Previous Projects
Experimental investigation of a turbine vane frame on a 2-shaft test rig.
Fördergeber*innen
- GE Aviation Advanced Technology, Zweigniederlassung der Gerneral Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH
Beginn: 30.09.2023
Ende: 29.11.2025
In order to strengthen European aviation industry for the future and to increase its competitiveness the European Commission released its vision for aviation Flightpath 2050 in 2011. Among other goals, it aims at the reduction of CO2 emissions by 75 % compared to 2000. In order to achieve this goal the efficiency of modern aero-engines has to be improved considerably, whereas artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization will play a key role (BMK, 2020).
The Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics at Graz University of Technology has been investigating the aerodynamics of intermediate turbine ducts, a key component of modern aero-engines, for many years. This research provides the institute with a large and well evaluated data basis. It shall be used for AI application in the project ARIADNE. Together with an informatics institute and two Austrian SMEs following goals shall be pursued to provide tools for the optimization of future intermediate turbine ducts in aero-engines:
• Setup of a data bank of the aeronautics of intermediate turbine ducts, based on measurements and simulation of different designs at various inflow conditions. The structure of the data bank shall allow a fast and efficient utilization for AI application.
• Development of methods for data reduction for efficient AI application based on POD methods and Machine Learning
• Development of a method for the fast flow prediction of new designs observing the physics of fluid mechanics
• Development of a tool for the evaluation of measurements in turbine ducts in order to find possible sensor errors
• Development of a tool for the evaluation of flow simulations of turbine ducts in order to find possible model errors or computational mesh problems
• Application of the developed tools to obtain innovative knowledge of principles in the flow of intermediate turbine ducts
• Finally, the developed tools shall be combined with an optimizer with the goal of fast and efficient design optimization, much faster than with flow simulation based optimizing methods
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.08.2021
Ende: 30.08.2025
Investigations of a turning vane frame on our transonic 2-shaft turbine test rig.
Fördergeber*innen
- General Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH, GE Global Research - Europe, GE
- Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie, BMWI
Beginn: 30.09.2020
Ende: 30.12.2024
Investigations of a turning vane frame on our transonic 2-shaft turbine test rig.
Fördergeber*innen
- General Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH, GE Global Research - Europe, GE
- Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie, BMWI
Beginn: 30.09.2020
Ende: 30.12.2024
Investigations of a turning vane frame on our transonic 2-shaft turbine test rig.
Fördergeber*innen
- General Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH, GE Global Research - Europe, GE
- Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie, BMWI
Beginn: 30.09.2020
Ende: 30.12.2024
Development and aerodynamic optimisation of turbine center frames through a measurement campaign.
Fördergeber*innen
- GE Aviation Advanced Technology, Zweigniederlassung der Gerneral Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH
Beginn: 31.10.2021
Ende: 30.12.2023
In today's attempt to reduce the emissions of pollutants, especially the greenhouse gas CO2, and to achieve more strictly limits, aero engine manufacturers try to reduce weight of their engines in order to reduce fuel consumption. This is done by lightweight designs and shorter engines due to smaller axial distance between blade and vanes. These measures also lead to shorter casing parts. Due to this development, the available time for hot streaks to mix out is reduced. Such hot streaks are typical for combustion chamber outlets and can be found in every engine. Therefore, it is assumed that such non-uniform temperature distribution from the outlet of the combustor (OTDF of app. 25%) will affect more downstream parts such as the Turbine Centre Frame (TCF) as well as the flow through these components. Because of aggressive TCF designs to additionally save weight of the engine, it is crucial to know the influence of hot streaks onto the flow through the TCF and the boundary layer that is close to separation. Further, the amount of cooling air should be reduced together with an increase of temperature level and pressure ratio to achieve higher efficiencies. But this leads to higher temperatures of the streak if the OTDF is nearly the same. The interaction of that hot streak with engine components reduces engine life time drastically or leads to fatal malfunctions of components in the hot gas path. Therefore, it is crucial to quantify these interactions and risks for the sake of safety, economics and environmental protection. These risks must be considered already during the design process.
Within this project an annular sector cascade is designed, manufactured and brought into service in order to experimentally study the effect of hot streaks onto the aerodynamics and heat transfer to the TCF struts surfaces and end walls. As inlet condition an engine realistic flow field is simulated. The investigation is conducted for several radial and circumferential positions of the hot streak regarding to the leading edge of the TCF strut. The experimental investigation of this realistic effect under engine representative conditions goes beyond state-of-the-art.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.12.2019
Ende: 29.06.2023
“ReSiSTant” targets the optimization of two industrial pilot lines by using micro- and nanostructured surfaces for drag reduction. The objectives are to implement new developed surfaces into 1) Aircraft Turbofan Engines and 2) Industrial Compressors. Positive effects by usage of such surface could give benefits in terms of efficiency, CO2 reduction and noise emission and further on a positive economical and ecological impact. To enable the usage of such micro- and nanostructures, special development on the surface material for better durability in rough conditions has do be done. It is planned to do nano-functionalization, like implementing nanostructures and nanoparticles for better resistance in rough conditions. Riblets basically consist of tiny streamwise grooved surfaces which reduce the drag in the turbulent boundary layer of up to 8%. Surface modifications such as riblets are the most promising technology that could be applied without additional external energy or additional amount of air. An additional key outcome of the proposed project is a detailed
database of experimental data for cases with and without riblets, which can be leveraged to validate tools for forced response and aero-acoustic predictions of an aircraft engine and its low-pressure turbine components. At industrial gas compressors the riblet structures reduce the aerodynamic shear stress losses. An efficiency increase of 1% of a single stage
system shall be achieved. During the project a riblet coating that includes a corrosion protection should be developed. Beside the resistant hardness of the coating also a self-cleaning mechanism by usage of nanostructures should be implemented. The new surface manufacturing processes shall be completed in less than 5 hours and a higher process reliability and predictability of the performance results is sought. As a whole, the success of the project will therefore
contribute to significantly increasing the level of maturity for these pilot lines to TRL7.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Institut für Kraftwerkstechnik, Dampf- und Gasturbinen
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
- Fundación Prodintec
Beginn: 31.12.2017
Ende: 30.12.2022
The tests are carried out in the transonic 2-shaft turbine test rig.
Fördergeber*innen
- Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie, BMWI
- General Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH, GE Global Research - Europe, GE
Beginn: 31.12.2017
Ende: 30.12.2022
In the aerodynamics of TVF (Turning Vane Frame) modules for future UHPE (Ultra-High Bypass-Ratio Engine) architectures the interaction with the HPT (high pressure turbine) and LPT (low pressure turbine) rotor is one of the major key factors for loss generation and has to be be accounted for already in the design process. The TVF inlet flow is driven by the HPT characteristics including wakes, secondary flow effects and tip leakage as well as purge flows. In order to provide relevant test data to guide the TVF aerodynamic design, it is critical that engine-relevant TVF inlet and exit flow conditions are provided.
Therefore the main objective of this project is to execute a rig test programme for TVF aerodynamic designs, coupled
with an upstream HPT stage and downstream LPT blade, in a flow environment representative of future geared civil
turbofan aero-engine applications. Since the performance of any HPT-LPT transition duct is impacted by the level of
the incoming flow effects, a variation of HPT tip gap and purge flow levels is planned. The aerodynamic performance
of the TVF is also affected by the downstream LPT rotor. This test programme aims to deliver both the HPT/TVF/LPT
system performance as well as the breakdown of the component performance levels.
