Investigating the effect of blade topology on the performance of small-scale cryogenic turbines manufactured using various 3D printing materials

The push for higher penetration of renewable power solutions creates novel problems for the electricity grid. Renewable power plants (such as solar and wind farms) are subject to large fluctuations in generation patterns, making it difficult to predict power availability. Cryogenic energy storage has the potential to solve the challenge of storing surplus power generated during off peak times, without the geographical limitations of other methods such as pumped hydro storage and compressed air energy storage.

To take advantage of cryogenic energy storage, efficient and well-established methods of recovering energy from the store are required. Research into this is crucial. Small scale cryogenic turbines have been proposed as a solution for use in buildings or rural and remote off grid communities, and are being developed and 3D printed at the University of Birmingham. In order to optimise and develop a more efficient turbine design that will be able to harness more power from the stored energy; the topology of the turbine itself must be investigated, namely the turbine blades as their topology will drastically effect the nature of the flow of the cryogen as it passes through the turbine. This can be done through the use of CFD analysis and experimental validation, optimising the topology of turbine blades using various optimisation methods, and using 3D printing to manufacture complex optimised topology.