Analysis of the Variable Geometry Effect in Radial Turbines

The influence of variable geometry stators on the stage behavior is analyzed from both theoretical and experimental points of view. A theoretical analysis of the trajectory of some pressure-ratio lines in a loading-to-flow-coefficient diagram leads to the definition of a specific dimensionless parameter: the reduced section. This parameter is representative of the stator geometric configuration and is thus expected to be a good candidate to describe the variable geometry problem. From a theoretical point of view, this parameter is no less than the formal expression of the link between the geometric configuration of the stator and the behavior of the stage. An experimental approach decomposed in three phases is then led to evaluate this assessment. The results clearly demonstrate the crucial influence of the reduced section in the operating point definition. It leads to the conclusion that from a theoretical point of view, the two solutions mainly used in the industry for variable geometry stages (variation of the height or of the opening position of the stator blades) are equivalent provided that they are sanitized of their respective technological drawbacks. It has also been shown that the geometric configuration of the stator chosen to reach a specific value of the reduced section has some incidence on the efficiency of the stage. This observation gives some opportunities for optimization, for which some axis of reflection is given.