge at
high Mach number was confirmed numerically.
Our modification as a practical, new shape of the
trailing edge not only success to make the
pressure distribution uniform but also increases
the base pressure by 7.19%.

(Original) Acknowledgements
(Our proposal)
This work is supported by a Grant-in-Aid for 21st
Century COE Frontier of Computational Science.
Trailing edge modification and
(a) Circular (b) Elliptic
grid around the trailing edges
Time-average dimensionless pressure (p/po1) contours
close to the trailing edge
References
[1] Langston, L. H., Nice, M. L., Hooper R. M., 1977, Three-dimensional Flow
Within a Turbine Cascade Passage, ASME J. of Engineering for Power, 99, pp.
The non-uniform pressure distribution along the
21-28
Unsteady calculations were carried out using a circular trailing edge confirms the experimental data
structure locally-developed Navier-Stocks code. [3]. Using an elliptic trailing edge makes the [2] Cicatelli, G. and Sieverding, C. H., 1997, The Effect of Vortex Shedding on
The Unsteady Pressure Distribution Around the Trailing Edge of a Turbine
pressure distribution uniform and increases the Blade, ASME J. of Turbomachinery, 119, pp. 810-819.
Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) was
average base pressure by 4.9% from 0.59 (circular [3] Sieverding, C. H., Richard, H., and Desse, J., 2003, Turbine Blade Trailing
used for first time to treat turbulence through a
case) to 0.598 ( elliptic case). Edge Characteristics at High Subsonic Outlet Mach Number, ASME J. of
turbine cascade. Turbomachinery, 125, pp. 298-309.