Design of a linear cascade test section for NICFD experiments in the ORCHID facility
G.W.A. van den Heuvel (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
A. Cappiello – Mentor (TU Delft - Flight Performance and Propulsion)
M. Pini – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Flight Performance and Propulsion)
A.H. Van Zuijlen – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerodynamics)
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Abstract
Reducing primary energy consumption is vital to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy independence. Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems recover low-temperature waste heat using organic fluids, but transport applications require miniaturised systems (mini-ORCs). Their turbines operate under high pressure ratios, leading to supersonic flows and efficiency losses from trailing-edge shocks. To optimise turbine design under non-ideal compressible fluid dynamics (NICFD) conditions associated with organic fluids, Delft University of Technology developed the ORCHID test rig. This thesis focuses on designing a linear stator cascade test section to enable experimental validation of stator design guidelines, numerical models, and modelling assumptions. Cascade geometries were designed for varying fluid thermodynamic conditions and analysed using CFD. Results show nonideality reduces exit flow angle, while cascade blade loading is strongly influenced by tailboard alignment. Additionally, the number of cascade passages has little impact on the flow field in the centre passge.