Effect of spanwise variation of chord on the performance of a turbine cascade

This paper compares the aerodynamic performance of two cascade designs, viz.: -constant-chord and varying-chord. The varying-chord design is typical of industrial gas turbines and steam turbine stators in order to reduce manufacturing costs. The present study aims to increase the understanding of the implications of this manufacturing constraint on the aerodynamics of the stator. Experiments are carried out in a linear cascade wind tunnel. Numerical simulations are performed using commercial code CFX. The profile losses and secondary losses in the two designs are compared. The overall total pressure losses indicate better aerodynamic performance of a turbine cascade with constant chord as compared to a turbine cascade of varying-chord design