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The increment of the industrialization processes led to even more release of carbonaceous particulate into the environment. These airborne contaminants are produced by endothermic machines, coal combustion, heating systems, and production plants. Soot particles suspended into the air can overpass the inlet filters (if present) of gas turbines and deposit onto the internal parts of the compressor. This phenomenon, leading to the modification of the aerodynamic surface of the airfoils, is the main responsible for the gas turbine performance losses over time. This detrimental effect can be partially recovered by washing the compressor unit, frequently. In this work, the assessment of the washing effectiveness against soot deposits of an on-purpose designed eco-friendly cleaner is provided. The removal effectiveness of this water-based cleaner is related to the capability to collect soot particles from surfaces, limiting redeposit phenomena over the stages. The experimental investigation has been carried out by injecting soot particles, under controlled conditions, into a multistage test axial compressor. Using image post-processing techniques, carried out over the entire compressor flow path, a quantitative evaluation of the washing capability has been assessed. Compared with demineralized water, the cleaner was found to be effective if high cleaning performances are expected.

Numerical simulations of particle-laden flows have received growing attention in the last decade, due to the broad spectrum of industrial applications in which discrete phases prediction is of interest. Among these, ingestion of particles by turbomachinery is an area that is seeing vivid research and studies. The most common technique to tackle this kind of problem is the Eulerian-Lagrangian method, in which individual particles are tracked inside the domain. At the same time, in multi-stage turbomachinery simulations interfaces are needed to couple the flow solution in adjacent domains in relative motion. In this work, an open-source extension for Lagrangian simulations in multistage rotating machines is presented in the foam-extend environment. Firstly, a thorough discussion of the implementation is presented, with particular emphasis on particle passage through General Grid Interfaces (GGI) and mixing planes. Moreover, a mass-conservative particle redistribution technique is described, as such a property is requested at interfaces between Multiple Reference Frame (MRF). The peculiarities of the algorithm are then shown on a relevant test-case. Eventually, three turbomachinery applications are presented, with growing complexity, to show the capabilities of the numerical code in real-life applications. Simulation results in terms of erosion and impacts on aerodynamic surfaces are also presented as examples of possible parameters of interest in particle-laden flow computations.

High-chromium cast irons are frequently used in high-demanding applications, where low production costs and wear performance are key factors. The excellent abrasive resistance of these alloys results from the overall microstructural features, i.e., type, morphology, and distribution of hard primary and secondary carbides, along with the matrix constituents. Such a microstructure is the result of the chemical composition and solidification process, even though it could be further tuned by heat treatments. These latter are usually performed to destabilize the austenite and to induce the precipitation of secondary carbides. The present study investigates the combined effect of destabilization heat treatment route and erodent powder type on the erosive wear behavior of two commercial hypereutectic white cast irons. The as-received and the heat-treated materials were analyzed through optical and scanning electron microscopy, hardness tests, and X-ray diffraction to determine the relationship between microstructural variations and applied heat treatment. The erosive resistance was evaluated per the ASTM G76 standard in a purpose-built air blast test rig. Experiments were performed considering a raw meal powder, commonly used in cement factories, and Al2O3 as erodent powders. The adopted heat treatments were effective in increasing the overall hardness of the material, but this was not directly related to the erosion resistance. By contrast, the relative hardness ratio, i.e., erodent/target hardness, affects the erosion rate and different behaviors in relation to the softer/harder erodent particles were found.

Atmospheric particulate is one of the main causes of performance degradation in gas turbine engines, especially in the aeronautical field where filter barriers are absent. The ingested particles can stick to the blade surfaces of the engine, varying their shape and roughness. As a consequence, engine performance degradation takes place. The type and the amount of the particles ingested depend on the flight zones and altitude. During their missions, aircrafts follow a prescribed path defined in terms of altitude, longitude, and latitude. During its route, the aircraft engine encounters different environments characterized by different temperature, pressure, and air composition. Regarding the latter issue, the knowledge of this characteristic can be key information when these statistics are needed for obtaining data useful for engine degradation assessment or prediction. Many satellites, such as the environmental satellite CALIPSO, are employed to study the terrestrial aerosol and clouds profile by using a LIDAR (Laser Detection and Ranging). This technology is commonly used to determine the distance between a light emitter and an object and it is based on the light refraction phenomenon. Backscatter coefficients profiles data, which characterize the distribution of particles and aerosols in the atmosphere, are available in the open literature from the findings of CALIPSO. In this work, a new methodology to estimate the aerosol type and concentration encountered by an aircraft during a mission is proposed. To test the feasibility of this method, two aircraft missions for different length scales (medium and long haul) are analyzed and an estimate of the particulate encountered by the engines is provided. The mission analysis has been conducted by discretizing the altitude profile, longitude, and latitude coordinates of each flight and then cross-referencing them with the particulate concentration obtained from CALIPSO data.

