Reaction Turbine Performance

DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BOMBAY
PROPULSION LAB REPORT
Study of Reaction Turbine Performance characteristics
Submitted By: Tank Nirav Vinodray

Roll No: 193010024
Programme: M.tech in Aerospace Propulsion
Aim:
To find out the performance of a reaction turbine at different flow parameter.
Apparatus:
1.External compressor setup for providing high pressure at the inlet.
2.Rpm is measured with Tachometer
3.Load is measured with strain gauge
4.Mass flow rate is measured with Rotameter
5.Temperature is measured with Thermocouple
6.The turbine is a single stage, radial flow reaction machine, operating on air,
specially designed and manufactured by P.A. Hilton Limited for experimental and
teaching purposes. The turbine rotor is carried on a steel shaft running in oil
lubricated ball bearings. Compressed air, delivered to the rotor through a central
duct provided with a face seal, passes into the rotor and then moves radially to
convergent nozzles formed in the periphery. The resulting high velocity jet
leaving the rotor and the momentum changes associated with the air movement
produces a reaction which drives the rotor and produces a shaft power output.
Theory:
The reaction turbine, as the name implies, is turned by reactive force rather than
by a direct push or impulse. In reaction turbines, there are no nozzles as such.
Instead, the blades that project radially from the periphery of the rotor are formed
and mounted so that the spaces between the blades have, in cross section, the
shape of nozzles. Since these blades are mounted on the revolving rotor, they are
called moving blades. Fixed or stationary blades of the same shape as the moving
blades are fastened to the stator (casing) in which the rotor revolves. The fixed
blades guide the gas into the moving blade system and, they are also shaped and
mounted to provide nozzle-shaped spaces between the blades, the freed blades
also act as nozzles. A reaction turbine is moved by three main forces: (1) the
reactive force produced on the moving blades as the gas increases in velocity as it
expands through the nozzle-shaped spaces between the blades; (2) the reactive
force produced on the moving blades when the gas changes direction; and (3) the
push or impulse of the gas impinging upon the blades. Thus, as previously noted,
a reaction turbine is moved primarily by reactive force but also to some extent by
direct impulse.
Figure 1: Experimental setup For Reaction Turbine
Figure 2: Reaction Turbine Schematic and Pressure and velocity distribution

Procedure:
We conducted the experiment in following steps:
1. We ensured that the Pressurized air supply is working by increasing inlet pressure steadily
2. We measured sensor reading at 0 load condition to know its datum. Here, 0 load reading was
-0.07, and hence we will add 0.07 to every load reading obtained.
3. We gave inlet pressure of 120KPa and adjusted load to maintain nearly 14000 rpm and took
necessary readings.
4. We increased inlet pressure to 130KPa and 140KPa respectively and increased load to
maintain nearly 14000 rpm. We took necessary readings each time
5. Fixed the inlet pressure to 120KPa and varied load to obtain different rpm nearly of 14000,
15000 and 16000.
6. Reading were noted for each time and tabulated properly
7. Inlet pressure was gently dropped to 0KPa (gauge) and compressed air supply was stopped.
Observations:
CASE I : Fixed RPM = 14000, varying inlet pressure
Pinlet Mass flow

Pinlet Poutlet RPM Load Tinlet Toutlet Torque Powerideal SAC Effficiency
Poutlet rate Poweractual
Kpa Kpa kg/kW-

N g/s K K Nm W W %
hr
121.325 101.33 1.20 13600 0.18 3.2 302.1 300.1 0.0025 3.49 48.74 3298.65 7.17
131.325 101.33 1.30 14270 0.3 3.8 302.1 300 0.0041 6.11 82.40 2239.94 7.41
141.325 101.33 1.39 14270 0.5 4.6 302.1 299.4 0.0068 10.18 126.65 1626.9 8.04
CASE II : Fixed Inlet Pressure = 20KPa (in gauges), Varying RPM
Pinlet Mass flow

