An Experimental Analysis of Flow Through Annular Diffuser With and Without Struts

This paper presents the static pressure development and the effect of struts on the performance of an annular diffuser. A typical exhaust diffuser of an industrial gas turbine is annular with structural members, called struts, which extend radially from the inner to the outer annulus wall. An annular diffuser model, primarily intended for fundamental research, has been tested on a wind tunnel. Similar conditions that prevail in an industrial gas turbine have been generated in the diffuser. Measurements were made using a five holed Pitot probe. The research had been carried out to make a detailed investigation on the effect of struts and to advance computational and design tools for gas turbine exhaust diffusers.