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Title: Characterisation of a small viscous flow turbine

Abstract

The result of experimental and numerical study that was undertaken to determine the performance characteristics of viscous flow turbines is presented. It is anticipated that these devices may find use in applications such as small power sources for electronic appliances and micro-combined heat and power applications. In the numerical work that was carried out to broaden the experimental results, commercial CFD solver Fluent 6.2 was used while accompanying software, Gambit 3.2, was used for performing the necessary pre-processing. The results of the experimental study indicate that the adiabatic efficiency of these machines is around 25%. The main reasons for the low efficiency have been identified to be, parasitic losses in the bearing, viscous losses in the end walls, and other dissipative losses in the plenum chamber that also significantly contribute to the low efficiencies of these devices. If these parasitic losses can be minimised the turbine could potentially operate with an adiabatic expansion efficiency close to the theoretical limit of around 40%. (author)

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Industrial Research Institute Swinburne, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 (Australia)
  2. VR-Tech Ltd., Level 9, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 (Australia)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21116088
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 33; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved; Journal ID: ISSN 0894-1777
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; TURBINES; VISCOUS FLOW; POWER SUPPLIES; EFFICIENCY; NUMERICAL ANALYSIS; BEARINGS; EXPANSION; PERFORMANCE; ENERGY LOSSES; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; WALLS; COGENERATION; FLUID MECHANICS; Microturbines; Viscous flow turbines

Citation Formats

Lemma, E, Deam, R T, Toncich, D, and Collins, R. Characterisation of a small viscous flow turbine. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.1016/J.EXPTHERMFLUSCI.2008.07.009.
Lemma, E, Deam, R T, Toncich, D, & Collins, R. Characterisation of a small viscous flow turbine. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EXPTHERMFLUSCI.2008.07.009
Lemma, E, Deam, R T, Toncich, D, and Collins, R. 2008. "Characterisation of a small viscous flow turbine". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EXPTHERMFLUSCI.2008.07.009.
@article{osti_21116088,
title = {Characterisation of a small viscous flow turbine},
author = {Lemma, E and Deam, R T and Toncich, D and Collins, R},
abstractNote = {The result of experimental and numerical study that was undertaken to determine the performance characteristics of viscous flow turbines is presented. It is anticipated that these devices may find use in applications such as small power sources for electronic appliances and micro-combined heat and power applications. In the numerical work that was carried out to broaden the experimental results, commercial CFD solver Fluent 6.2 was used while accompanying software, Gambit 3.2, was used for performing the necessary pre-processing. The results of the experimental study indicate that the adiabatic efficiency of these machines is around 25%. The main reasons for the low efficiency have been identified to be, parasitic losses in the bearing, viscous losses in the end walls, and other dissipative losses in the plenum chamber that also significantly contribute to the low efficiencies of these devices. If these parasitic losses can be minimised the turbine could potentially operate with an adiabatic expansion efficiency close to the theoretical limit of around 40%. (author)},
doi = {10.1016/J.EXPTHERMFLUSCI.2008.07.009},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21116088}, journal = {Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science},
issn = {0894-1777},
number = 1,
volume = 33,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008},
month = {Wed Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008}
}