DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BOMBAY

PROPULSION LAB REPORT

Study of Impulse Turbine Performance Characteristics

Submitted By:

B. Chaitanya Kumar

Roll No.

140010045

Lab Group:
G
 Experiment: Study of Impulse Turbine Performance Characteristics

Aim:

To study the performance characteristics of impulse turbine under varying conditions of inlet pressure and
rotational speed.

Apparatus:

1) F300C small single stage axial flow impulse turbine

2) F300 Compressible flow unit - It is used to measure the pressure, mass flow rate, temperature and turbine
RPM.

Theory:

When the high pressure & high velocity fluid is directed onto the moving blades, kinetic energy is transferred to
the blades. This is the principle behind the working of impulse turbine. The turbine spins because of impulse
generated from change in the direction of flow of a high velocity fluid or gas jet. There are two parts in the
turbine nozzle (stationary blades) and rotor blades. There is no pressure drop across rotor blades but the
pressure drops across stationary blades. The impulse turbine energy transfer happens based on Newton's
second law.

We can see from the figure that for impulse turbine there is no pressure drop across the stator and for reaction
turbine there is a pressure drop across the stator.

Procedure:

4 nozzles Open – Constant RPM:

 Set RPM of the motor to 20000.

 Start from gauge inlet pressure (P1) of 30 kPa, take readings of Inlet Temperature (T1), Exit Temperature (T2)
and load.
 Exit pressure is atmospheric pressure 101.325 kPa.
 Make sure that RPM is 20000 before taking any readings. Change inlet pressure from 30 to 50 in steps of 10.
 Calculate Torque, actual shaft power, ideal exit temperature, isentropic shaft power, Efficiency, Specific air
consumption. Plot the required graphs given below.

4 nozzles Open – Constant Inlet Pressure:

 Set inlet gauge pressure to 30 kPa.

 Change RPM from 19000 to 21000 in steps of 1000.
 Take appropriate readings and plot the required graphs.

2 nozzles open- Constant RPM:

 Set RPM of the motor to 18000.

 Repeat the same procedure as for 4 nozzles open, constant RPM.
2 nozzles open- Constant Inlet Pressure:

 Set inlet gauge pressure to 50 kPa.

 Change the RPM from 16000 to 20000 in steps of 2000.
 Take appropriate readings and plot the required graphs

Sample Calculations:
For reading 2 of table 4
For compressed air; γ=1.4 and Cp=1.005 kJ/kg.K
.
Absolute Pressure Ratio = = = 0.717
.
.
.
Ideal Exit Temperature, , = ( ) = 298.6( ) . = 271.52
.
Torque, T = Load x Radius = 0.620 x 0.0145 = 0.009 Nm
( ) ∗ ∗ ∗ .
Shaft Actual Power, = = = 16.899
Shaft Ideal Power, = ̇ − , = 1.2 ∗ 1.005 ∗ (298.6 − 271.52) = 32.657
̇ .
Specific Air Consumption = = ∗ 3600 = 255.641
. .
.
Efficiency = = .
= 0.517
OBSERVATIONS:

S.NO P1(kPa) P2(kPa) P Ratio N(ref) N(act) L m.(g/s) T1(k) T2(K) T(Nm)

1 121.325 101.325 1.1974 15000 15500 0.36 2.2 299 296.2 0.00522

2 131.325 101.325 1.2961 15000 15370 0.68 2.6 299 295 0.00986

3 141.325 101.325 1.3948 15000 15390 0.95 3.2 299 294 0.013775

Graphs:
1. Efficiency – RPM (Inlet pressure constant):

EFFICIENCY VS RPM
4 nozzle open 2 nozzle open

0.3 0.268117222
0.254689539
0.25 0.220422712
0.177845034
0.2
EFFICIENCY

0.15 0.113020134

0.1
0.03082134
0.05

0
19000 20000 21000 22000 23000 24000 25000
RPM

2. Efficiency – Pressure Ratio (Rpm constant):

 EFICIENCY VS PRESSURE RATIO
0.3
0.295
0.29
0.285
EFFICIENCY

0.28
0.275
4 nozzle open
0.27
0.265 2 nozzle open
0.26
0.255
0.25
1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 1.35 1.4 1.45
PRESSURE RATIO

3. Torque-RPM (Inlet pressure constant):

TORQUE VS RPM
0.008
0.007
0.006
0.005
T(NM)

0.004
4 nozzle open
0.003
2 nozzle open
0.002
0.001
0
19000 20000 21000 22000 23000 24000 25000
RPM

4. Torque-Pressure Ratio (Rpm Constant):

TORQUE VS PRESSURE RATIO

0.016
0.014
0.012
0.01
TORQUE

0.008
4 nozzle open
0.006
2 nozzle open
0.004
0.002
0
1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 1.35 1.4 1.45
PRESSURE RATIO

5. Actual Power – RPM (Inlet pressure constant):

 ACTUAL POWER VS RPM
18
16
14
12
ACTUAL POWER

10
8 4 nozzle open
6 2 nozzle open
4
2
0
19000 20000 21000 22000 23000 24000 25000
RPM

6. Actual Power – Pressure Ratio (Rpm constant):

ACTUAL POWER VS PRESSURE RATIO

25

20

15
ACTUAL POWER

4 nozzle open
10
2 nozzle open
5

0
1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 1.35 1.4 1.45
PRESSURE RATIO

7. Specific Air Consumption-Actual Power (Inlet pressure constant):

SAC VS ACTUAL POWER

6000

5000

4000
SAC

3000
4 nozzle open
2000 2 nozzle open

1000

0
0 4 8 12 16 20
ACTUAL POWER
8. Specific Air Consumption – Actual Power (Rpm constant):

SAC VS ACTUAL POWER

1000
900
800
700
600
SAC

500
4 nozzle open
400
300 2 nozzle open
200
100
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
ACTUAL POWER
Conclusions:
1. For a constant pressure ratio, by increasing the rpm we increase the friction losses thereby
decreasing efficiency.
2. For a constant RPM, by increasing the pressure difference (decreasing the pressure ratio) we
are pumping in more energy through the pressure. To maintain a fixed RPM, more load is
applies and more frictional loss is encountered. Therefore decreasing efficiency.
3. For a constant inlet pressure ratio, by increasing the RPM we mean we are decreasing the
load on the rotating shaft. By decreasing the load we are indirectly decreasing the torque.
4. For a constant RPM, when we increase pressure difference (decrease pressure ratio) we
need higher load to maintain the same RPM. Hence higher torque.
5. For the case of 2 nozzle open no proper trend is observed because of measurement errors.
In the case of 4 nozzle open, by increasing the RPM for a constant pressure difference.
Torque would decrease which is dominating the actual power compared to the RPM.
6. For a constant RPM, power is only proportional to torque. So as explained in point 4 a higher
power is observed.
7. In the case of 2 nozzle open a clear trend is not observable. In the case of 4 nozzle open a
decreasing trend is observed with increase in the actual power for constant pressure
difference. SAC i.e., specific air consumption is the amount of air required to generate 1 KW-
hr of energy. We see that for higher powers a lower mass of air is required to produce 1 KW-
hr of energy.
8. As in the earlier case no clear trend is observed in the case of 2 nozzle open. It is varying very
slightly and around a similar value. In the case of 4 nozzle open, we see a clear decreasing
trend as earlier. We are keeping the RPM constant in this process but we observe a similar
trend as in the previous case. SAC decreases with increasing power.