Fouling in gas turbines is caused by airborne contaminants which, under certain conditions, adhere to aerodynamic surfaces upon impact. The growth of solid deposits causes geometric modifications of the blades in terms of both mean shape and roughness level. The consequences of particle deposition range from performance deterioration to life reduction to complete loss of power. Due to the importance of the phenomenon, several methods to model particle sticking have been proposed in literature. Most models are based on the idea of a sticking probability, defined as the likelihood a particle has to stick to a surface upon impact. Other models investigate the phenomenon from a deterministic point of view by calculating the energy available before and after the impact. The nature of the materials encountered within this environment does not lend itself to a very precise characterization, consequently, it is difficult to establish the limits of validity of sticking models based on field data or even laboratory scale experiments. As a result, predicting the growth of solid deposits in gas turbines is still a task fraught with difficulty. In this work, two non-dimensional parameters are defined to describe the interaction between incident particles and a substrate, with particular reference to sticking behavior in a gas turbine. In the first part of the work, historical experimental data on particle adhesion under gas turbine-like conditions are analyzed by means of relevant dimensional quantities (e.g. particle viscosity, surface tension, and kinetic energy). After a dimensional analysis, the data then are classified using non-dimensional groups and a universal threshold for the transition from erosion to deposition and from fragmentation to splashing based on particle properties and impact conditions is identified. The relation between particle kinetic energy/surface energy and the particle temperature normalized by the softening temperature represents the original non-dimensional groups able to represent a basis of a promising adhesion criterion.

Surface material loss due to erosive wear is responsible for the increased cost of maintenance and downtime in industries. Hence, hardfacing is one of the most valuable and effective techniques employed to improve the wear resistance of heavy-duty components. The present paper investigates the microstructural and erosive wear characteristics of a hypereutectic high-chromium cast iron, considering the erosion resistance, resulting from the impact of micro-sized particles, of both as-received and heat-treated conditions. Micro-sized particles involve the erosion-resistant characteristics of carbide and matrix, contemporary. Due to this, the enhancement of the matrix strength could improve the mechanical support to withstand cracking deformation and spalling. Accordingly, the effect of a destabilization heat treatment on the microstructure was firstly investigated by hardness tests, X-ray diffraction analyses, optical and scanning electron microscopy. Specifically designed erosive tests were carried out using a raw meal powder at an impingement angle of 90°. The resulting superior wear resistance of the heat-treated samples was relayed on the improved matrix microstructure: consistent with the observed eroded surfaces, the reduced matrix/carbides hardness difference of the heat-treated material is pivotal in enhancing the erosion resistance of the hardfacing. The present results contribute to a better understanding of the microstructure–property relationships concerning the erosive wear resistance.

Fouling represents a major problem for Gas Turbines (GTs) in both heavy-duty and aero-propulsion applications. Solid particles entering the engine can stick to the internal surfaces and form deposits. Components' lifetime and performance can dramatically vary as a consequence of this phenomenon. These effects impact the whole engine in terms of residual life, operating stability, and maintenance costs. In the High-Pressure Turbine (HPT), in particular, the high temperatures soft the particles and promote their adhesion, especially in the short term. Unfortunately, predicting the GT response to this detrimental issue is still an open problem for scientists. Furthermore, the stochastic variations of the components operating conditions increase the uncertainty of the forecasting results. In this work, a strategy to predict the effects of turbine fouling on the whole engine is proposed. A stationary Gas Path Analysis (GPA) has been performed for this scope to predict the GT health parameters. Their alteration as a consequence of fouling has been evaluated by scaling the turbine map. The scaling factor has been found by performing Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations of a HPT nozzle with particle injection. Being its operating conditions strongly uncertain, a stochastic analysis has been conducted. The uncertainty sources considered are the circumferential hot core location and the turbulence level at the inlet. The study enables to build of confidence intervals on the GT health parameters predictions and represents a step forward towards a robust forecasting tool.

The interaction between gas turbines and airborne particles determines detrimental effects on the performance, efficiency, and reliability of the power unit. When it is possible, the interaction is reduced by the use of inlet separators and filtration systems. In an aero engine, these barriers are difficult to implement, and only bigger particles (usually greater than 10 μm) are separated from the airflow. Small units, especially those equips helicopters, are usually affected by fouling issues, especially when the aircraft is employed in harsh environments such as firefighting and rescue activities. To recover this contamination, the unit is washed after the mission by ground operations to restore the unit performance by removing the deposits. This operation occurs during a sub-idle unit operation, and the washing process has to be effective when the engine operates in this off-design condition. In this paper, the evaluation of the washing performance during a sub-idle unit operation is carried out. The compressor unit is a multistage axial compressor that equips the Allison 250-C18 engine. The washing operation was performed by water, and a sensitivity analysis is carried out to discover the capability of water droplets to remove the contaminants. The experimental analysis involves the contamination of the unit by micro-sized soot particles and a washing operation by micro-sized water droplets. These experimental results are compared to numerical simulations to discover the effects of the washing operation on a small power unit during sub-idle operating conditions. The off-design regime imposes a specific evaluation of the proper setup of the washing strategy: flow separations involve wider regions in the compressor unit, and the removal capability is strongly related to the droplet path through the stages. The results show how in the off-design washing operation, the droplet diameter has greater importance than the water flow rate for reducing the deposits over the compressor stages.

Fluids processed by the machinery involved in ORC cycles undergo several transformations among which the expansion in positive displacement machines. The fluid path inside this component is very complicated and gaps play a crucial role. Due to the importance of this technical detail, gap design and optimization is a decisive step in achieving an high efficiency both of the expander and the whole cycle. In this work the fluid dynamics of several fluids commonly used in ORC cycles is investigated. Particularly, their behaviour during the expansion through the gap in operation is numerically investigated. The effects of the gap formation and its evolution on the processed fluid is studied thanks to a dynamic mesh approach. A typical application has been considered in this work: the variable gap between the fixed and mobile spirals of a scroll expander is analysed. The relative motion and in turn, the variation of the gaps during the machine operation, implies the use of particular numerical strategies able to well represent these localized geometrical features. On the top of that, the modelling of the processed fluids as a real gas determines an extra effort in the way of representing the actual behavior involved in the positive displacement machine operation. This analysis shows the local fluid dynamic phenomena due to the variable clearances. R134a and its replacements R152a and R1234ze(E), fluids widespread in the ORC cycles, are used in this work. The fluids are investigated under the same conditions and effects like separation and shock wave are highlighted. This analysis allows the comprehension of how local phenomena could affect the overall machine operation and efficiency. Gaps are the responsible of the volumetric efficiency of the machine and, coupled with (i) time-variable geometry modification, (ii) relative velocities and (iii) fluid characteristics characterize the global ORC system performance.

