Gas Turbine Efficiency Shroud Modifications

T H E P R O V E N A LT E R N AT I V E www.psm.
com
Gas Turbine Efficiency

Improvements Through
Shroud Modifications
R. Seleski
PSM
Jupiter, FL
1440 West Indiantown Rd., Suite 200

Jupiter, Florida 33458
Phone: 561-354-1100
Fax: 561-354-1199
Gas Turbine Efficiency Improvements
Through Shroud Modifications
Phone: 561-354-1100
Fax: 561-354-1199
Introduction The most common method to

correct these difficulties is to support
A driving factor in the design of all the bucket at both the root and tip,
power generating units is efficiency. using a tip shroud, instead of
Higher efficiency translates to lower cantilevering the entire bucket from
operating costs. In the case of the root. Not only does the tip
combustion turbines, air leakage shroud change the natural frequency
around the tips of turbine blades of the bucket as a system, but it
reduces efficiency. This paper provides additional friction damping.
examines the use of blade tip shrouds Tip shrouds also restrict gas leakage
to minimize air loss. It also looks at flow across the airfoil tip by using
tip shrouds as a technique to reduce knife-edge seals designed to rub into
blade stress and fatigue. The paper a honeycomb seal material that is
also examines difficulties with tip brazed onto the shroud blocks
shrouds, including creep, curling, and (Figure 1b).
stress, and how these can be
minimized. While tip shrouding can be an
excellent tool to improve combustion
Fundamentals turbine operation, a number of factors
must be taken into account when
A gas turbine functions by allowing designing tip shrouds, as otherwise the
passage of expanding combustion shrouds may cause as many problems
gases through the turbine blades. To as they solve.
accommodate gas expansion and
obtain maximum efficiency from the
unit, the turbine chamber volume and
blade length increase from inlet to
outlet. A simple blade design, such as
that shown in Figure 1a, offers two
major disadvantages. First, as blade
length increases, so do chord-to-
length aspect ratios. This can result in
an unacceptable high cycle fatigue
(HCF) margin on fundamental modes
such as 1st bending. Secondly, simple
blades allow a significant amount of
gas leakage around the blade tips.
This reduces turbine efficiency.
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Phone: 561-354-1100
Fax: 561-354-1199
Tip Shroud Difficulties shown in Figure 4. Bending stress due

to overhanging shroud edges also
Centrifugal forces on the rotating stages contributes to this deflection. The
of a modern gas turbine are enormous. deformation generally causes the
For example, an F class bucket (airfoil concave side to lift up and the convex
only) that weighs about eight pounds down, so that when two buckets are
pulls on the bucket platform with a next to each other, shroud mismatch
force of over 98,000 pounds at occurs. This can eventually result in
operating speed. That is equivalent to loss of contact between the two as
hanging 25 full size pick-up trucks on they shingle over the top of one
the bucket airfoil root section! another. Minimizing this effect is
critical in designing shrouds to meet
Figure 2 illustrates a classic tip shroud life cycle requirements. Unfortunately,
design. Tip shrouds are often only not much can be done to modify
employed to reduce HCF, as there are airfoil shape and eliminate the
some negative impacts related to untwisting effect. It is also difficult to
bucket design and structural cool the thin trailing edges of the
requirements of the tip shroud itself. buckets. The best option is to reduce
Issues include increased load (pull) on the weight and improve the efficiency
the airfoil resulting in reduced creep of the shroud overhang as much as
resistance of the bucket, curling and possible. This is outlined below.
creep of the shroud overhanging Another common problem with
edges (which causes shingling of the existing shroud designs is the potential
shroud edges relative to one for fatigue or overstress of thin
another), and fatigue or overstress of unsupported edges as shown in
unsupported shroud edges. These Figure 5.
may force premature field
replacement of components. Shroud Design Solutions
The shroud mass itself accounts for Some of the pitfalls mentioned above
roughly 10% of blade weight. Figure 3 result from classic shroud design
shows the impact of the extra weight practices that essentially made a full
on airfoil average stress. At 60% span hoop ring out of the shrouds in
the shroud increases average stress by roughly the same axially length as that
approximately 40%. This has a direct of the airfoil chord. This produces a
impact on bucket creep resistance. clean looking rotor, but is highly
inefficient.
Airfoil shape and gas temperature
combine to influence shroud One practical method for improving
deflection (and eventually creep), as shroud design is shown in Figure 6.
Page 2
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Fax: 561-354-1199
Excess material can be removed as allows them to form part of an I-

