Increasing flow efficiency of high-pressure and low-pressure steam turbine stages from numerical optimization of 3D blading

3D blading of a high-pressure and low-pressure steam turbine stage is optimized using Nelder–Mead method of deformed polyhedron. Values of the minimized objective function, i.e. stage losses with the exit energy are found from 3D viscous compressible flow computations, including turbulence effects. Among the optimized parameters are stator and rotor blade numbers and stagger angles, rotor blade twist angle, stator blade sweep and lean, both straight and compound. The blade sections (profiles) are assumed not to change during the optimization. There are constraints imposed on the design parameters, including the mass flow rate and stage reaction. Optimization gives designs with new 3D blade stacking lines, and with increased efficiencies, compared with the original design.