Micro-ORC systems are characterized by low efficiency values, but at the same time could be used as energy recovery systems in domestic applications for which reliability and low noise level represent the biggest challenges. In this paper, an integrated Reverse Engineering (RE)-Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methodology is applied in order to study the adaptation of a commercial scroll compressor to be used as an expander in a micro-ORC system. The analyses reported in this paper consist of: (i) the acquisition of the 5-kW oil-free scroll expander through a RE procedure and its CAD reconstruction, (ii) the set-up of fully three-dimensional transient simulations with the Chimera strategy using the Siemens PLM software, (iii) the validation of the computational analysis by means of experimental tests and finally, (iv) the analysis of the geometry-flow features like flank and axial gaps, coupled with the analysis of the scroll volumetric efficiency and overall performance. Chimera strategy is able to move the computational grid at each time step in order to accommodate the shape and size changes of the gas pockets. The scroll characterization was carried out using both experimental and numerical tests. Six different rotational velocities in the range of (400 – 2400) rpm with a fixed pressure level (7.5 bar) were tested for validating the numerical model using air as a working fluid. The numerical model was then used to calculate the scroll expander performance operating in an existing ORC system with R134a as working fluid.

In recent years, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been applied for the design and analysis of positive displacement machines (both compressors and expanders) with numerous challenges due to the dynamics of the compression (or expansion) process and deforming working chambers. The relative motion and in turn, the variation of the gaps during machine operation implies several obstacles for the implementation of reliable CFD models. The majority of the studies reported in literature focused on scroll, twin screw and reciprocating machines. The limitation of the developed methodologies to be applied directly to positive displacement machines with more complex meshing such as that of single-screw has been highlighted in literature. In this paper, a single screw expander is studied by means of (i) a moving mesh technique (dynamic mesh in the Key Frame Remeshing approach) and (ii) a real gas model of a R134a (Peng-Robinson model) implemented in OpenFOAM. On the top of that, all the possible techniques that come with the software are investigated in their application to single screw. An useful review of the state of the art CFD with open-source software (OpenFOAM-v1606+ and foam-extend4.0) is therefore carried out. The reliability of CFD model represents indeed the first step on which the design process and further optimization will be based. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Centrifugal pumps are used in many applications in which non-Newtonian fluids are involved: food processing industry, pharmaceutical and oil/gas applications. In addition to pressure and temperature, the viscosity of a non-Newtonian fluid depends on the shear rate and usually is several orders of magnitude higher than water. High values of viscosity cause a derating of pump performance with respect to water. Nowadays, pumping and mixing non-Newtonian fluids is a matter of increasing interest, but there is still lack of a detailed analysis of the fluid-dynamic phenomena occurring within these machines. A specific design process should take into account these effects in order to define the proper pump geometry, able to operate with non-Newtonian fluids with specific characteristics. Only few approaches are available for correcting the pump performance based on the Hydraulic Institute method. In this work, an experimental and numerical campaign is presented for a semi–open impeller centrifugal pump elaborating non-Newtonian fluids. An on-purpose test bench was built and used to investigate the influence on pump performance of three different non-Newtonian fluids. Each pump performance test was accompanied by the rheological characterization of the fluid, in order to detect modifications of the rheological phenomena and allow a proper Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling. The performance of the machine handling both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids are highlighted in relation with the internal flow field.

Fouling and erosion are two pressing problems that severely affect gas turbine performance and life. When aircraft fly through a volcanic ash cloud, the two phenomena occur simultaneously in the cold as well as in the hot section of the engine. In the high-pressure turbine (HPT), in particular, particles soften or melt due to the high gas temperatures and stick to the wet surfaces. The throat area, and hence the capacity, of the HPT is modified by these phenomena, affecting the engine stability and possibly forcing engine shutdown. This work presents a model for deposition and erosion in gas turbines and its implementation in a three-dimensional Navier–Stokes solver. Both deposition and erosion are taken into account, together with deposit detachment due to changed flow conditions. The model is based on a statistical description of the behavior of softened particles. The particles can stick to the surface or can bounce away, eroding the material. The sticking prediction relies on the authors' Energy Based FOulinG (EBFOG) model. The impinging particles which do not stick to the surface are responsible for the removal of material. The model is demonstrated on a HPT vane. The airfoil shape evolution over the exposure time as a consequence of the impinging particles has been carefully monitored. The variation of the flow field as a consequence of the geometrical changes is reported as an important piece of on-board information for the flight crew.

