Enabling Operational Flexibility of Power Generation Systems: Novel Experimental Facility for Characterisation of Turbine Casing Thermal Field

Abstract Flexible operations comprising rapid start-up, shut-down, and high ramp rates are critical in a power system with accelerated renewable penetration. However, it amplifies thermal stresses and impacts plant cyclic life. Novel optimization tools and real-time decision-making processes for fast start-stop cycles are required to minimize these stresses. These tools need validation through hybrid numerical analysis and physical measurements of solid and complex fluid cavity field interactions. These computationally complex fluid-solid interactions, which affect thermal fields, stresses, and clearances, are neglected as a research field. In addition, the complex designs of turbine cavities make physical measurements and validation of new models or tools difficult. This paper presents a novel turbine casing design facility and dataset as a unique multi-domain thermal and flow field validation platform. The Oxford Turbine Casing Rig (OTCR) facility is a realistic turbine casing geometry that accurately measures solid, fluid main flow and complex cavity fields. It performs steady-state (part and full-load) and transient (cold/warm startup and shut-down) regimes. OTCR is modular and retrofittable for bladed path and gland seals. Its internal cavity’s dimension-less Grashof and Richardson numbers are comparable to real turbines. Steady and unsteady Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes conjugate heat transfer (RANS-CHT) simulations are performed to predict the OTCR’s complex fields. Accurate hybrid measurements and calculations underscore its ability to validate new turbine models. OTCR’s design geometry and data are offered as a validation platform to the community to accelerate research and understanding of complex fluid-solid interactions, enabling operational flexibility.