Influence of Secondary Flow on Turbine Erosion

This work presents the results of an investigation conducted to study the effect of secondary flow on blade erosion by coal ash particles in axial flow gas turbines. The particle dynamics and their blade impacts are determined from a three-dimensional trajectory analysis within the turbine blade passages. The blade material erosion behavior and the particle rebound characteristics are simulated using empirical equations derived from experimental measurements. The results demonstrate that the secondary flow has a significant influence on the blade erosion intensity and pattern for the typical ash particle size distribution considered in this investigation.