Positive displacement machines (e.g. scroll, twin screw, reciprocating, etc.) are proven to be suitable as expanders for organic Rankine cycle (ORC) applications, especially in the medium to low power range. However, in order to increase their performance, detailed simulation models are required to optimize the design and reduce the internal losses. In recent years, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been applied for the design and analysis of positive displacement machines (both compressors and expanders) with numerous challenges due to the dynamics of the expansion (or compression) process and deforming working chambers. The majority of the studies reported in literature focused on scroll, twin screw and reciprocating machines. Furthermore, the limitation of such methodologies to be applied directly to complex multi-rotor machines has been highlighted in literature. In this paper, a single screw expander (SSE) is used as benchmark to evaluate the applicability of different grid generation methodologies (dynamic remeshing and Chimera strategy overlapping grid), in terms of computational resources required, accuracy of the results and limitations. Although, the low-order models have been applied to single screw machines, there is still a lack of CFD analyses due to the particular complexity of the machine geometry and of its working principle. The calculations have been performed with air to reduce the complexity of the problem. to the main results are two folds: (i) the assessment of a numerical strategy with respect to the most critical parameters of a dynamic mesh-based simulation and (ii) the comparison of the pressure field and internal flow features obtained by using different numerical approaches.

Pumps are among the most spread machines in industrial facilities. In this work a comparative CFD analysis using different software is presented. The three-dimensional flow in the semi-open impeller and volute of a centrifugal pump is numerically simulated. The main advantage of semi-open impeller centrifugal pump is its efficiency which can be considered constant thanks to the clearance adjustment. In addition this kind of impeller is less likely to clog with solid bodies (important in case of slurry-processing). The open impeller has all the parts visible, so it is easier to inspect for wear and damages. Eventually it is lighter than a shrouded impeller: it can spin faster. The stress due to centrifugal force is indeed a limit for the speed of this machines. On the other hand its main disadvantage if compared to a shrouded pump is its lower efficiency due to the heavier tip leakage. In addition it cannot be employed in case of explosive products: the risk of contact between impeller and volute causing sparks is not negligible. The simulations have been carried out using both open-source and proprietary software: OpenFOAM®, PumpLinx ® and ANSYS-CFX ®. The performance of the machine handling both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids are also investigated. The numerical models and the results of the different computational strategies were compared with the experimental data and the accuracy of different software is evaluated in the case of Newtonian model. It is well known that the performance of a centrifugal pump drops processing a viscous fluid. Even so the behavior during the pumping of non-Newtonian fluids has not been investigated so far. The non-Newtonian fluid processed is a shear-thinning fluid (the apparent viscosity decreases with an increase stress). The slurries which are usually processed in the food industries, chemical plants and oil&gas processes show a usual behavior which correspond to this kind of model.

Micro-sized solid particle adhesion affects several industrial processes and machines. Particle adhesion is responsible for reducing reliability and efficiency. A great example is represented by gas turbines and heat exchangers. These machines collect a huge amount of contaminants during their common operation. These deposits determine operability issues and efficiency losses. In this work, the particle deposition phenomenon and its development over time are studied in-depth through an experimental campaign. A high-speed airflow laden with micro-sized sand particles has impinged onto a flat surface. The particle mass flow, after being carefully dosed by an aerosol generator (contaminant concertation equal to 50 mg/m3), is injected into the main airflow using an aerodynamic eductor. The tests were conducted with different impact velocities ranging from 22 m/s to 48 m/s, and considering different exposure periods. For each test, different roughness levels were tested to define the influence of the surface quality on the particle sticking capability. The deposits amount was evaluated in quantitative and qualitative ways. Weighing measurement was used for extracting quantitative information about particle sticking, while the video and stereomicroscope image analyses were used to gain insight into the morphology of the surface and its modification over the exposure time. The results show a strong dependence of particle sticking on both flow/particle velocity and the roughness of the substrate, characterized by non-linear correlations due to the action of the detachment process.

Positive displacement (PD) machines are widely used in several applications such as in vapor and power generation systems. Nevertheless, their design is still based on standard approaches mainly driven by thermodynamic analysis and theoretical correlations. Geometrical details influence on the machine performance is often neglected. Because of this, PD machines hydraulic efficiency has not really been improved. The present work shows an innovative design strategy aimed at maximizing the machine efficiency by topology optimization. The geometry of a scroll compressor has been parametrized. The parameters were optimized with a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based procedure integrated with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to achieve the maximum efficiency. In order to better understand the influence of these parameters on machine performances, a Design of Experiment (DOE) approach was also used. Afterward an Uncertainty Quantification framework is applied to the compressor to identify the reliability of the optimal design subject to geometrical variations. Among all the investigated parameters, the most important seem to be the high-pressure port shape and size. Performance are highly affected also by the number of coils which defines the built-it compression ratio.

Nowadays, the evaluation of the transport and thermodynamic properties in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is based on common real gas equations (such as Redlich–Kwong and Peng–Robinson equations of state) and polynomial models. Such quantities are not always accurate: very large pressure ranges, working conditions close to the critical point or phase change could introduce an error during the computation of the thermophysical properties of interest. Moreover, the computational effort of numerical simulations is strongly affected by the evaluation of such properties. In light of these considerations, and to extend the modeling capabilities of CFD software suites, a fluid thermophysical property library can be included in the computation of the quantities required for the solution of the flow field. The focus of this work is the coupling of an open source CFD tool (OpenFOAM) with the open source CoolProp library. The proposed wrapper is intended to provide a connection between the most popular open-source thermophysical library and one of the most used open-source CFD software. CoolFOAM extends the thermophysical modeling possibilities of OpenFOAM. The formal implementation of this library follows the coding standards of the CFD suite.

