Aerodynamic Evaluation of Automotive Turbocharger

as Gas Turbine for Organic Rankine Cycle

Presented by: Choon Seng Wong

Supervisor: Prof. Susan Krumdieck
What is Organic Rankine Cycle? Use organic working fluid instead of steam to
accommodate low temperature heat source

1. Low temperature geothermal heat sources

2. Waste heat recovery in process plant
3. Bottoming cycle for gas turbine

200

150 2

T [°C]
6 78
1 brine
100 working fluid (n-Pentane)

2
cooling medium (air)

50
5
4 3 2

0.0 0.3 0.5 0.8 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8

s [kJ/kg-K]
Challenges:

Lack of market available

expansion machines for
small scale power plants
Current Researches Projects in University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Dynamic
Modelling

Heat Exchanger Economics

Turbomachinery
UC ORC Design Approach
Research
Case Study
1) 2 fixed vane automotive turbocharger
2) 2 variable nozzle turbochargers
3) 1 fixed vane gas turbine
Reverse Engineering – Comparison of different approaches
3D Scanning Scanned Model
Garrett Variable Nozzle Turbo (VNT unit)
Re-generate the solid model in ANSYS

• High accuracy up to 50 microns

• Able to capture all the details within few minutes (but the scanner
requires 20 minutes to warm up).

Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM)

Turbine wheel from IHI Turbo

• Low accuracy
• The measuring probe is not able to access certain part of the blade near the hub, causing the loss of details.
• Not able to measure the LE and TE radius accurately (alternative measurement is required).
• Required some assumption in re-generating the blade profile.
Performance Analysis using CFD

CAD Meshing Modelling the Physics Solver Fluid flow field

• Generation of solid • Hexahedral meshes • Set up the initial • Solve Navier-Stokes • The numerical result
model using were formed on the operating and boundary equations in time was then
ANSYS-BladeGen fluid zone across the conditions and 3-D space using transformed into
blades. • Select suitable equations k-ɛ turbulence velocity vector,
of state (EoS) for working model. temperature and
medium pressure distribution
across the blade.
Laboratory Testing – Functional and Performance Evaluation
Simple Compressed Air Test Bench ORC Full Scale Turbine Test Bench
Compressed air performance test bench
 Case Study – Application of Turbocharger as Turbine
Low
Waste heat Solution in ORC System for
Application temperature
recovery
geothermal
1) Waste heat recovery system in a refinery plant in New
Refining NZ, Chena Hot Zealand (conceptual study)
Site
New Zealand spring, Alaska, US
Heat Source 2) Low temperature geothermal hot spring in Alaska, US
Medium Kerosene flow Hot spring water (currently using 250 kW ORC unit from UTC – known as
Inlet temperature (ᵒC) 115 73.3 PureCycle)
Outlet temperature
70 54.4
(ᵒC)
Heat sink
Cooling medium Water Water/Air
Temperature (ᵒC) 24 4.44
ORC system
Working medium R245fa R134a
Outlet density (kg/m3) 13.17 20.84
Inlet pressure (kPa) 725 1600
Inlet temperature (ᵒC) 78.6 64.2
Outlet pressure (kPa) 244.7 439
Pressure ratio 3 3.6
 Position 1 – Vane angle 66˚ Position 2 – Vane angle 73˚ Position 3 – Vane angle 74˚
Performance Analysis of
Variable Nozzle Turbo for Air

• The location of the optimal velocity ratio of a turbine stage is

independent of the vane position and the pressure ratio.
• The turbine performance is sensitive to the inlet mass flow rate at
different vane positions.
Optimization of Turbine Performance using Variable Nozzle Vanes

• Fix the velocity ratio based on cycle pressure ratio

Lessons

U2 2 r2 N 1) Turbine performance is sensitive to vane

  position (or vane angle), and inlet mass
Cs 60 2hts ,is flow

2) Adjust the vane angle for different mass

• The vane angle is adjusted based on the inlet mass flow rate. flow in variable nozzle vanes

Apply the lessons in the turbine using

refrigerants – R134a and R245fa
Turbine performance using refrigerants

• Fix vane turbine is sensitive to the inlet mass flow

• Variable nozzle turbine provides high efficiency for a
wide range of mass flow

R245fa R134a
Pressure loss coefficient for stator/nozzle
p01  p02
Ks 
p02  p2

1. Higher the vane angle, higher the nozzle losses

2. There exists an optimal vane angle for

maximum turbine performance
Fluid Flow Field of Nozzle Vanes at different Vane Angle
Larger the vane angle, larger the recirculation zone

Flow separation and recirculation zone

CONCLUSION
1. Feasible to adapt turbine stage from turbocharger for different working fluid
2. Use variable nozzle vanes to optimize off-design performance
3. Present the method to control vane angle as a function of inlet mass flow
4. The optimal velocity ratio is a function of pressure ratio, and independent of vane angle
5. Larger the vane angle, larger the nozzle losses
6. There exists an optimal vane angle with maximum turbine efficiency
Acknowledgement
• University of Canterbury, New Zealand
• Heavy Engineering Research Association, New Zealand
• Dr. Don Clucas for 3D scanning of the turbo
THE END
QUESTIONS?