The Effect of Pressure Ratio Variations on Performance Characteristics of a Radial Twin Entry Turbine using Geometrical Modelling and Flow Simulation

In this paper the effect of pressure ratios on the performance characteristics of a radial twin entry turbine is investigated using computer aided design (CAD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). First, geometric models of the turbine flow passages are constructed by simultaneous use of measuring tools and computer aided design software. Because of geometrical complexity of flow passages, tetrahedral cells are used to generate unstructured grid in the computational domain. Three dimensional flow of steady, viscous, and compressible nature is solved by Multiple Reference Frame (MRF) technique. Characteristic curves of the turbine are obtained by post processing flow simulation results. Mass flow parameter, delivered torque parameter and total to static turbine efficiency are plotted against different pressure ratios. Results show that at constant rotational speed, increasing pressure ratio leads to increase in mass flow parameter until choke limit while the total to static efficiency decreases and delivered torque increases.