Fouling affects gas turbine operation and airborne or fuel contaminants, under certain conditions, become very likely to adhere to surfaces if impact takes place. Particle sticking implies the change in shape in terms of roughness of the impinged surface. The consequences of these deposits could be dramatic: these effects can shut an aircraft engine down or derate a land-based power unit. This occurrence may happen due to the reduction of the compressor flow rate and the turbine capacity, caused by a variation in the HPT nozzle throat area (geometric blockage due to the thickness of the deposited layer and the aerodynamic blockage due to the increased roughness, and in turn boundary layer). Several methods to quantify particle sticking have been proposed in literature so far, and the experimental data used for their validation vary in a wide range of materials and conditions. The experimental analyses have been supported by (and have given inspiration to) increasingly realistic mathematical models. Experimental tests have been carried out on (i) a full scale gas turbine unit, (ii) wind tunnel testing or hot gas facilities using stationary cascades, able to reproduce the same conditions of gas turbine nozzle operation and finally, (iii) wind tunnel testing or hot gas facilities using a coupon as the target. In this review, the whole variety of experimental tests performed is gathered and classified according to composition, size, temperature and particle impact velocity. Using particle viscosity and sticking prediction models, over seventy (70) tests are compared with each other and with the model previsions providing a useful starting point for a comprehensive critical analysis. Due to the variety of test conditions, the related results are difficult to be pieced together due to differences in particle material and properties. The historical data of particle deposition obtained over thirty (30) years are classified using particle kinetic energy and the ratio between particle temperature and its softening temperature. Qualitative thresholds for the distinction between particle deposition, surface erosion and particle break-up, based on particle properties and impact conditions, are identified. The outcome of this paper can be used for further development of sticking models or as a starting point for new insight into the problem.

The adoption of positive displacement machines as expanders in Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) is increasingly common, especially in the low to medium power range. At the same time, these devices often serve as compressor in Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Systems. In both cases, the application of Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to optimize such machines has become an integrated tool in the design process. As a consequence, several challenges associated with the numerical simulation have to be taken into account. For example, the modeling of the gap represents a challenge for the stability of the numerical analysis. The dynamic of the process, combined with deformations of the clearances and of the working chamber has to be considered with extra care. To raise the efficiency of the machine, oil is typically injected. Its numerical modeling imply an extra challenge in the simulation of the actual operation of the machine. The present work is mainly focused on the multi-phase nature of the flow, with a particular analysis of the lubricant oil injected. In this work, a two-lobe Roots blower operated as expander has been simulated with the open-source software OpenFOAM-v1812, using the SCORG-V5.2.2. This analysis highlights the areas that are affected the most by the oil presence in order to highlight the sealing effect it provides

In this paper, a full experimental characterization of a micro-scale ORC system is presented. The facility under investigation is driven by a piston expander prototype, made of three cylinders arranged radially around the drive shaft. The system is rated for a thermal input around 30 kW, being suitable for residential, tertiary sector or small industry applications. It is conceived for exploiting low temperature heat sources, such as solar collectors, biomass boilers, geothermal energy or waste heat streams. The facility was provided with an electric boiler as heat source, which warms water up to 90 °C, and cold water at ambient temperature as heat sink. A test campaign was performed varying the hot source temperature and the organic fluid feed pump velocity, in order to characterize the system behavior at different off-design working conditions. The electric consumption of the ORC feed pump was measured, in order to quantify the actual impact of the auxiliaries on the overall efficiency. Moreover, the number of electric loads connected to the generator was varied, changing the equivalent phase impedance value, for evaluating the effect on the expander rotating speed and power output. The experimental analysis demonstrated that small reciprocating expander is suitable for exploiting low enthalpy heat sources, with quite good performances compared to other architectures like scroll and screw expanders, more applied within low temperature sources. The results show that the gross electric power output varied between 250 W and 1150 W, depending on the expander speed and on the number of electric loads activated. The expander total efficiency showed a barely constant trend around 40%. The pump total efficiency varied between 10% and 20%, increasing with the pump rotational speed. The maximum ORC gross and net efficiency were 4.5% and 2.2% respectively, confirming that the auxiliaries impact cannot be considered negligible in such type of systems.

Several production processes involve the use of turbomachinery for the transport of gases with high concentrations of solid particles. Centrifugal fans employed in clinker production operate under severe erosive conditions. To limit the erosive wear of specific fan zones, wear-resistant plates are used. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the erosion behavior of a large-sized centrifugal fan operating in a cement factory. A contaminant characterization is carried out to define particle shape, size distribution and physical characteristics (i.e. density) on which the particle model is based. In addition, the surface analysis and microstructural characterization of the weld-deposited hardfacing alloy provide the wear-resistant coating features. Particles are tracked with a Lagrangian approach on the instantaneous flow fields corresponding to different relative impeller-to-volute positions. The particle impact angle is found to have a significant influence on the erosion of fan surfaces. CFD predictions are in close agreement with on-field erosion detections.

Micro-ORC systems are usually equipped with positive displacement machines such as expanders and pumps. The pumping system has to guarantee the mass flow rate and allows a pressure rise from the condensation to the evaporation pressure values. In addition, the pumping system supplies the organic fluid, characterized by pressure and temperature very close to the saturation. In this work, a CFD approach is developed to analyze from a novel point of view the behavior of the pumping system of a regenerative lab-scale micro-ORC system. In fact, starting from the liquid receiver, the entire flow path, up to the inlet section of the evaporator, has been numerically simulated (including the Coriolis flow meter installed between the receiver and the gear pump). A fluid dynamic analysis has been carried out by means of a transient simulation with a mesh morphing strategy in order to analyze the transient phenomena and the effects of pump operation. The analysis has shown how the accuracy of the mass flow rate measurement could be affected by the pump operation being installed in the same circuit branch. In addition, the results have shown how the cavitation phenomenon affects the pump and the ORC system operation compared to control system actions.

