Radial Turbines

 1.  Waste Heat Recovery turbine

  • 1-stage radial expander
                                           Radial Turbine Impellers                                (courtesy of Mohawk Innovative Technology, Inc.)

     

  • 3.2-inch rotor tip diameter, 31500 RPM
  • Fluid: R134a
  • Objectives: preliminary sizing and performance analysis, nozzle & impeller detailed designs

2.  Waste Heat Turboexpander

  • 1-stage radial expander
  • 3.8-inch rotor tip diameter, 42000 rpm
  • Fluid: hydrocarbon mixture
  • Objectives: preliminary sizing and performance study for pre-contract proposal  

3.  Pipeline turboexpander

  • 1-stage radial expander
  • 8.7-inch rotor tip diameter, 30K RPM
  • Fluid: air
  • Objectives: preliminary sizing and performance analysis, limit load calculations to determine max. pressure ratio capability

4.  Regenerative blower design

  • 1-stage impeller
  • 1.5-inch diameter, 4651 RPM
  • Fluid: air
  • Objectives: detailed airfoil designs, blade loadings

5.  Turbocharger turbine for automotive

  • 1-stage radial turbine
  • 1.5-inch diameter, 158K RPM
  • Fluid: airObjectives: design sizing and performance analysis for a nozzle-less design

6.  Supercritical CO2 expander

  • 1-stage radial expander
  • 0.6” rotor tip diameter, various speeds investigated
  • Fluid: supercritical CO2
  • Objectives: conceptual design and feasibility studies, compare RIT with tangential flow turbine

7.  Turboalternator turbine

  • 1-stage radial expander for Brayton cycle power conversion system
  • 5-inch to 19-inch diameter, 15K to 95K RPM
  • Fluid: Helium-xenon mixture
  • Objectives: preliminary design, trade studies of cycle parameters, compare axial & radial designs

8.  Turboexpander for automotive fuel cell

  • 1-stage radial expander
  • 1.78-inch rotor tip diameter, 26K to 151K RPM
  • Fluid: air
  • Objectives: preliminary designs for part-load operation, performance sensitivities

9.  Turbocharger turbine for locomotive

  • 1-stage radial turbine
  • 17” rotor tip diameter, 16K RPM
  • Fluid: air
  • Objectives: design audit, blade-to-blade analysis, inlet volute losses

10.  Rocket engine turbopump

  • Both axial & radial turbine designs
  • 11.5” rotor tip diameter, 17k RPM
  • Fluid: liquid oxygen
  • Objectives: conceptual design including trade studies of cycle parameters