Application of a 3D Blade Design Method for Supersonic Vaneless Contra-Rotating Turbine

Abstract

A new 3D blade design method basing on S1 surface, which is approximate the true three-dimensional flows in machinery, is presented in the paper to design the rotor blades of supersonic highly loaded vaneless contra-rotating turbine (abbr. VCRT) with large meridian passage divergence angle. The basic principle of 3D profile design is introduced. The high pressure rotor of highly loaded VCRT was designed with exit Mach number 1.33 and meridian channel divergence angle 37.3°. The results of 3D numerical simulation indicated that the distributions of dynamics parameters are well-proportioned and there are few separated flows in VCRT. Its stagnation efficiency reaches 92.3%. The results of CRT design showed that the 3D profile design method is more precise and effective than the conventional 2D cylinder method for turbine blades with large meridian expansion passage and sophisticated streamlines because the 3D features of flows are appropriately considered.