The two-spool transonic test turbine facility at TU Graz equipped with a secondary air system will be used for
performing the investigations. Besides conventional measurement with rakes and pneumatic probes advanced
instrumentation such as fast response pressure probes and sensors as well as optical measurement techniques will be
used to study the time-resolved component interaction.
Two main test campaigns are planned. In the first test, a baseline TVF configuration is studied. In the second step an
optimized HPT+TVF+LPT setup will be investigated. The improvement can then be evaluated and demonstrated by
means of the available rig data. In this way it is guaranteed that a rise in technology readiness level from TRL4 to
TRL5 will be possible and that the input for a Ground Test Demo (TRL6) can be provided.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Beginn: 31.03.2018
Ende: 29.09.2021
The digital aeroengine of the future allows the design, the prediction of efficiency as well as of the operational behavior through massive computer simulation without the need for additional experiments. In order to achieve this goal, the flow in aeroengines has to be predicted with innovative and more reliable methods.
The flow in aeroengines is always transient and also highly turbulent. The accurate simulation of the unsteady turbulent flow under consideration of the laminar-to-turbulent transition in the boundary layer is therefore a prerequisite for the design of modern aeroengines. In the industrial design process, the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS approach) are usually applied which consider the turbulence and transition by appropriate models. But this computationally effective approach often suffers from the poor quality of the applied models.
Therefore, the goal of the project ALESIA is the improvement of the simulation of turbulent aeroengine flows by the application of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to come closer to the ultimate goal of the digital aeroengine.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 30.06.2018
Ende: 29.06.2021
pressure to increase efficiency of aircraft forces engine manufacturers to further optimise
their engines. One important key component of future aero engines is the intermediate
turbine duct between the High Pressure Turbine (HPT) and the Low Pressure Turbine (LPT).
Recent developments aim at an integrated intermediate turbine duct solution, the so-called
Turbine Vane Frame (TVF) where the function of the following turbine vanes is integrated
into the struts of the Turbine Centre Frame (TCF) in order to save length, parts count and
thus weight.
There are several aerodynamic challenges in designing an efficient and robust TVF. One is
the amplification of the flow distortion downstream of the HPT (wakes, swirl angle nonuniformities,
secondary flows, and tip leakages) due to flow turning in the TVF duct. Another
challenge is the susceptibility of turning vane surface flow to separate if high levels of flow
turning are required in the TVF duct, reducing the TVF aerodynamic performance and LPT
efficiency. Also, the interaction of a potentially highly non-uniform TVF exit flow with the
downstream LPT module must be managed since it may jeopardize LPT performance.
The TURANDOT project aims to achieve the following technical objectives:
1. Gain new insight into the intermediate turbine duct flow physics, in particular into the
complex three-dimensional flow between two turning vanes to identify further design
approaches for performance improvements,
2. Characterize the evolution of turbulence through the duct, determine the importance
of unsteadiness in the generation of pressure losses, and use the test results as
data-base for the validation and improvement of turbulence modelling tools, and
3. Quantify the potential of drag-reducing surface modifications to improve the
aerodynamic performance of an advanced turbine intermediate duct.
To reach these project goals an intensive test campaign is planned in a high-speed test
turbine rig under engine relevant flow conditions. Optical access into the test setup will be
provided to obtain new insight into the flow details of the turbine intermediate duct by means
of non-intrusive laser-measurement techniques. Additionally, detailed turbulence
measurements are planned to quantify the evolution of turbulence in the HPT exit flow,
through the TVF duct and the first LPT rotor. Finally, the same setup with applied surface
modifications will be tested and compared to the baseline configuration.
All activities proposed in the project (optical access, turbulence measurements, and surface
modifications) will be supported by state-of-the-art CFD simulations. Further, these results
will increase the knowledge gained in prior projects.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 01.01.2017
Ende: 30.12.2020
Fatigue fracture tests are performed to verify the required material and welding parameters of a pressure pipeline. Submerged arc welding (UP) and metal active gas welding (MAG) are used for the welding processes. The welding seams are made as butt joints and flap seams.
In order to cover the various combinations, 8 series of fatigue fracture tests are carried out with 10 specimens each.
Fördergeber*innen
- ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH
Beginn: 31.12.2019
Ende: 30.12.2020
Based on a previous project from 17.9.2009, the finite element simulations and evaluations are to be extended to the stress state of worn rail profiles, as they can be found in very narrow curves. The geometry of the worn profiles is provided by the client. The loads to be applied are based both on the specifications from " ORE C138/Rp9-Zulässige Höchstwerte der Y-und Q-Kräfte und Entgleisungskriterien " and on individual real load conditions.
Fördergeber*innen
- ÖBB-Infrastruktur Aktiengesellschaft
Beginn: 30.09.2019
Ende: 30.03.2020
In order to meet the stringent pollutant regulations set by the governments, lowemission concepts have been developed for gas turbines in power plants.
Unfortunately, these combustors have a strong tendency towards combustion instabilities. Such unsteady heat release will cause sound radiation and might damage the machine. Thus, a characterization of the flame is important, already during design and construction procedures. Such a characterization is also necessary for turbomachinery in aero-engines.
The hypothesis of this project claims that such a haracterization of flames can be done laser-optically and non-intrusive, whenever optical access is granted. This is the case during design and testing of such combustors. The laser-optical sensor developed in this project comes without probes and without the need for tracer particles, so common in the recording of flow velocities. This approach in tracer-free velocity recording also breaks new ground in fluid mechanics.
Based on the experience gathered at TU Graz and TU Dresden in previous projects funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG, the basics of such a sensor will be developed in this international project between TU Graz (J.Woisetschläger) and TU Dresden (J.Czarske, A.Fischer). This includes complex algorithms for signal processing based in the principles of thermodynamics as well as a fast sensor technique based on modern signal processing and high-speed camera technology.
Three European research institutes are willing to participate in the test phase of such a sensor or provide access to a variety of industry relevant combustors, namely TU Munich, DLR Cologne and PTB Braunschweig.
Since western society strongly depends on fast transportation and permanent availability of energy, research in the field of turbomachinery always is energy related research, with a strong impact on society.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Externe Partner
- ONERA - Office National d’Etudes et Recherches Aérospatiales, Department for Modells in Aero Thermodynamics and Energetics (DMAE)
- Technische Universität München
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Space Simulation, Dr. Georg Lohöfer, DLR
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Department 1.22 Acceleration, PTB Braunschweig
- Technische Universität Dresden
Beginn: 29.02.2016
Ende: 28.02.2020
In order to reduce fuel consumption and thus environmental pollution of modern jet engines either the internal flow has to be improved or the weight has to be decreased by reduction of stage or blade numbers. Both ways demand the massive use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The models used in the simulation have to be evaluated by comparison with experimental data.
Although CFD codes are well established there are still uncertainties in the modeling of turbulence and especially of the boundary layer processes. The change of the boundary layer flow from laminar to turbulent and vice versa cannot be predicted reliably, although it can have a large impact on friction and thus efficiency. Especially the understanding and modeling of reverse flow transition, the so-called relaminarization, which can be found at compressor and turbine blades, is poor.
Therefore the project RELAM has set the goal to investigate relaminarization, but also transition, at flow conditions relevant for jet engines. Since there are only few data for relaminarization at higher velocities, at first test cases for an experimental investigation shall be found and designed. They shall be investigated with the innovative method of laser vibrometry, which allows the frequency resolved recording of density fluctuations and thus of transition.