Over recent decades, the variability and high costs of the traditional gas turbine fuels (e.g., natural gas) have pushed operators to consider low-grade fuels for running heavy-duty frames. Synfuels, obtained from coal, petroleum, or biomass gasification, could represent valid alternatives in this sense. Although these alternatives match the reduction of costs and, in the case of biomass sources, would potentially provide a CO2 emission benefit (reduction of the CO2 capture and sequestration costs), these low-grade fuels have a higher content of contaminants. Synfuels are filtered before the combustor stage, but the contaminants are not removed completely. This fact leads to a considerable amount of deposition on the nozzle vanes due to the high temperature value. In addition to this, the continuous demand for increasing gas turbine efficiency determines a higher combustor outlet temperature. Current advanced gas turbine engines operate at a turbine inlet temperature (TIT) of (1400–1500) °C, which is high enough to melt a high proportion of the contaminants introduced by low-grade fuels. Particle deposition can increase surface roughness, modify the airfoil shape, and clog the coolant passages. At the same time, land-based power units experience compressor fouling, due to the air contaminants able to pass through the filtration barriers. Hot sections and compressor fouling work together to determine performance degradation. This paper proposes an analysis of the contaminant deposition on hot gas turbine sections based on machine nameplate data. Hot section and compressor fouling are estimated using a fouling susceptibility criterion. The combination of gas turbine net power, efficiency, and TIT with different types of synfuel contaminants highlights how each gas turbine is subjected to particle deposition. The simulation of particle deposition on 100 gas turbines ranging from 1.2 MW to 420 MW was conducted following the fouling susceptibility criterion. Using a simplified particle deposition calculation based on TIT and contaminant viscosity estimation, the analysis shows how the correlation between type of contaminant and gas turbine performance plays a key role. The results allow the choice of the best heavy-duty frame as a function of the fuel. Low-efficiency frames (characterized by lower values of TIT) show the best compromise in order to reduce the effects of particle deposition in the presence of high-temperature melting contaminants. A high-efficiency frame is suitable when the contaminants are characterized by a low-melting point thanks to their lower fuel consumption.

The push for having more reliable and efficient positive displacement machines (both compressors and expanders) for vapor compression and power generation (e.g., ORCs) applications has moved researchers to an always more spread employment of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In particular, twin screw compressors, because of their high efficiency compared to other compressor types, have received interest over the last years. The numerical analysis of such machines is challenging: the deforming working chambers are very difficult to be correctly replicated. The relative motion of the rotors and the variation of the gaps during machine operation are few of the major difficulties in implementing reliable CFD models. A custom mesh generation algorithm is therefore often required for sumulating the machine operation.\ud \ud In this work, SCORG-V5.2.2 was used to generate the meshes of the deforming domain around rotating parts of the machines. The open-source software OpenFOAM-v1606+ is then employed to compute the flow field associated with the operation of the twin screw. The coupling of the two tools has been carried out in this work, applying the methodology to a twin screw machine.

In a traditional automotive cooling system, energy optimization could be achieved by controlling the engine temperature by means of several sensors placed inside the cooling circuit. Nevertheless, in some cases the increasing use of a great number of sensor devices makes the control system too bulky, expensive and not sufficiently robust for the intended application. This paper presents the development of a heavy-duty automotive cooling axial fan with morphing blades activated by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) strips that work as actuator elements in the polymeric blade structure. The blade was designed to achieve the activation of the strips (thermo-mechanically treated on purpose) by means of an air stream flow. With the aimof studying the morphing capability of the adaptive structure together with the recovery behavior of the NiTi strips, four different polymeric compounds have been compared in a specifically-designed wind tunnel. As the airstream flow increases its temperature, the strips recover the memorized bent shape, leading to a camber variation. To study the possibility of employing SMA strips as actuator elements, a comparison with common viscous clutchbehavior is proposed. The time range actuator response indicates that the SMA strips provide a lower frequency control that fits well with the engine coolant thermal requirement. The experimental results demonstrate the capability of SMA materials to accommodate the lower power actuators in the automotive field. This innovative passive control system results from the selection of (i) the memorized shape of the SMA strips and (ii) the polymeric compound used for the blade structure.

This paper focuses on the development and experimental testing of a composite blade for an automotive axial fan. A novel concept of morphing blade is proposed with the aim of replacing the conventional actuator systems. The structure is made up of a polymeric matrix equipped with NiTi shape memory alloy strips as active elements. The morphing blade changes its shape as the phase transformations of the strips are thermally activated by airflow. To study the morphing capability of the blade, together with the recovery behavior of the NiTi strips, four different polymeric compounds have been compared. Digital image analysis techniques have been performed to quantitatively analyze the blade deflections and to evaluate the most suitable polymeric matrix for the intended application. Finally, the blade shape modifications, which occur along the blade span during the activation cycles, have been reconstructed by three-dimensional non-contact surface detection. Results from the comparison between these two reverse engineering methods could provide a powerful support for the assessment of the aerodynamic performance of the morphing blade. Keywords: NiTi shape memory alloy, Polymeric matrix, Adaptive deformable structure, Digital image analysis, Reverse engineering

In this paper an integrated Reverse Engineering – Computational Fluid Dynamics (RE/CFD) methodology is applied in order to study the adaptation of a commercial scroll compressor to be used as an expander in a micro ORC system. The analysis consists of the acquisition of a real scroll compressor geometry through an RE procedure, the transient numerical simulation of the scroll in compression and expansion mode and the analysis of the performance in terms of pressure and mass flow rate profiles and volumetric efficiency. In order to set up the numerical strategy, a literature test case is used to perform a sensitivity analysis. The results obtained are: (i) the assessment of a numerical strategy with respect to the most critical parameters of a dynamic mesh-based simulation; (ii) the set up and validation of a Reverse Engineering-based numerical procedure; (iii) the evidence of the different fluid dynamic behavior of the scroll machine in compressor mode compared to the expander mode and (iv) the strong relationship between the volumetric efficiency of the scroll machine and the magnitude of the flank gap.

