ME 630 Turbomachinery ____________ Sample Final Exam Questions and Problems

I. Questions

1. Some of the "miscellaneous losses" in turbomachines include

______________________ and ______________________.

2. Secondary flow losses in turbomachines is associated with the phenomenon of

____________________ ___________________.

3. In a "free-vortex" swirl distribution, the tangential velocity distribution is given by

the equation _________________________________.

4. In the full radial equilibrium equation, it is assumed that the flow is ___________
dimensional, steady, compressible, and ____________________.

5. In the simplified radial equilibrium equation, the ___________________

___________________ term is assumed to be negligible compared to the pressure
gradient term and the ____________________ ___________________ term.

6. The stage loading coefficient for an axial flow compressor is defined as

_______________________________.

7. The flow coefficient is defined as ____________________________.

8. According to the de Haller rule, the exit/inlet velocity ratio in a compressor blade
passage should be kept _____________________ than about
______________________.

9. The quantity h + W2/2 - U2/2 is called the ______________________. It is useful

because it is constant through the ______________________ row.

10. At the stator exit of an axial flow turbine stage, the sign of the radial pressure
gradient is ______________________.

11. At the stator exit of axial flow compressor stage, the sign of the radial pressure
gradient is ______________________.

12. A term often used to describe the peculiar shape of a rotor blade in an LP steam
turbine is "_____________________________ and
___________________________".

13. The stage reaction is defined as the ratio of ___________________________ to

________________________.
14. The reaction is equal to ___________________________for an impulse stage.

15. Impulse stages are used in high pressure turbines because

__________________________________________________________________
______.

16. One advantage of a 50% reaction stage compared to an impulse stage is that
__________________________________________________________________
______.

17. The stage loading coefficient for an axial flow turbine is usually between
_____________ and about ______________.

18. The flow coefficient is usually between _________ and ____________.

19. A centrifugal compressor has one advantage over an axial flow compressor in that
__________________________________________________________.

20. The main advantage of an axial flow compressor, compared to a centrifugal flow
compressor, is that
_________________________________________________________

21. The blade chord is defined as the distance from ________________________ to

__________________________.

22. The aspect ratio is the ratio of blade ______________________________ to

______________________________.

23. The blade gaging is the ratio of _____________________________ to

__________________________.

24. Blade "profile losses" are composed of ___________________________ loss,

______________________ loss and ______________________ loss.

25. Flow losses in turbomachine blade passages are higher than the profile loss
predicted from cascade tests because of _____________________________ and
__________________________ losses.

26. Secondary flow loss is distributed non-uniformly along the blade. It is highest near
________________________________ and lowest
near________________________________________________.
27. In an axial flow compressor stage, the highest swirl is at the exit of the
___________________________ row. A lower swirl is usually present at the exit
of the___________________________ row.

28. The nozzle efficiency is defined as ___________________________________.

29. At the stator exit of an axial flow turbine stage, the sign of the swirl velocity can
be ___________________________________.

30. At the rotor exit of an axial flow turbine stage, the sign of the swirl velocity can be
__________________________________.

31. In a steam power plant, there are often three main turbines, called the
___________________________ turbine, the __________________________
turbine, and the ________________________ turbine.

32. Of these, the ____________________________ turbine is the largest.

33. The vorticity in a two-dimensional flowfield is defined as ___________

___________________________________________________________.

34. If the product of radius and tangential velocity is constant at the exit of an axial
flow turbomachine blade row , the flow is called a
______________________________________.

35. The "solidity ratio" is the ratio of the blade ______________________ to

______________________________.

36. For turbine blades, the minimum profile loss occurs when ____________
______________________________________________________________.

37. When the flow separates on compressor blades, the condition is known as
____________________________________________________________.

38. Separated flow leads to high flow losses, because in the separated flow region, the
flow _________________________________________________.

39. A turbine is an energy conversion device, which converts

________________________ energy into ________________________ .

40. The purpose of a compressor is to increase the ___________________ and

____________________ of a compressible fluid.
41. Two quantities which remain constant in one-dimensional adiabatic flow of a
perfect gas in a duct are _________________ and _________________.

