Particle trajectories in turbine cascades

Abstract

An analytical investigation into the nature of particle trajectories in cascades of airfoils has been carried out in order to predict the location, velocity, and angle of particle impact on the airfoils of turbines. As a result of this analysis it has been shown that for any given inviscid flow, particle trajectories are uniquely determined by the specification of only two dimensionless parameters, the most important of which is the Stokes number. In addition, computed results have indicated that particle trajectories are virtually invariant with cascade Mach number. Finally, a comparison of analytically and experimentally determined trajectories for the flow around the circular leading edge of a blunt body has shown excellent agreement over a wide range of Stokes number.