In the pursuit of an increasing cleaner fuel, methane represents a widely-employed solution for vehicles. The lower emissions, if compared to gasoline or diesel fuel, makes it an attractive opportunity in tackling transport-related pollution. Methane-powered vehicles are indeed often excluded from driving bans, pushing the demand for such kind of car. Methane is usually stored on board in tanks filled with pressure up to 20 MPa. The fuel injection systems for methane feeding usually work at pressure lower than 1 MPa (around 0.7 MPa). This difference demands a pressure-reducing valve to be installed to adjust the pressure and the fuel flow rate as required by the driver. This component and its design in hostile condition is the object of this study. Particularly, in automotive applications, the fluid operates not far from the critical point and therefore the behavior should be modelled with a real gas approach. In such light, it is immediate to note that, by the throttling procedure, the temperature of the gas drops. In addition to the acceleration of the flow, the Joule-Thomson effect related to the non-ideality of the fluid lowers the static temperature of the gas itself during the expansion. If this is combined with particularly cold environmental conditions, the material of the seals may fail entailing gas leakage. In this work, an integrated numerical and experimental study of methane fluid and thermodynamic conditions when passing through the valve orifice is reported. Extreme environmental conditions have been numerically tested, comparing and validating the results with experiments. The numerical simulations have been carried out with the open-source software suite OpenFOAM-v1712. The capability of real gas modelling has been extended by implementing a new thermophysical strategy based on the CoolProp set of libraries.

Solid particle ingestion is one of the principal degradation mechanisms in the compressor and turbine sections of gas turbines. In particular, in industrial applications, the microparticles not captured by the air filtration system can cause deposits on blading and, consequently, result in a decrease in compressor performance. In the literature, there are some studies related to the fouling phenomena in transonic compressors, but in industrial applications (heavy-duty compressors, pump stations, etc.), the subsonic compressors are widespread. It is highly important for the manufacturer to gather information about the fouling phenomenon related to this type of compressor. This paper presents three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of the microparticle ingestion (0.15–1.50 μm) in a multistage (i.e., eight stage) subsonic axial compressor, carried out by means of a commercial computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code. Particles of this size can follow the main air flow with relatively little slip, while being impacted by flow turbulence. It is of great interest to the industry to determine which zones of the compressor blades are impacted by these small particles. Particle trajectory simulations use a stochastic Lagrangian tracking method that solves the equations of motion separately from the continuous phase. The adopted computational strategy allows the evaluation of particle deposition in a multistage axial compressor thanks to the use of a mixing plane approach to model the rotor/stator interaction. The compressor numerical model and the discrete phase model are set up and validated against the experimental and numerical data available in the literature. The number of particles and sizes is specified in order to perform a quantitative analysis of the particle impacts on the blade surface. The blade zones affected by particle impacts and the kinematic characteristics (velocity and angle) of the impact of micrometric and submicrometric particles with the blade surface are shown. Both blade zones affected by particle impact and deposition are analyzed. The particle deposition is established by using the quantity called sticking probability (SP), adopted from the literature. The SP links the kinematic characteristics of particle impact on the blade with the fouling phenomenon. The results show that microparticles tend to follow the flow by impacting on the compressor blades at full span. The suction side (SS) of the blade is only affected by the impacts of the smallest particles. Particular fluid dynamic phenomena, such as corner separations and clearance vortices, strongly influence the impact location of the particles. The impact and deposition trends decrease according to the stages. The front stages appear more affected by particle impact and deposition than the rear ones.

The concept of smart morphing blades, which can control themselves to reduce or eliminate the need for active control systems, is a highly attractive solution in blade technology. In this paper, an innovative passive control system based on Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) is proposed. On the basis of previous thermal and shape characterization of a single morphing blade for a heavy-duty automotive cooling axial fan, this study deals with the numerical analysis of the aerodynamic loads acting on the fan. By coupling computational fluid dynamics and finite element method approaches, it is possible to analyze the actual blade shape resulting from both the aerodynamic and centrifugal loads. The numerical results indicate that the polymeric blade structure ensures proper resistance and enables shape variation due to the action of the SMA strips.

The study of the adhesion of micro sized particles to gas turbine internal surfaces, commonly known as gas turbine fouling, has gained increasing attention in the last years due to its dramatic effect on machine performance and reliability. On-field fouling analysis is mostly related to visual inspections during overhaul and/or programmed stops, which are performed, in particular, when gas turbine performance degradation falls under predetermined thresholds. However, these analyses, even if performed in the most complete as possible way, are rarely (or never) related to the conditions under which the gas turbine contamination takes place since the affecting parameters are difficult or even impossible to be adequately monitored. In the present work, a small scale multistage axial compressor is used to experimentally simulate the fouling phenomenon. The test rig allows the accurate control of the most relevant operating parameters which influence the fouling phenomenon. The compressor performance loss due to particle contamination has been quantitatively assessed. Soot particles appear stickier, especially in the presence of high humidity, and represent the most harmful operating conditions for the compressor unit. The deposits on the stator vanes and the rotor blades have been detected and post-processed, highlighting the most affected regions of each compressor stage employing an image analysis package tool.