The experimental data will be used for the determination of strengths and weaknesses of existing transition models currently used in commercial CFD codes. Based on the results new approaches for the prediction of relaminarization will be developed and validated. They should allow the design of improved and thus more environmentally friendly jet engines in the future.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.03.2014
Ende: 27.02.2020
Within this project, an electric propulsion system for a self-launching glider is investigated based
on a high temperature solid oxide cell. This solid oxide cell (SOFC/SOEC) is to be operated in
flight in the fuel cell mode and on the ground, with additional supply of electricity and water, in the
electrolysis mode in order to produce hydrogen. With that alternative fuel a self-sufficient operation
of the entire propulsion system is guaranteed. Compared to thermal engines the solid oxide fuel
cell has a much greater efficiency, lower emissions and has similar power densities as battery
powered propulsion systems. The independent propulsion system will be validated as a scaled
model in the reversible mode experimentally.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.12.2015
Ende: 30.12.2019
Up to now all test rigs are designed for optimum periodic inlet boundary conditions. That is
necessary in order to be able to draw some general conclusions, saving measurement time
as well as to compare measurement data with results from simulations. That simulations are
usually performed for one periodic sector due to time reasons. However, in an engine under
representative operating conditions these ideal periodic boundary conditions are not present,
there will always be a variation at the inlet. Normally total pressure and/or total temperature
are altered by upstream components. For example the temperature can vary by about 100°C
to 200°C along the circumference downstream of the combustion chamber. The following
turbine stage especially the rotor blades are then excited and start to vibrate. Also struts in
turbine centre frames can produce different wakes, different pressure distributions due to
separations. Again, the following low pressure turbine stage is then excited. The excitation
will increase the shorter engine components are to safe weight and therefore fuel. With that a
significant reduction of emissions can be achieved. An environmental improvement is here
coupled to a worsening of the vibration situation of the turbine parts or engine components,
respectively. However, we can handle that situation with high quality measurement data
gained in high-grade research projects e.g. projects in the framework TAKE OFF.
Within that project the influence of these inlet distortions onto the vibration of a turbine rotor
will be investigated experimentally and numerically (2 way fluid-structure-interaction). The
investigation of that effect clearly separated that project from state-of-the-art projects. The
numerical challenge is that the complete circumference has to be modelled and simulated. It
is well known that these simulations are very time consuming and computational expensive
and therefore a fast and simple calculation tool will be developed in order to estimate the
stability margin of the system in a very short time. That tool should then be used in an early
design phase of a low pressure turbine.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.10.2016
Ende: 30.10.2019
Fatigue testing of an axle for railway application as part of a product qualification process.
Fördergeber*innen
- Siemens Mobility Austria GmbH
Beginn: 30.06.2019
Ende: 30.10.2019
Simulation of service life load of monoblock wheels of powered axles by fatigue test.
Fördergeber*innen
- Sumitomo Deutschland GmbH
Beginn: 01.05.2019
Ende: 29.08.2019
The aim of the project "FEM calculation of a railway vehicle body joint" is the computational determination of the stiffness properties and the stress state of a railway vehicle body joint used in metros. For a multi-axial component test, the relationship between the multi-body simulation (MBS) signal of the external force / rotation values (4D load space) and the component displacements occurring is required. The determination is carried out by means of FEM calculations at discrete supporting points in the 4D load space and subsequent interpolation to the MBS signal. Finally, to shorten the component test, highly stressed local points must be identified and the stress curve has to be evaluated as a function of the MBS signal.
Fördergeber*innen
- Siemens Mobility Austria GmbH
Beginn: 22.04.2019
Ende: 29.06.2019
Fatigue testing of highly loaded pitman arms with tapered involute spline.
Fördergeber*innen
- Rosenbauer International AG
Beginn: 28.06.2018
Ende: 27.06.2019
As part of the project, aerodynamic measurements will be carried out on the turbine transition channel.
Fördergeber*innen
- MTU Aero Engines AG
Beginn: 30.09.2018
Ende: 30.12.2018
As part of the project, aerodynamic measurements will be carried out on the turbine transition channel.
Fördergeber*innen
- General Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH, GE Global Research - Europe, GE
Beginn: 30.09.2018
Ende: 30.12.2018
The ENOVAL project will provide the next step of engine technologies to achieve and surpass the ACARE 2020 goals on the way towards Flightpath 2050. ENOVAL completes the European FP7 roadmap of Level 2 aero engine projects. ENOVAL will focus on the low pressure system of ultra-high by-pass ratio propulsion systems in conjunction with very high overall pressure ratio to provide significant reductions in CO2 emissions in terms of fuel burn (-3% to -5%) and fan noise (-1.3 ENPdB)
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- California State University, Office of the Chancellor
- Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Akademisches Auslandsamt, B-TU
- Bauhaus Luftfahrt e.V.
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Space Simulation, Dr. Georg Lohöfer, DLR
- ARTTIC
- ONERA - Office National d’Etudes et Recherches Aérospatiales, Department for Modells in Aero Thermodynamics and Energetics (DMAE)
- Fundación Centro de Tecnologías Aeronauticas
- CENAERO - Centre de Recherche en Aeronautique
- Ergon Research S.R.L.
- CEIT - Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones Técnicas de Gipuzkoa
- University of Southampton
- Universität der Bundeswehr München
- Università degli Studi di Firenze
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
- Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, CTH
- Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace, ISAE
- Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa JMA, S. Coop., MGEP
- University of Cambridge
- Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Laboratoire Ampère, Environmental Microbial Genomics Group
- Stichting Nationaal Lucht- En Ruimtevaart Laboratorium
- Central Institute of Aviation Motors - State Scientific Center of Russian Federation, CIAM
Beginn: 30.09.2013
Ende: 29.09.2018
Carrying out inflow turbulence measurements.
Fördergeber*innen
- MTU Aero Engines AG
Beginn: 30.06.2013
Ende: 30.07.2018
Within this project different modifications of the turbine exit casing will be applied in order to reduce noise level and their effectiveness is evaluated. Some of these modifications (e.g. absorber-blades) are altering surface roughness, thus affecting boundary layer development. Therefore, the project is considering blade excitation of the upstream rotor (due to altered potential effects) as well a change in aerodynamically losses. Most important outcomes of the project are suggestions and recommendations how to reduce noise level of aero engines considering aeroelasticity in order to perform a holistic optimisaton.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 30.06.2015
Ende: 29.06.2018
In order to further reduce pollutant emissions of jet engines a catalytic combustion chamber for hydrogen is investigated within this project. A parameter study with different catalytic
materials is conducted. The design is supported by numerical simulations and analytical models. Based on that, the functional demonstration of the combustion chamber within the
entire engine relevant operating range is carried out.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 30.06.2014
Ende: 29.06.2017
Development of the first fully integrated an controlled cooling cycle for the usage in household cooling appliance.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
- Kärntner Wirtschaftsförderungs Fonds, KWF
- Standortagentur Tirol GmbH
- Steirische Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft m.b.H., SFG
- Liebherr-Hausgeräte Lienz GmbH
- SimTech GmbH
- Nidec Global Appliance Austria GmbH
- Infineon Technologies Austria AG
Beginn: 30.06.2013
Ende: 29.06.2017
Aerodynmische und akustische Bewertung von Turbinenaustrittsgehäusen.
