AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE COARSE DROPLETS FORMATION

Abstract

The paper introduces the first results from a new steam/air wind tunnel built in order to study the coarse water droplets in steam turbines and their formation. The wind tunnel was designed with the aim to have a testing facility with similar flow conditions for the study of liquid films as found in steam turbines. The tunnel is equipped with common devices for the measurement of the flow and for the analysis of the diameter distribution of the droplets. Two measurements methods were used for the measurement of the droplets size, photogrammetry and light scattering. The liquid film is artificially produced on an airfoil placed in the nozzle and liquid is pumped by a dosing pump on the surface of the airfoil. Coarse droplets formed from the liquid films have a negative effect on the reliability and efficiency of the turbines due to the erosion and corrosion by the droplets impact on the leading edges of the blades.