Development of radial turbines in low-power Gas-turbine engines

The article deals with the problem of providing required gasdynamic and strength parameters of turbines in low-power Gas-turbine engines. A method of turbine geometrical characteristics correction is offered. It includes blade profile evaluation and modification, turbine load complex modeling and CFD-modeling of gasdynamic processes. This method is applied to the turbine impeller prototype. The most loaded places of the impeller are revealed. Hazardous locations are places of blades joints with the disk in circumference where safety factor is close to the minimum acceptable value. One of the most effective methods of strength enhancement is use of parabolic joints between the wheel and blades. These joints not only can increment safety factor up to 1.3 but also preserves the gasdynamic efficiency of the turbine. This presented method which is based on CFD-modeling and strength analysis, allows to minimize fabrication time and costs of new micro-turbines' developing process. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.