Fördergeber*innen
- MTU Aero Engines AG
Beginn: 31.03.2011
Ende: 29.06.2016
The collaboration includes the investigation of different TCF-Concepts for GE aero engines
Fördergeber*innen
- General Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH, GE Global Research - Europe, GE
Beginn: 28.02.2014
Ende: 29.06.2016
HiSpeeT - Schnelllaufende Niederdruckturbinen für GTF-Anwendungen der zweiten Generation
Fördergeber*innen
- MTU Aero Engines AG
Beginn: 30.11.2010
Ende: 29.06.2016
Es sollen Zusatzmessungen im Rahmen der Untersuchung des am Außendeckband geschlitzten Niederdruckturbinenrotors durchgeführt werden.
Fördergeber*innen
- MTU Aero Engines AG
Beginn: 31.12.2009
Ende: 29.06.2016
In order to meet the stringent pollutant regulations set by the governments, low-emission concepts of combustion systems in turbomachinery have been developed. Unfortunately, combustors operating near the lean flammability limit have a strong tendency towards combustion instabilities. Unsteady heat release will cause sound radiation and might amplify these combustion instabilities as well. This unsteady heat release can be related to the density fluctuations in the flame, or to be more precise, with the time derivative of these density fluctuations.
In a previous project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF it was shown that so-called laser-vibrometers - interferometers used in engineering for surface vibration detection - can directly record the time derivatives of density fluctuations in flames. Using three of them simultaneously enables quantitative and local recording of these important density fluctuations, as well as, average velocities within the flow field.
The underlying hypothesis of this project proposed, claims that from the local laser-vibrometer recordings within the combustion zone the acoustic field in near-and far-field of a flame can be obtained, since laser-vibrometers can detect the first time derivative of density fluctuations quantitatively. With the simultaneously and experimentally recorded acoustic pressure distribution in the far field of the flame, this assumption can be tested. Such a mode shape analysis of the acoustic field around the flame by interferometric detection of thermoacoustic oscillation within the flame provides an innovative aspect for experimental thermoacoustic research.
On the one side laser-vibrometers are well established in engineering, with easy access and handling, so their application is also cost-effective. On the other side western society strongly depends on fast transportation and permanent availability of energy, thus research in the field of turbomachinery always is energy related research, with a strong impact on society.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.05.2012
Ende: 30.05.2016
Within the framework of this project, the combustion chamber of a jet engine in the thrust
range of 1kN will be adapted for the combustion of hydrogen. Therefore the rotor bearings
as well as the controller of the jet engine need to be adjusted. The emissions should be
significantly improved compared to the current state of technology. The new combustion
chamber concept will be validated experimentally in a scaled version.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.05.2013
Ende: 30.05.2016
Forced response analysis of modern low pressure turbines.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.03.2013
Ende: 30.03.2016
Three-dimensional endwall contouring in turbines and compressors is a powerful method for efficiency improvement of modern jet engines. Intensive numerical flow simulations of highest quality are necessary for the design of 3D endwalls. Therefore a small enterprise and a university institute will work together to develop the necessary tools and to verify them on the improvement of an intermediate turbine transition duct.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.08.2011
Ende: 30.08.2015
This proposal aims to carry out research on coupled finite volume algorithms for compressible fluid flows. The resulting approach is expected to be fast, robust and accurate at a time. The applicant has already established extensive know-how in the field of equation coupling of incompressible flows that shall be extended to compressible flows. In comparison to standard segregated approaches he showed that considerable gains, both in terms of robustness and convergence speed can be made. Since a 5x5xN system of equations arises from coupling the compressible flow variables for 3-D flows (N being the number of finite volume cells), a very fast linear multi-grid solver that scales linearly with the number of cells is necessary to overcome the disadvantage of having 25 times more entries in the matrix to be solved. Hence one part of the proposed project shall be the elaboration and the implementation of a suitable preconditioning and agglomeration strategy for such a solver. The second part of the project shall focus on the elaboration and implementation of coupled transition and turbulence models that are also expected to considerably improve the robustness and convergence speed compared to standard segregated approaches. As a development framework the open source CFD library OpenFOAM® was selected to serve as a platform for collaborative work since it enriches and facilitates the exchange with other researchers.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 15.06.2013
Ende: 14.06.2015
Two university institutes as well as an Austrian supplier of the aeronautics industry join their
forces to achieve the objectives of the proposed project LPT-INJECT. Passive blade tipinjection,
recently developed by the Institute of Energy Systems and Thermodynamics, is a
novel innovative method to reduce tip-leakage losses in uncooled axial turbine blade rows.
The proposed project should answer the question, if passive blade tip-injection can be
applied successfully to high speed low-pressure turbines for geared turbofans. Preliminary
investigations have already been performed in the project MICROSHROUD. It is the main
objective to achieve a weight reduction of the low-pressure turbine blade shrouds without any
efficiency penalty due to increased tip-leakage losses.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Externe Partner
- Technische Universität Wien, Institut für Thermische Turbomaschinen und Energieanlagen
Beginn: 31.03.2014
Ende: 30.03.2015
Investigaton of a new set-up to reduce the noise emissions of aircraft engines
Fördergeber*innen
- MTU Aero Engines AG
Beginn: 31.08.2013
Ende: 14.03.2015
In order to fulfil the ACARE targets the noise emissions of the engine hast o be reduced. Therefore, the main target of this project is the reduction of the noise of the fan, combustion chamber and the turbine by means of realisable technologies at all relevant flight conditions (take off, side line, approach).
Fördergeber*innen
- MTU Aero Engines GmbH, Fachinformation
Beginn: 31.12.2008
Ende: 30.12.2013
The project aims to develop methods for the mechanical simulation of winding head vibrations in hydro and turbo generators. Tests will also be carried out to validate the calculation results.
Fördergeber*innen
- ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH
Beginn: 30.04.2009
Ende: 29.04.2012
Feasibility analysis of replacement fuel from agrar or synthetic origin for propulsion gas turbines.
ALFA-BIRD aims at developing the use of alternative fuels in aeronautics. In a context where the price of oil is increasing and with impact of fossil fuels on climate change, the sustainable growth of the civil aviation is conditioned by the respect of the environment.
