Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE PROPERTIES OF HIGH ENERGY GAS FLOW THROUH A MICROTURBINE IN 3D CASCADE
by K. T. Ajayi, G. N. Nwaji and O. B. Ojo

Abstract:
The study presents the application of a finite volume solution method and an unstructured grid system to the solution procedure of the discretized governing equations for the determination of the thermodynamic and flow properties of the exhaust gas in 3Dcascade with a revolving micro-turbine forming an integral part of a reverse power cycle applied to spark ignition automobiles. The Frozen rotor interface approach, in which the frames of reference connect, such that, each have a fixed relative position throughout the computation.The computational domain consists of the volute, rotor and the exhaust outlet while the boundary conditions were determined on the basis of gas-dynamic analysis of the theoretical engine cycle. The contour and streamline representation of the properties revealed the 2D flow structure in the cascade housing the micro-turbine and further showed that the available kinetic energy in the exhaust gas can be put to meaningful use by the extraction of shaft-work through the micro-turbine, since the variation of the investigated thermodynamic and flow properties within the cascade disclosed such a trend.

Keywords: micro-turbine, exhaust gas, SI engine, volute, rotor, 3D Cascade, finite volume method.

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