Pinlet Poutlet RPM Load Tinlet Toutlet Torque Powerideal SAC Effficiency
Poutlet rate Poweractual
Kpa Kpa N g/s K K Nm W W kg/kW- hr %
121.325 101.325 1.20 13600 0.18 3.2 302.1 300.1 0.0025 3.49 48.74 3298.65 7.17
121.325 101.325 1.20 14700 0.16 3.2 302.1 300.3 0.0022 3.36 48.74 3433.29 6.88
121.325 101.325 1.20 16300 0.14 3.2 302.1 300.4 0.0019 3.26 48.74 3538.61 6.68
Sample Calculation:
Actual load = Load in reading + 0.07 = 0.43+ 0.07 = 0.5 N
For compressed air;  =1.4 and CP = 1.005 KJ/Kg.K
Inlet Absolute Pressure = Inlet Gauge Pressure + 101325 Pa = 141.33 kPa
Pinlet
Absolute Pressure Ratio =1.39
Poutlet
Torque, T= Load × Radius = 0.0068 N.m
2 *  * RPM * Torque
Shaft actual power Poweractual = =10.18W
60
 1
P  
T2ideal   2 
 P1 
Power ideal = mc p (T1  T2ideal ) =12.48W
m * 3600
Specific Air Consumption = =1626.9kg/kW- h
Poweractual
Poweractual
Efficiency = = 81.55%
Powerideal
Plots:
1. Torque vs Pressure ratio by varying load for constant RPM
2.Efficiency vs Pressure ratio at constant RPM

2. Actual Power vs Pressure Ratio at constant RPM
3. SAC vs Actual Power at constant RPM

4. Efficiency vs RPM at varying load for constant Inlet Pressure
5. Torque vs RPM at varying load for constant Inlet Pressure

6. Actual Power vs RPM at varying load for constant Inlet Pressure
7. SAC vs Actual Power at varying load for constant Inlet Pressure

Conclusions:
 The actual power output of the turbine increases with increase in pressure ratio
of the pressure ratio. Since increased pressure ratio ensures increased mass flow
rate this is expected result.
 Torque on the shaft of rotor also increases with the increase in pressure ratio.
Since pressure ratio increase ensures increase in actual power, this is
consequential.
 Efficiency of the turbine increases with the pressure ratio. Thus taken pressure
ratios are below the design pressure ratio of the given turbine. Since efficiency
vs Pressure ratio curve for Turbine increases till design pressure ratio and
decreases then.
 SAC decreases with increase in actual power because higher actual power is
achieved at higher pressure ratio which ensures higher efficiency. Hence at
higher pressure ratios(.e. higher actual power ) more amount of air energy is
converted to shaft power decreasing the SAC.
 Efficiency of the turbine is decreasing with the Rpm, this is because there are
moss losses involved at higher rpm.
 At constant Pressure ratio the flow energy is constant. Hence the momentum
imparted to the rotor by flow is constant. Thus, with increase in RPM torque
available on the shaft decreases.
 Actual power should remain constant at constant pressure ratio Ideally. Here , as
losses incurred at higher RPM accumulates the actual power decreases with
RPM.
 SAC decreases slightly with RPM since the aerodynamic losses increases at
higher RPM.
 Efficiency of the turbine is coming very low since the expansion is not taking
place fully in the turbine. It seems more of the expansion is happening in the
cavity afterwards. This can be inferred from the exit temperature values of
turbine.

Reaction Turbine Performance

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DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BOMBAY

PROPULSION LAB REPORT

Study of Reaction Turbine Performance characteristics

Submitted By: Tank Nirav Vinodray

Figure 2: Reaction Turbine Schematic and Pressure and velocity distribution

6. Reading were noted for each time and tabulated properly

Pinlet Mass flow

Kpa Kpa kg/kW-

Pinlet Mass flow

Kpa Kpa N g/s K K Nm W W kg/kW- hr %

For compressed air;  =1.4 and CP = 1.005 KJ/Kg.K

Inlet Absolute Pressure = Inlet Gauge Pressure + 101325 Pa = 141.33 kPa

Torque, T= Load × Radius = 0.0068 N.m

Power ideal = mc p (T1  T2ideal ) =12.48W

2.Efficiency vs Pressure ratio at constant RPM

3. SAC vs Actual Power at constant RPM

5. Torque vs RPM at varying load for constant Inlet Pressure

7. SAC vs Actual Power at varying load for constant Inlet Pressure

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