In this context using biofuels and alternative fuels in aeronautics is a great challenge, since the operational constrains (e.g. flight in very cold conditions) are very strict, and due to the long lifetime of current civil aircraft (almost 50 years). To address this challenge, ALFA-BIRD gathers a multi-disciplinary consortium with key industrial partners from aeronautics (engine manufacturer, aircraft manufacturer) and fuel industy, and research organization covering a large spectrum of expertise in fields of biochemistry, combustion as well as industrial safety.Bringing together their knowledge, the consortium will develop the whole chain for clean alternative fuels for aviation. The most promising solutions will be examined during the project, from classical ones (plant oils, synthetic fuels) to the most innovative, such as new organic molecules. Based on a first selection of the most relevant alternative fuels, a detailed analysis of up to 5 new fuels will be performed with tests in realistic conditions.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- European Virtual Institute for Integrated Risk Management, EU-VRI
- Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, KIT
- University of Sheffield
- University of Toronto
- Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse, INSA de Toulouse
- Institut Français du Pétrole, IFP
- INRA - Institut national de la Recherche Agronomique
- INERIS - Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques
- Office national d'études et de recherches aérospatiales, ONERA
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für Verbrennungstechnik, DLR
Beginn: 31.07.2008
Ende: 30.12.2011
Within this project new methods for the simulation of end windings vibrations will be developed. Further, experiments for the validation of the simulation results will be conducted.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Beginn: 31.12.2008
Ende: 30.12.2011
This research project focuses on unsteady two-phase flow behaviour at high pressure and temperature levels, and is ground-research oriented. The aimed field of application is the stability of airblast atomisation, which is the common injection device used in modern aeroengines. Collateral fields are for instance liquid-fueled rocket engine stability, internal combustion engine injection, drying spray process control (pharmaceutical + agri-food industry), and coating quality control (metallurgy). New designs for performant and sustainable gas turbine combustors include low-NOx injection technologies, such as lean-premixed-prevaporised (LPP) burners. These systems that operate at high pressure ratios and near the blow-out limit are known to be sensitive to self-induced combustion oscillations. If "heavy" combustion control systems are already applied with success on stationary gas turbines, their transfer to aeroengines is not trivial. There is still a lack of understanding on the physics of unsteady multiphase flow that prevents to master the steadiness of combustion. Actuating the injection is the most feasible solution to damp combustion instability. In this study, we want to rate different airblast actuation strategies required to stabilise the equivalence ratio of the mixture at the level of the flame, or to phase-control this mixture. We propose to act as follows: The approach of the study will be numerical, using an Euler-Lagrange scheme for the simulation of a twophase flow on a 3D computational domain A set of basic experiments will be required to validate the numerical models, as well as measure finely the effect of a specific actuation, for precise boundary condition input Studied parameters will be the effect of pulsed air only, pulsed liquid only, and simultaneously pulsed air and liquid (phase-shifted) on the mixture in the far field Specific numerical development will concern the implementation of unsteady boundary conditions, introduction of the liquid phase, interaction air-particle, simultaneous particle transport and evaporation under unsteady conditions Specific experimental development regards the selection or development of actuators, their control, their testing, and the development of synchronised measurement techniques Works previously realised by the applicant at ONERA and DLR will serve as extra data banks for our parametric analysis (airblast atomisation and evaporation fully characterised for specific geometries, at high pressure and temperature conditions, under steady and unsteady conditions) At the end of this project, the defined guidelines for the realisation of an ad-hoc airblast atomiser (order of magnitude of the liquid/air flow actuation and phase-control issues) will be the input of a future project, where these results will incorporate combustion, be experimentally tested and validated This project requires two PhD's positions over three years (simulation and experiments) plus one PhD over one and a half year (fast control technology). The study will take place at the Combustion Unit, Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics, at the Graz University of Technology.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Externe Partner
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR
Beginn: 30.09.2008
Ende: 29.09.2011
NEWAC will provide a step change for low emission engines by introducing new innovative core configurations to strongly reduce CO2 and NOx emissions. This breakthrough will be achieved by developing and validating new core configurations using heat management (intercooler, cooling air cooler, recuperator), improved combustion, active systems and improved core components. NEWAC will design and manufacture these innovative components and perform model, rig and core tests to validate the critical technologies.
The NEWAC core configurations include an Inter-cooled Recuperative Aero engine (IRA) operating at low overall pressure ratio (OPR), an inter-cooled core configuration operating at high OPR, an active core and a flow controlled core operating at medium OPR. NEWAC will complement past and existing EC projects in the field, e.g. EEFAE in FP5 and VITAL in FP6.
The main result will be fully validated new technologies enabling a 6% reduction in CO2 emissions and a further 16% reduction in NOx relative to ICAO-LTO cycle. Most importantly, the project will address the challenges involved in delivering these benefits simultaneously. NEWAC will deliver together with EEFAE (-11% CO2, -60% NOx), national programs and expected results of VITAL, the overall CO2 reduction of 20% and the NOx reduction close to 80% at a technology readiness level of 5, contributing to the attainment of the ACARE targets.
NEWAC will achieve this technology breakthrough by integrating 41 actors from the European leading engine manufacturers, the engine-industry supply chain, key European research institutes and SMEs with specific expertise. The advance and benefits that NEWAC will bring to Europe in terms of more efficient and environmental-friendly air transport will be disseminated widely to all stakeholders. Furthermore a training programme will ensure the transfer of expertise and knowledge to the wider research community and especially to the new member states of the EU.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- University of Sussex
- Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Fakultät 4 - Maschinenwesen, Lehrstuhl für Strömungslehre und Aerodynamisches Institut, RWTH
- National Technical University of Athens, NTUA
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL
- Loughborough University
- University of Oxford
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR
- University of Cambridge
- Cranfield University
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AUTH
- Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, CTH
- ARTTIC
- Universität Stuttgart
Beginn: 30.04.2006
Ende: 29.04.2011
For industrial gas turbines and aeroengines the trend is towards optimum use of fuels and reduced emissions. To achieve this goal different combustion chamber concepts are under investigation. Unfortunately, combustors operating near the lean flammability limit have a strong tendency towards combustion instabilities. Oscillations of the static pressure amplitude caused by these instabilities might result in severe mechanical damage of the machine and therefore must be controlled.
The Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics, Graz University of Technology, supports this research on novel concepts for combustion chambers by participating in relevant EU projects and by the operation of large experimental facilities, including a 3 MW compressor station supplying compressed air to several test rigs, and a 2 MW air heater, which can be used together with the compressor station. This system can produce air at a temperature up to 550°C with a mass flow of 5kg/s at 10 bar.
The objective of the proposed project is the investigation of flame-flame interaction in a gas-turbine model combustion chamber with forced flow instabilities by a laser interferometric technique (Laser Vibrometer) and the development of a feedback control by a GaPO4 sensor. The most innovative aspect lies in the novel application of the laser optical metrology, especially in the correlation of signals obtained by a Laser Vibrometer, directly detecting density fluctuations, and correlate them to the pressure signals recorded by a GaPO4 sensor in a complex multi-flame configuration. Additional information from the oscillating flame will be obtained by Particle Image Velocimetry and Laser Induced Fluorescence.
This research will result in the possibility to control these instabilities by a feedback control from novel type high-temperature pressure sensors in the combustion chamber. Within active international cooperation the novel measurement techniques developed within this project will be presented and discussed.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.12.2007
Ende: 30.12.2010
Since the publication of the ACARE goals, the commercial and political pressure to reduce CO2 has increased considerably. DREAM is the response of the aero-engine community to this pressure. The first major DREAM objective is to design, integrate and validate new engine concepts based on open rotor contra-rotating architectures to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions 7% beyond the ACARE 2020 objectives. Open rotors are noisier than equivalent high bypass ratio turbofan engines, therefore it is necessary to provide solutions that will meet noise ICAO certification standards.
The second major DREAM objective is a 3dB noise emission reduction per operation point for the engine alone compared to the Year 2000 engine reference. These breakthroughs will be achieved by designing and rig testing: Innovative engine concepts a geared and a direct drive contra-rotating open rotor (unducted propulsion system) Enabling architectures with novel active and passive engine systems to reduce vibrations These technologies will support the development of future open rotor engines but also more traditional ducted turbofan engines. DREAM will also develop specifications for alternative fuels for aero-engines and then characterise, assess and test several potential fuels. This will be followed by a demonstration that the selected fuels can be used in aero-engines.