42. The power of the wind flowing through a wind turbine rotor is proportional to
_____________, ____________, and ____________.

43. The Betz limit, or theoretical maximum power coefficient of a wind turbine is
approximately equal to _____________ .

44. Large (utility size) wind turbines tend to be of the (HAWT(?) or VAWT(?))
___________________ design. A typical power coefficient of one of these
machines would be about ____________________.

45. Three critical wind speeds in wind turbine design are the _______________ speed,
_______________ speed, and _______________ speed.
III. Problems

1. An axial flow steam turbine stage is to be designed for a stage work of 40 Btu/lbm.
The rotational speed of the machine is 3600 rpm, the inlet stagnation pressure is 800
psia and the inlet stagnation temperature is 750 F. Calculate the mean diameter, flow
angles and relative flow angles. Base your design on a zero exit swirl, 50% reaction
stage, with psi = 1.0 and phi = 0.6. Estimate the stage exit stagnation pressure and
temperature, assuming no losses. Use gamma = 1.3, R = 80 ft lbf lbm-1 R-1 and cp =
0.445 Btu lbm-1 R-1 for steam properties.

2. An axial flow air compressor stage is to be designed for a stage work of 12

Btu/lbm. The rotational speed of the machine is 8600 rpm. The inlet stagnation
pressure is 80 psia, and the inlet stagnation temperature is 420 F. Calculate the mean
diameter (in.), the rotor relative exit flow angle (deg), stator inlet flow angle, and
stator exit flow angle. Estimate the stator exit stagnation pressure (psia) and
temperature (oF), assuming no losses. Base your design on a 50% reaction stage, with
theta = 40 deg and phi = 0.4. Use = 1.4, R = 53.34 ft lbf lbm R and c = 0.24 Btu
1
-1 -1
p

lbm R for the fluid properties. (Ans. 25.5, -40, 58.9, 40, 97, 470)
-1 -1

3. A preliminary design for the next-to-last stage of a low-pressure steam turbine calls
for the following conditions at the mean diameter: P01 = 15 psia, T01 = 400 F, VX3 =
VX4 = 630 ft/s, V3 = 1550 ft/s, P04,rel = 8.76 psia, T04,rel = 316.3 F, P4 = 4.81 psia, T4
= 215 F. At the mean diameter, the stage is to be a 50% reaction, zero exit swirl
design. Assume that the superheated steam behaves as an ideal gas, with = 1.3 and R
= 85.5 ft lbf lbm-1R-1.

A. Based on mean diameter conditions, calculate the following: relative inlet angle, relative exit
angle, relative exit velocity, relative exit Mach number, and the stage specific work.

B. On the above design, the rotor row is essentially choked. Suppose that the stage exit pressure
were reduced to 3.5 psia. Calculate the following for the alternative design, again based on mean
diameter conditions: relative inlet angle, relative exit angle, relative exit velocity, relative exit
Mach number, exit velocity and exit flow angle. Assume that the blade geometry, wheel speed,
stage inlet conditions and loss coefficients for each row would remain the same as for the
original design.

4. An axial flow steam turbine stator row has an inlet angle equal to 0 deg, and an exit
angle equal to 70 deg. The inlet pressure is equal to 800 psia, and the inlet
temperature is equal to 700 F. The inlet Mach number is equal to 0.2. Estimate the
exit Mach number, velocity, temperature and pressure. Assume that the annulus
exit/inlet area ratio is equal to 1.05. For this estimate, neglect flow losses. (Ans. 0.92,
1773 ft/s, 575 deg F, 489 psia)

5. A wind turbine is to be designed based on a rated power equal to 1.0 MW, and a
corresponding rated wind speed Vr = 15.0 m/s. The rotor tip to wind speed ratio is
equal to 5.0 at the rated condition, and the power coefficient for Vin < V < Vr is
approximately constant and equal to 0.32. Other design specifications are as
follows: Vin = 3.0 m/s, Vout = 25.0 m/s. Calculate the required rotor diameter
(m). Calculate the rotational speed (rpm), and the mean diameter relative inlet
flow angle at the rated wind speed. (Ans. 44.3 m, 32 rpm, 22 deg)