In the world of aerodynamics, there are several branches and sub-branches of different types of aerodynamics. In the big picture the field of aerodynamics can be broken down into external and...
Low reaction stages are often used as control stages of steam turbines, ORC turbines, drive and rocket turbopump turbines. Some of the benefits of low reaction stages vs higher reaction stages are:
In my last blog I wrote about visiting a local middle school to give a talk on ‘What is Turbomachinery, and How Does It Work?’ The quiz at the end of the talk was for the students to list all the...
On occasion I’m invited to a local middle school to give a talk to one of the science classes about ‘What Is Turbomachinery, and How Does It Work?’. I teach in several of the turbomachinery design...
A small turbine (for ORC, air liquification processes) , operating with low volumetric flows at inlet and significant pressure ratio in a single stage configuration (to reduce costs) is often...
This blog article is a follow up for the earlier blog “Coupled Optimization of Preliminary Design Geometry of Low Flow Steam Turbine with Curtis Stage Layout and Rankine Cycle Parameters”, which...
Summer is almost here, at least in my hemisphere, so here are some of the best places around the world people in the turbomachinery industry might find interesting! Know of another? Share your...
In my last blog, Specific Speed Demystified, I covered the mathematical definition of specific speed and how it relates to flow and work coefficient. The concept of specific speed has been a guiding...
According to the 2014 Oak Ridge National Laboratory study on untapped hydro-power potential, there is nearly 65 GW of untapped power in America’s waterways. The vast majority of this power remains...
It’s a straightforward question, but many turbomachinery engineers can’t easily explain the physics behind blade twist. Some shorter high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades appear nearly 2D in shape...
Turbine inlet temperature is one of the most critical parameters in the Brayton cycle of gas turbine engines. One way to increase the cycle efficiency is to increase the turbine inlet temperature, as...
Many energy recovery, drive cycles (Organic and Steam Rankine cycles) and rocket propulsion cycles require the use of a turbine that operates at low volumetric flow and high-pressure ratio....
In my last blog, I explored the concept of the flow and work coefficient. In this blog, I will explore the practical application of the two parameters in machine selection and optimization.
Two often used quantities to characterize turbomachinery are flow coefficient and work coefficient. The two are generally represented as Φ for flow coefficient and φ for work coefficient. The...
The universe of turbomachinery consists of many different design concepts that are radically different from one another. Each class of machine has a particular flow and power range that is best...
Have you ever been to the beach on a very hot day? Then I am sure you noticed that the sand is very, very hot, uncomfortably so. Congratulations, you have had first-hand experience with ground source...
The turbine of an automotive turbocharger is subject to a wide and demanding range of requirements and constraints. High efficiency is required to reduce the pumping work of the engine that can make...
Expanding design capabilities for advanced high-performance turbines for steam and organic Rankine cycle power generation is a constant area of focus in developing Concepts NREC’s Agile Engineering...