The DREAM technologies will then be integrated and the engine concepts together with alternative fuels usage assessed through an enhanced version of the TERA tool developed in VITAL and NEWAC. DREAM is led by Rolls-Royce and is made of 47 partners from 13 countries, providing the best expertise and capability from the EU aeronautics industry and Russia. DREAM will mature technologies that offer the potential to go beyond the ACARE objectives for SFC, achieving a TRL of 4-5. These technologies are candidates to be brought to a higher TRL level within the scope of the CLEAN SKY JTI.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Technische Universität Berlin
- Politecnico di Milano
- Universität Stuttgart
- Università degli Studi di Firenze
- Universität der Bundeswehr München
- University of Cambridge
- Cranfield University
- Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, CTH
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL
- Politechnika Slaska
- Technische Universität Darmstadt
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AUTH
- Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace, ISAE
- University of Southampton
- Politecnico di Torino
- Technische Universität Dresden
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR
- Stichting Nationaal Lucht- En Ruimtevaart Laboratorium
- Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Environmental and Applied Fluid Dynamics Department
- Central Institute of Aviation Motors - State Scientific Center of Russian Federation, CIAM
- ONERA - Office National d’Etudes et Recherches Aérospatiales
- Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, TsAGI
- CENAERO - Centre de Recherche en Aeronautique
- ARTTIC
- Fundación Centro de Tecnologías Aeronáuticas, CTA
Beginn: 31.12.2007
Ende: 30.12.2010
All aero engine manufacturers of Europe together with three research institutes and five universities have joined all their expertise and resources in the project AIDA to reach beyond the current state-of-the-art in aero engine intermeadiate duct design. The ability to design more agressive transition ducts has now become a key technology for future efficient low noise engines. Not assigned GG: AST3-CT-2003-502836
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Loughborough University
- Università degli Studi di Genova
- Swedish Defence Research Agency
- University of Cambridge
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR
- Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, CTH
- Office National d´Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales
Beginn: 31.01.2004
Ende: 30.12.2009
This project will provide a breakthrough in low noise and low emission engine architectures. VITAL will achieve this breakthrough by bringing together 53 actors from the European engine industry made up of the leading engine manufactures, the engine-industry supply chain and key European research institutes.
For the VITAL-project we are currently building a new test rig for a low-pressure turbine with a section for acoustic measurements. Various laser techniques, an infrared camera system and standard diagnostic techniques are used for flow and vibration diagnostics.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR
- Stichting Nationaal Lucht- En Ruimtevaart Laboratorium
- ALLVAC Limited, Atlas House
- ARTTIC
- Swedish Defence Research Agency, Aerodynamics Division
- Technische Universität Dresden
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), Laboratoire de Probabilités
- Cranfield University
- Politecnico di Torino
- Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, CTH
- University of Oxford
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
- Università degli Studi di Genova
- Universität Stuttgart
Beginn: 31.12.2004
Ende: 30.12.2009
The European Turbomachinery Conference is the only scientific event within the EU covering in depth all fluid dynamics and thermodynamics aspects of turbomachinery design and operation. Its objectives are to enhance excellence in this field, to address and improve the technological level and competitiveness of turbomachinery design products and their operation as part of propulsion systems and energy conversion processes.
EUROTURBO 8, is the eighth in a series of bi-annual conferences started for the first time in 1995 in Erlangen (Germany). This conference will be of primary interest to researchers, design engineers, users of turbomachinery components and to students being trained in presentation and discussion of their first scientific results.
The conference is intended to be a primary driver for technology transfer across Europe in this field through the presentation of the latest developments and best practices. It is also intended to enhance cross-fertilization between the aeronautical field, found in the edge of turbomachinery technology today and all other fields using turbomachines.
The conference is also seen as an integrating element between the Western and Eastern European countries and as an additional mean to foster collaboration in turbomachinery research at a European level.
Finally, this conference is seen as an ideal forum to relate and disseminate the results of research projects funded by the European Commission. Therefore, support for this conference of about 22 % of the total budget is requested from the Commission.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
- Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Environmental and Applied Fluid Dynamics Department
Beginn: 31.10.2007
Ende: 30.12.2009
The aim of this network is to spread the optical method of PARTICLE IMAGE VELOCIMETRY (in short PIV, for flow velocity measurements) from the laboraties where it has been developed, to the European industry, which needs to improve its design capability.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Lunds universitet, Energivetenskaper
- Technische Universiteit Delft, Laboratory for Aero and Hydrodynamics
- Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, uc3m
- Universidad de Zaragoza
- Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Rouen, INSA de Rouen
- Università Politecnica delle Marche, Facoltà di Ingegneria, Dipartimento di Meccanica
- Université de Rouen
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR
- Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Fakultät 4 - Maschinenwesen, Lehrstuhl für Strömungslehre und Aerodynamisches Institut, RWTH
- National University of Ireland, Aerospace Research Centre
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Physik, Arbeitsgruppe Angewandte Optik
- Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Dipartimento di Idraulica, Tasporti e Strade
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Hydraulische Strömungsmaschinen und Strömungstechnik
- Politecnico di Torino, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Aeronautica e Spaziale
- Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, USTL
- Universität Stuttgart, Institut für Kernenergetik und Energiesysteme
- University of Edinburgh, School of Physics and Astronomy
- Swedish Defence Research Agency, Aerodynamics Division
- Polskiej Akademii Nauk, Instytut Podstawowych Problemów Techniki, PAN
- Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Environmental and Applied Fluid Dynamics Department
- Stichting Nationaal Lucht- En Ruimtevaart Laboratorium
- Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales, Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Lille
- Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali S.C.P.A.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Lab. de Mécanique de Lille, CNRS
- Nat. Lab. for Engineering and Industrial Technology
Beginn: 31.03.2002
Ende: 30.05.2008
For industrial gas turbines the trend is towards higher efficiency at constant and possibly decreasing costs per kW shaft power. Higher efficiency can be achieved with advanced 3-D aerodynamic design and higher cycle temperatures. To meet the objective of reduced costs it is advantageous to reduce the number of stages resulting in high pressure ratios and transonic conditions for these stages.The demand for efficiency increase and the search for more compactness results in an higher importance of unsteady flow effects. The flow unsteadiness in turbomachinery is highly related to the relative stator-rotor motion and the wakes generated by the cascades of stator blades and rotor blades. Based on the experience gained in the investigation of transonic turbines at the institute, the objective of the proposed project is the investigation of the stator-rotor-stator interaction when the first stage is a transonic turbine stage. This research will result in a detailed study of the influence of the unsteady, transonic flow from a high-pressure stage onto the flow field through a second stator as well as the influence of the second stator onto the preceding flow field.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.03.2004
Ende: 30.03.2008
Academic Exchange with the ONERA, Exchange of Know-How on advanced Measurments Techniques for Two-Phase-Flows
Fördergeber*innen
- OeAD GmbH, WTZ-Wissenschaftlich-Technische Zusammenarbeit
Externe Partner
- ONERA - Office National d’Etudes et Recherches Aérospatiales, Department for Modells in Aero Thermodynamics and Energetics (DMAE)
Beginn: 31.12.2005
Ende: 30.01.2007
In turbomachinery and especially in aircraft engines laminar-to-turbulent transition greatly affects boundary layer development, flow separation, losses, efficiency and heat transfer. So the ability to accurately predict the transition process in a turbomachinery environment is crucial for the design of efficient and reliable machines. But it is extremely difficult to model laminar-to-turbulent transition with a widely applicable predictive scheme.
Therefore an increasing number of experimental investigations have been performed in the last years to improve the understanding of the physics of transition and to provide empirical correlations for the use in numerical flow solvers. Recently, transition models based on one-equation transport models have been presented which have some advantages compared to the algebraic models normally used.
