@Article{cmc.2022.021406,
AUTHOR = {Mohamed Omri, Yusuf Al-Turki, Ahmed A. Alghamdi, Amrid Amnache, Luc G. Fréchette},
TITLE = {Analysis of Flow Structure in Microturbine Operating at Low Reynolds Number},
JOURNAL = {Computers, Materials \& Continua},
VOLUME = {71},
YEAR = {2022},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {961--977},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/cmc/v71n1/45408},
ISSN = {1546-2226},
ABSTRACT = {In this paper, three-dimensional flows in laminar subsonic cascades at relatively low Reynolds numbers (Re < 2500) are presented, based on numerical calculations. The stator and rotor blade designs are those for a MEMS-based Rankine microturbine power-plant-on-a-chip with 109-micron chord blades. Blade passage calculations in 3D were done for different Reynolds numbers, tip clearances (from 0 to 20%) and incidences (0° to 15°) to determine the impact of aerodynamic conditions on the flow patterns. These conditions are applied to a blade passage for a stationary outer casing. The 3D blade passage without tip clearance indicates the presence of two large symmetric vortices due to the interaction between hub/casing boundary layers and the blade. Opening the tip clearance introduces the tip vortex, which tends to become dominant above a tip clearance of 10%. In addition to providing a description and understanding of the 3D flow in a MEMS microturbine, these results suggest the importance of considering 3D flows in the design of microturbomachinery, even though the geometry is dominantly 2D.},
DOI = {10.32604/cmc.2022.021406}
}