In this paper, the most common and experienced source of loss for a gas turbine, i.e. compressor fouling, is modeled and analyzed by means of a three-dimensional numerical approach. In particular, CFD simulations of fouling affecting an axial compressor stage are carried out. To do this, the NASA Stage 37 is considered as compressor model for numerical investigation. The numerical model, validated against experimental data available from literature, is used to simulate the occurrence of fouling by imposing different combinations of added thickness and surface roughness. The results highlighted that the main effect of fouling is the decrease in the flow rate, even if a decrease in the stage compression ratio was also noticed. Therefore, different non-uniform combinations of surface roughness levels on rotor and stator blades were imposed. Simulations showed that the greatest effect on performance is attributable to the rotor, and in particular, by analyzing the effect of roughening pressure surface and suction surface separately, to its suction surface. Moreover, a rotor roughness non-uniformity is considered also in spanwise direction, which causes a significant work redistribution.

Fouling afflicts gas turbine operation from first time application. Filtration systems and washing operations work against air contaminants in order to limit the particles entering the compressor inlet and remove the existing deposits. In this work, a global overview of the operational experience of the manufacturer, the filtration systems, and the particle deposition of the compressor are reported. The data reported in this review have been collected from 60 years (1956–2015) of ASME Turbo Expo proceedings. This conference is recognized as the must-attend event for turbomachinery professionals. Through the years, many issues have been resolved by the contributions of this conference. Regarding the compressor fouling phenomenon, the contributions presented at the ASME Turbo Expo mark the high level of development in this field of research, thanks to the simultaneous presence of manufacturers, government, and academia attendees. The goal of the authors is to describe the technological evolution and challenges faced by manufacturers and researchers through the years, highlighting the state of the art in the knowledge of fouling, and defining the background on which further studies will be based.

The state-of-the art of ORC energy systems is mainly dominated by large scale units in the MW range of power output, in the field of heat recovery at mid-high temperature levels (around 200-500°C), where multiple commercial realizations are available. Nevertheless, the cutting-edge niche of micro-ORC energy systems offers good solutions for low-temperature heat recovery. Many prototypes are currently under investigations, but a leading technology is not yet established. This work reports an experimental activity carried out for performance characterization of a prototypal micro-ORC energy system. In particular, the paper presents the test bench developed in the laboratories of the University of Bologna and the first obtained results in terms of thermodynamic performance and main components characteristics. The ORC system comprises a small reciprocating three-piston expander, run on R134a as operating fluid. Heat is provided to the ORC from an external source, via hot water at temperature below 100 °C, in order to simulate a low-enthalpy heat recovery process. The system rejects unused heat via a water cooled condenser. Thus, the investigated ORC is a plug and play system, requiring only to be connected to the hot and cold heat sources. The ORC system has been tested for prolonged operation at various thermal input conditions. In particular, the behavior of the key cycle parameters and performance indexes (e.g. max. and min. pressures, superheating temperature, expander isentropic efficiency, electric power output, etc.) are investigated as function of pump rotational speed (i.e. organic fluid mass flow rate), for three different set point values of the hot source (65 °C, 75 °C, 85 °C). The operating thermodynamic cycle has been completely characterized by means of a real-time measurement and acquisition tool, developed in LabVIEW environment. Performance variations of the system have been monitored: the electric power output ranges between 0.30 to 1.2 kW, with gross efficiency in the range 2.9-4.4 %, while the expander “electro-isentropic” efficiency results in the range of 35-42 %.

Solid particle ingestion is one of the principal degradation mechanisms in the compressor and turbine sections of gas turbines. In particular, in industrial applications, the microparticles not captured by the air filtration system can cause deposits on blading and, consequently, result in a decrease in the compressor performance. This paper presents three-dimensional numerical simulations of the microparticle ingestion (0.15–1.50 μm) in a transonic axial compressor stage, carried out by means of a commercial computational fluid dynamic code. Particles of this size can follow the main air flow with relatively little slip, while being impacted by the flow turbulence. It is of great interest to the industry to determine which zones of the compressor blades are impacted by these small particles. Particle trajectory simulations use a stochastic Lagrangian tracking method that solves the equations of motion separately from the continuous phase. A particular computational strategy is adopted in order to take into account the presence of two subsequent annular cascades (rotor and stator) in the case of particle ingestion. The proposed strategy allows the evaluation of particle deposition in an axial compressor stage, thanks to its capability of accounting for rotor/stator interaction. NASA Stage 37 is used as a case study for the numerical investigation. The compressor stage numerical model and the discrete phase model are set up and validated against the experimental and numerical data available in the literature. The blade zones affected by the particle impact and the kinematic characteristics of the impact of micrometric and submicrometric particles with the blade surface are shown. Both blade zones affected by the particle impact and deposition are analyzed. The particle deposition is established by using the quantity called sticking probability, adopted from the literature. The sticking probability links the kinematic characteristics of particle impact on the blade with fouling phenomenon. The results show that microparticles tend to follow the flow by impacting at full span with a higher impact concentration on the pressure side of rotor blade and stator vane. Both the rotor blade and stator vane suction side are only affected by the impact of smaller particles (up to 1 μm). Particular fluid dynamic phenomena, such as separation, shock waves, and tip leakage vortex, strongly influence the impact location of the particles. The kinematic analysis shows a high tendency of particle adhesion on the suction side of the rotor blade, especially for particles with a diameter equal to 0.15 μm.