First computational investigations performed by the aerodynamic group at the institute give very promising results for this kind of models, so that further research on their applicability for unsteady and steady transition processes as well as for the prediction of separated-flow transition seem to be worth while. Achieving progress in this area and expanding the range of validity is the principal aim of the present research proposal.
To achieve this goal at first extensive numerical studies will be performed to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of many different approaches. Based on these results the one-equation transition model at the i
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.10.2003
Ende: 30.10.2006
The objective of the cooperation between the Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad de Zaragoza and the Institut für Thermische Turbomaschinen und Maschinendynamik, Technische Universität Graz is the validation of laser-optical flow diagnostic tools developed at the Universidad de Zaragoza for the applications in turbomachinery flow fields. Since ongoing projects at the Technische Universität Graz use different laser-optical diagnostic tools under the same conditions a comparison of the results can be obtained not assigned GG: Wissenschaftlich Technisches Abkommen mit Spanien
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Austauschdienst GmbH - Agentur für Internationale Bildungs- und Wissenschaftskooperation, OeAD
Externe Partner
- Universidad de Zaragoza
Beginn: 31.12.2003
Ende: 30.12.2005
Thematic Network of the European Union speficied to support research and training in the field of vibrastion measurments.
Vibration measurement is of primary interest in many fields. A variety of measurement techniques exist; amongst all of them, laser techniques for vibration measurement have a series of undoubted advantages, mostly due to the non-contact nature of the optical probe and the unparalleled characteristics offered by the use of coherent monochromatic laser light as primary carrier of information. LAVINYA focuses its activity on such techniques, which offer the most interesting perspectives of progress for vibration measurements in terms of measurement instruments and of innovative applications.
Fördergeber*innen
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Imperial College London
- Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, Laboratoire d'Electronique ENSEEIHT
- Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, FORTH
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Department 1.22 Acceleration, PTB Braunschweig
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l'Institut d'Optique, Centre Scientifique d'Orsay
- Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale Galileo Ferraris, Dipartimento di Acoustica, INRIM
- Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques, Industrial - Acoustic Department
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Active Structure Laboratory
- Università Politecnica delle Marche, Facoltà di Ingegneria, Dipartimento di Meccanica
- Politecnico di Torino, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Aeronautica e Spaziale
- Université de Liège, Centre Spatial de Liège
- Universität Kassel
- Universiteit Antwerpen, Departement fysica
- University of Bristol
- Loughborough University
- Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Risø - Nationallaboratoriet for Bæredygtig Energi
- Université du Maine, Laboratoire d'Acoustique
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AUTH
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden (FH), Zentrum für angewandte Forschung und Technologie (ZAFT)
- Universität Stuttgart
- Université de Franche-Comté
- Università degli Studi di Perugia
- Politechnika Wrocławska
Beginn: 31.05.2002
Ende: 30.05.2005
In the past we investigated the upper part of a cyclone around the inlet and the vortex finder. At present the dust outlet geometry (apex) is the subject of our current research.
This research is operated along two lines. In the first line we perform experimental investigations with the cyclone test facility in the institute’s laboratory under different operating conditions (e.g. very low and high dust loadings, volume flows up to 1000m³/h) with different dust outlet geometries. We measure the overall separation efficiency and the pressure drop across the cyclone. With Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) and Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) it is possible to determine velocity and particle distributions at different places in the cyclone. The measurement results of different dust outlet geometries help us to understand the separation process in the lower part of the cyclone.
In the second line we calculate the flow pattern and the particle movement in the cyclone using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results of the simulations agree well with LDA- data. At present, we model the two-phase-flow in the cyclone by an Euler-Lagrange-method. In these simulations we investigate the effects of particle lift forces, particle-particle-collisions, wall roughness and agglomeration on the total separation efficiency and the grade efficiency curve.
Some results of the research project (e.g. downcomer tube) are being successfully applied in industry.
not assigned KP: Institut für Verfahrens- und Kerntechnik
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.10.2000
Ende: 29.06.2004
The research objective of this program is the improvement of turbulent flow modelling in turbomachinery by non-intrusive optical flow diagnostics. Since the flow physics in turbomachinery includes laminar-turbulent transitional flows, rotational forces, fully three-dimensional flows, pronounced pressure gradients in all directions, vortices, secondary flows, subsonic and transonic conditions, unsteady phenomena like wake passing and often two-phase flows (steam and water, gas and particles), the turbine gas flow is an ultimate test for turbulent flow calculation. Differences in predicted and measured efficiencies in turbomachinery are believed to be caused by the empirical input to numerical models still needed to represent the turbulent nature of flow. These differences are large enough that they are not able to replace expensive experimental tests by a numerical calculation process. The proposed program tackles this problem by the application and development of non-intrusive optical diagnostic techniques for turbulent flows in turbomachinery. Within this program these techniques are tested and applied to the transonic test turbine rig at Graz University of Technology.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.12.1996
Ende: 30.05.2004
The institute builds and maintains an internet website dealing with "cogeneration". The website covers descriptions of different technologies, a list of conferences and workshops, a list of cogeneration experts as well as publications. Interesting projects with the different technologies are presented.
Fördergeber*innen
- Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie, BMVIT
Externe Partner
- Energieverwertungsagentur - Verein zur Förderung der sinnvollen Verwertung von Energie (EVA)
Beginn: 31.12.1998
Ende: 30.01.2003
The task of this project is the development of cooled turbine stages for high pressure ratios for industrial gas turbines. Through innovative design, manufacturing and testing techniques, the transonic flow of this kind of stages should be improved. The institute performs detailed flow efficiency measurements in the transonic test turbine rig. This turbine is continuously operated and allows the testing of cooled and uncooled first and second stages of industrial gas turbines in full flow similarity.
Also an innovative cooling system developed by the institute, is investigated in the transonic wind tunnel and in the turbine. This system promises some advantages for transonic turbines for advanced industrial gas turbines.
Fördergeber*innen
- Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur, BMBWK
- European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
Externe Partner
- Università degli Studi di Firenze
Beginn: 31.08.1998
Ende: 30.08.2001
Building of an Internet Website "Local Heat and Power Plants" for non-specialists. Contents are mainly the different forms of combined heat and power plants as well as the description of plants in operation.
Fördergeber*innen
- Energieverwertungsagentur - Verein zur Förderung der sinnvollen Verwertung von Energie (EVA)
Beginn: 31.05.2000
Ende: 30.03.2001
Fördergeber*innen
- ELIN Motoren GmbH
Beginn: 25.06.2000
Ende: 30.07.2000
This research program tries to achieve an efficiency improvement and emission reduction of thermal power plants. This task is tackled on several fronts by cooperation of six institutes from the two technical universities in Austria in the field of turbomachinery, boiler design and energy. Also, the program has strong support from the Austrian industry. In general saving fuel an optimal use of fuel has been the most important task for power engineers during the last decades. Top achieve reduction of carbon dioxyde emission has gained utmost importance during the last decade. The most promising way seems to increase the efficiency of thermal power stations in general. Considerable success on thermal efficiency was obtained in the field of combined cycles (gas-steam power plants), here the efficiency could be raised to 60% in conjunction with the environmental friendly fuel natural gas. Its main component methan delivers also the lowest amount of carbon-dioxide emission for a given fuel heat input. In cogeneration plants where useful heat is generated from the gases ejected from gas turbines and from the exhaust heat of steam turbines, the total energy conversion factor can be raised up to 90%. Here it should be mentioned that the first large gas/steam cycle plant was built in the vicinity of Vienna and went in operation in 1960. There are good reasons why in a country like Austria with many hydro-electric power stations there is still ...(this text has been cut automatically) not assigned KP: COST-501/III/WP11
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
- Oesterreichische Nationalbank, OeNB
Externe Partner
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Austrian Aeronautics Research (AAR), AIT
- Technische Universität Wien, Institut für Technische Wärmelehre
- Technische Universität Wien, Institut für Thermische Turbomaschinen und Energieanlagen
- Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, CTH
- Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH
Beginn: 31.12.1993
Ende: 30.01.2000
In cooperation with industry a comparison with US guidelines and European operational praxis should be done. Especially the American way of acceptance had to be compared to German VDI normative system. In the course of this work acceptance tests for three large gas turbines which are now operating in Germany were conducted and the rotor dynamic measurements compared for reference and comparison with further operational results.
