A novel design of a hybrid micro-scale multistage turbine model for sustainable energy sources

The continued search for ways of getting the highest level of power that is extracted from the working fluid that passes through the turbine blades is still the main concern of researchers. In this article, a new model of a micro-scale multistage turbine has been presented. The presented designed model of the turbine takes advantage of both the radial inflow turbine and the axial flow turbine together by inserting a set (single stage or even multistage) of axial rotor blades placed next to the radial turbine rotor. This “new turbine model” surely will ensue not only by increasing the extracted power from each rotor's stage but also by an enhancement in the overall turbine performance and withstanding a higher pressure ratio compared to its conventional model. Additionally, a parametric investigation aimed at determining the optimal configuration and placement for the rotor has also been conducted throughout this research. Specifically speaking, at the same turbine's working conditions, the current work showed an increase in the output power by about 21 % compared to the relevant conventional turbines' configurations. Moreover, the orthotropic efficiency showed a 4.8 % enhancement, which reflects the developed efficiency of each of the turbine's stages separately. The achieved methodology can be applied for enhancing similar turbine ’models that are utilized in other applications such as propulsion and aircraft, and their results are highly dependent on the circumstances of the model boundary conditions.