Influence of Free-Stream Turbulence and Blade Pressure Gradient on Boundary Layer and Loss Behavior of Turbine Cascades

Abstract

The optimization of the blade surface velocity distribution is promising for a reduction of turbine cascade losses. Theoretical and experimental investigations on three turbine cascades with the same blade loading show the important influence of the blade pressure gradient and the free-stream turbulence on the loss behavior. The results presented demonstrate that it is the boundary layer transition behavior that determines the losses on turbine cascades. An enormous effort in measuring technique is required in order to define the location of transition from cascade experiments very accurately.