Fördergeber*innen
- General Electric Power Systems
Beginn: 31.12.1995
Ende: 30.01.2000
In the course of failure prevention for small gas turbine plants with very high speed gas turbines shafts connected by high ratios gears to the respective alternators. An investigation of bending and torsional vibrations of such high speed shafts systems was conducted not only for high speed gas turbines but also for high speed compressors and high speed steam turbines.
Beginn: 31.12.1995
Ende: 30.01.1999
Beginn: 09.01.1999
Ende: 30.01.1999
In this project the possible use of underexpanded jets for turbine blade cooling shall be investigated experimentally. Underexpanded jets have a strong tendency to bend towards curved surfaces, so that these films have a high potential even for turbine blade leading edge film cooling. The experiments are performed in the turbomachinery blade cascade test rig of the institute to see whether this effect results in an improvement in turbine blade film cooling efficiency.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.12.1994
Ende: 30.01.1998
Hydrogen and Oxygen as the can be obtained from the splitting of water present an ideal fuel with respect to environmental conditions. The idea is to have solar plants in distant areas of the world and to collect from there the reaction partners hydrogen and oxygen which would serve as the fuel for gas turbine plants in densely populated areas. Thus it would be possible to operate a thermal power station without any emissions. The Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics is concerned with this problem for more than ten years. In 1989 a first paper was presented concerning peak power production from stored hydrogen and oxygen. In 1985 a new process was presented which operates a gas turbine type turbomachine with hydrogen and oxygen fuel. From the combustion of these partners it follows that the whole cycle fluid is H20 (water or steam) in single cycle from the combustion chamber down to the condensor. This proposal is still a major research project of our institute and has gained important international recognition. Several proposals have been presented to diverse conferences concerned with hydrogen. Our cycle proposal has been named Graz cycle and has been lately expanded to include the use of fuel cells.
Beginn: 31.12.1995
Ende: 30.01.1998
Making use of our computational capabilities the Institute for Thermal turbomachinery and machine dynamics got an request from a company designing blowers for boilers. The task was to calculate the wheels of a exhaust suction blower regarding the stress in discs and blading and the eigenvibrations of the whole wheel. Together with this task an investigation of the vibrational behaviour of the shaft system and a calculation of the start up and short circuit behaviour was performed.
Beginn: 31.12.1994
Ende: 30.01.1998
In large turbo generators problems with efficient air cooling may occur. The institute investigates this problem numerically and experimentally within this projects
Fördergeber*innen
- Forschungsförderungsfonds für die gewerbliche Wirtschaft, FFF
Beginn: 31.12.1996
Ende: 30.01.1998
In this project gas turbine data shall be predicted on the basic of the underlying thermodynamic turbomachinery laws in order to enable the planner of combined cycle stations or cogeneration plants an optimisation for his given conditions. Especially in thermal plants for industry, where heat demand is on several temperature levels and where also additional heat release from plants has to be investigated this program system in the form of a software package can very much facilitate the layout process. The influence of geographical conditions as the sea level, ambient temperature and air pressure as well as pressure losses from inlet filter and succeeding heat recovery steam generators and other heat exchangers can be carefully accessed and their influence on the total behaviour of the cycle investigated. An important roll is the method of part load governing especially on the compressor and the influence on part load efficiency and part load emissions.
Beginn: 31.12.1995
Ende: 30.01.1997
Acid rain in Austrian forests leads to a reduction of tree growth. In order to combat this situation several types of fertiliser has to be distributed over the forest areas. This is done by ejection from a truck based pressurised tank with additional pressurised air which in the form of a specific supersonic nozzle allows much higher exit velocity and thus enabling the system cover larger forest areas. Our contribution was the numerical calculation of the fluid dynamics of this mixture of air and a high amount of fertiliser particles.
Fördergeber*innen
- Forschungsförderungsfonds für die gewerbliche Wirtschaft, FFF
Beginn: 31.12.1995
Ende: 30.01.1997
Large areas of Austria are covered with pine forest which serve as raw materials for paper mills and wood industry in general and in harvesting these trees a lot of biomass is obtained which presents the useful fuel of thermal power plants. Since this type of fuel requires high costs of collection and has relatively low heat content only small plants can be envisaged which will be supplied locally. So the idea is to build a gas turbine plant on the basis of turbo charger component but with a specific cycle which allows the biomass to be burned on a grid at atmospheric pressure, the expansion taking place in an inverse gas turbine process through the gas turbine and then cooling the gases and condensation of humidity followed by recompression to atmospheric pressure. Diverse design studies have been done and the design of a pilot plant is well under way.
Fördergeber*innen
- Landesenergieverein Steiermark, LEV
Beginn: 31.12.1995
Ende: 30.01.1997
All types of high temperature fuel cells especially molten carbonate fuel cells and oxide ceramic fuel cells require a conditioning of gases on both sides of their dividing plane. It seem unavoidable to use gas turbine systems to provide the proper loading i.e. the pressure and temperatures required for an optimal electrochemical process. In general fuel cells have been successfully operate in the range below 1MW only so that a situation in which the fuel cell is the main component of a power cycle requires a considerable amount of turbomachinery just to provide the necessary operating conditions. The institutes proposal is to include fuel cells into the well studied Graz cycle. The inclusion of the fuel cell as part of the combustion chamber has the advantage that the combustion products of the fuel cell can be carried on into the burners of the combustion chamber of the Graz cycle without reconditioning and that even a small output of the fuel cell would have an important thermodynamic effect and improvement on the total cycle in general
Beginn: 31.12.1995
Ende: 30.01.1997
The objective of this project was the development of a numerical code for calculation of unsteady, viscous and compressible 2D flow through oscillating casacdes. Special care was put on the prediction of separated flow phenomena.
Fördergeber*innen
- Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds FWF, FWF
Beginn: 31.12.1993
Ende: 30.01.1995
Steam turbines supplied from heat recovering boilers behind gas turbines in combined cycle plant are subjected to very fast increase in load. The rapid heating of the casing especially the inlet parts and the first blade rows in the rotor may lead to high stressing and even distortion of casings. In this project we were asked to investigate the casing stresses and to secure the tightness of the casing. Instationary calculations of the internal heat transfer in the casing had been performed. On the basis of these results recommendations for the improvements resulted leading to more uniform temperature distributions and a saver operation of the turbine in the whole load range
Beginn: 31.12.1993
Ende: 30.01.1995
Contact
Institute of Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics
Graz University of Technology
Inffeldgasse 25/A
A-8010 Graz
Tel: +43 (0)316 873 - 7226
Fax: +43 (0)316 873 - 107226
ttm@tugraz.at