Study on the Transient Erosion Characteristics of Energy Recovery Turbine Blades With Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes and Large-Eddy Simulation Methods

Abstract Investigating the gas–solid interaction mechanisms and particle erosion characteristics within the flow passages of energy recovery turbines is essential for enabling efficient, durable, and safe operation through blade profile design optimization. In this study, blade material erosion model and particle motion model developed from high-temperature erosion experiments are employed in conjunction with the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) approaches to perform high-fidelity numerical simulations of the unsteady flow field, particle dynamics, and erosion processes in a two-stage industrial energy recovery turbine. The erosion distribution predicted with the transient simulation is compared with actual blade morphology. The simulations capture the cumulative erosion patterns at different time of fine particles on turbine blades under representative operating conditions and further elucidate the discrepancies and underlying mechanisms between URANS and LES turbulence models in predicting the impact and erosion behaviors of particles of different sizes at various locations within the turbine passage. The findings not only clarify the understanding of particle-induced erosion damage mechanisms in turbine flow passages but also provide valuable guidance on the applicability of different turbulence modeling strategies for erosion-resistant design optimization of energy recovery turbines.