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On Rotor-Blade Deterioration and Pressure Losses in a Gas-Turbine Plant


BT Lebele-Alawa

Abstract

Sustenance of rotor-blade design shape is fundamental to the gas-turbine compressor performance. Blade
deterioration causes adverse pressure gradient which imposes unfavourable force on the boundary layer, resulting
in aerodynamic losses. This paper investigates the relationship between rotor-blade deterioration and pressure
losses in a gas-turbine plant. This was achieved by measuring certain performance characteristics of an operational
gas-turbine. Corresponding theoretical predictions were obtained from computer simulations. Rotor-blade
deterioration result in 1.2 percent drop in pressure ratio across the compressor, with a corresponding drop in
isentropic efficiency from 0.83 to 0.72.

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eISSN: 1015-079X