Parametric representation of turbine blades and vanes internal cooling geometry

Jamal Zeinalov, Ryerson University

Date of Award

2006

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Zouheir Fawaz

Second Advisor

Kamran Behdinan

Abstract

Modern turbine blades and vanes possess very complex internal geometry. As a result of this complexity the design through conventional means, such as a Computer Aided Design (CAD) package, can take a large portion of the allocated time, preventing thorough testing and optimization. The aim of this thesis is to produce a parametric design methodology that can be used to create turbine blade and vane geometry from designer-specified parameters. This work includes a thorough study of the current blade and vane design process, an in-depth analysis of the most commonly used geometry represention methodologies, as well as a review of existing works on the subject.

The research code, based on the created design methodology, was tested on the existing blade and vane design schemes. The result of this comparison is presented. The developed methodology can be used to shorten the design time necessary to produce the blade and vane geometry, thereby increasing the time available for analysis and optimization.