shown. The material was traditionally beam structure that stiffens and
used to minimize recirculation supports the shroud overhang. The
forward and aft of the blade but it has placement serves an additional
been found through engine function by increasing the potential
experience to provide little benefit shroud contact area and reducing
and actually increases pull on the shroud deflection and eventual
airfoil and introduces more bending curling, but without adding any
stress on the airfoil-to-shroud fillet additional mass.
(shroud curling). In the modified
design, the shroud center of 7EA Compatible 2nd Stage
gravity(CG) remains over the airfoil Bucket Enhancements
minimum moment of inertia axis with
a minimal change in the forward and The techniques outlined above have
aft CG location. The design also served in the design of an improved
minimizes windage effects associated 7EA-compatible 2nd stage bucket.
with abrupt interruptions along the Figure 10 is a photograph of an
leading and trailing edges of the original shroud. Service life was
shroud (Figure 7). reduced by almost 66% due to
shingling of the shroud contact edges.
An approach for shrouds that have PSM engineers developed the
relatively thick cross sections is to modified shroud shown in Figure 11.
taper that portion of the shroud The material redistribution allowed a
which overhangs the airfoil. Figure 8 0.060” shroud thickness increase in
shows a discreet pocket that tapers the contact area (Figure 12), but did
down to a minimum thickness before not affect the overall mass, bucket
forming the shroud edge. This design center of gravity, and airfoil stress. The
modification eliminates material that redesign offers a two-fold
would otherwise hang off the edge of improvement. It reduces the bending
the airfoil and increase the bending stress that contributes to shroud
stress of the shroud-to-airfoil fillet. curling, and it increases the radial
height of the contact face to allow for
Modified knife-edge seal placement is more shroud mismatch between
a technique that can be employed to buckets.The combined upgrades have
increase the stiffness of the shroud boosted the life of the bucket by a
without adding additional material. factor of three, and this bucket design
Figure 9 shows a not-to-scale has been in service for over 33,000
example of an ideal knife-edge seal hours and 1,300 starts.
location. Placing the seals as close as
possible to the long overhung areas In one instance, a set of modified
Page 3
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Fax: 561-354-1199
buckets was subjected to higher than stress than the original, but reduces
normal firing temperatures. The pull on the airfoil by 770 pounds from
buckets have been removed from the first modification. The tapered
service and PSM engineers are pockets reduce the amount of load
currently evaluating the components cantilevered off the airfoil, while the
for residual life. This data will serve to thicker contact surface serves as a
validate and update creep/failure life stiffener to support the overhanging
as predicted above. shroud. As in previous designs, the
leading and trailing edges of the
W501F Compatible 3rd Stage shroud have been contoured to
Bucket Enhancements minimize shroud mass. Figure 15
illustrates a plot of airfoil average
A different approach has proven section stress for the three, W501F
practical for redesign of a W501F- 3rd stage bucket shrouds. The
compatible 3rd stage bucket. Figure 5 optimized design eliminates the
shows an existing shroud that suffered overstressed thin corners of the
a fracture. The failure occurred long original shroud, increases the contact
before the end of expected service surface thickness, significantly
life due to shroud curling and minimizes shroud curling, and reduces
shingling. Figure 13 illustrates the average airfoil stress.
upgraded shroud, where shroud
thickness was increased from 0.310” Conclusion
to 0.375”, with a material change
from Inco 738 to MARM 247. The Modern modeling and analysis
latter alloy offers higher creep techniques exist to optimize turbine
resistance, which was necessary to shroud design and ensure that service
counterbalance the increase in mass. life matches that of the airfoil. The
new designs also minimize air leakage.
The thicker shroud on the modified Attention to the details outlined in
W501F bucket reduces shroud curling this paper will benefit gas turbine
and allows for more mismatch owners and managers through more
between buckets, but the added reliable and longer service life of the
weight increases pull on the airfoil by equipment. In today’s power market,
over 2,500 pounds. Figure 14 efficiency and reliable performance
illustrates two views of a more are critical for power producers to
advanced version of the shroud. maintain a competitive edge.
Company engineers used ANSYS Optimizing turbine shroud
finite element modeling to develop performance is a realistic tool to
this “pocketed” configuration, which is improve efficiency.
under application for patent. The
design offers the same or less bending
Page 4
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Fax: 561-354-1199
B
A
Figure 1. Honeycomb/Tip Shroud Interaction

Improves Tip Sealing
Figure 2. Classic Tip Shroud Design
Page 5
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Fax: 561-354-1199
Figure 3. Tip Shroud Increases Airfoil Average Stress
Figure 4. Unsupported Edge Curling Under Centrifugal Load
Page 6
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Fax: 561-354-1199
Figure 5. Overstress Failure of W501F 3rd Stage Shroud Edge
Figure 6. Edge Contouring Removes Excess Material
Page 7
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Figure 7. Contoured Tip Shroud Design Minimizes Windage Effects
Figure 8. Shroud Overhang is Treated as a Canterlivered Beam
Page 8
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Figure 9. Placement of K/E Seal over Overhang
Figure 10. Original 7EA 2nd Stage Bucket Shroud Figure 11. PSM 7EA Compatible 2nd Stage
Bucket Shroud
Page 9
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Fax: 561-354-1199
Figure 12. Material Redistributed to Increase Thickness in Center of Shroud
Figure 13. W501F 3rd Stage Bucket Upgraded Shroud
Page 10
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Fax: 561-354-1199
Figure 14. PSM Improved W501F Compatible 3rd Stage Bucket
Figure 15. Airfoil Average Stress Comparisons
Page 11

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T H E P R O V E N A LT E R N AT I V E www.psm.

Gas Turbine Efficiency

1440 West Indiantown Rd., Suite 200

Introduction The most common method to

Tip Shroud Difficulties shown in Figure 4. Bending stress due

Excess material can be removed as allows them to form part of an I-

Figure 1. Honeycomb/Tip Shroud Interaction

Figure 2. Classic Tip Shroud Design

Figure 3. Tip Shroud Increases Airfoil Average Stress

Figure 4. Unsupported Edge Curling Under Centrifugal Load

Figure 5. Overstress Failure of W501F 3rd Stage Shroud Edge

Figure 6. Edge Contouring Removes Excess Material

Figure 7. Contoured Tip Shroud Design Minimizes Windage Effects

Figure 8. Shroud Overhang is Treated as a Canterlivered Beam

Figure 9. Placement of K/E Seal over Overhang

Figure 12. Material Redistributed to Increase Thickness in Center of Shroud

Figure 13. W501F 3rd Stage Bucket Upgraded Shroud

Figure 14. PSM Improved W501F Compatible 3rd Stage Bucket

Figure 15. Airfoil Average Stress Comparisons

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