Numerical and Experimental Study of Ventilation for Gas Turbine Package Enclosure

Abstract

The presented paper provides details of the enclosure design validation practice that combines a CFD and experimental study using an engine enclosure subscale model. The main features from the actual engine package were included in geometrically similar experimental model and represented in detail in the CFD model. Performance of ventilation was studied for both cold and heated engine surfaces. A number of experimental techniques, including flow visualization, flow-velocity, temperature measurements, and infrared thermal imaging have been applied in the study. A potential methane leakage was emulated with CO2 and was combined with CO2 sampling and concentration measurements in various locations within the enclosure. Numerical predictions were then compared to experimental data allowing to fine tune the model and applied boundary conditions. Based on presented study certain improvements in design of the enclosure were recommended and described in the paper.