Slide 1

"Let’s look at how we are developing our cryogenic turboexpander. Instead of starting from
scratch, we’re using an existing, well-tested air turbine to guide our design. This makes the
process faster and more reliable. We’re using the NASA 1730 air turbine, a well-documented
model from 1980, as our reference. By scaling down this design, we avoid many of the
challenges of creating a completely new turbine. This saves time, effort, and helps ensure
good performance. The NASA turbine has a rotor diameter of 150.4 mm and runs at 70,000
RPM using air. These known values give us a strong starting point to adapt the design for
cryogenic use. Now, let’s move to the next slide to see the actual scaling calculations and
design changes."

Slide 2
"Here we’re showing the test performance of our reference turbine—the NASA 1730—based
on data from McLallin and Jeffrey (1980). This data, including graphs and a detailed design
table, forms the base for our cryogenic turboexpander design. By studying this, we make sure
our scaled-down version keeps the original turbine’s aerodynamic strengths while adapting it
to cryogenic conditions.
Left Side – Graphs: These graphs show how the NASA 1730 performed during testing.
 Top Graph – Total Efficiency vs Speed (ηt):
o Y-axis: Total efficiency (how well the turbine converts fluid energy into useful
work).
o X-axis: Speed as a percentage of design speed.

o Different symbols (▲, □, ◇, etc.) represent various operating speeds from 30%
to 110%.
o The black diamond marks the best (design) operating point.

 Bottom Graph – Static Efficiency vs Blade-Jet Speed Ratio (ηs):

o X-axis: Blade-jet speed ratio (how fast blades move compared to the fluid jet).

o Efficiency rises with speed ratio to an optimum, then starts to drop.

Right Side – Design Table:

Slide 3
The is the NASA 1730 air turbine used as a reference model for designing our hydrogen
turbine.

Slide 4
"We use similarity principles to scale turbines or compressors to new conditions, like
moving from air to cryogenic hydrogen.
If two machines are geometrically similar, we can predict one’s performance using data
from the other.
This works by using dimensionless numbers from compressible flow analysis, allowing
accurate scaling without full redesign.
It’s the key method for developing cryogenic turboexpanders from existing air turbines."

Slide 5
"These equations are the core of our scaling method. Each part helps us make sure
the scaled turboexpander performs like the original NASA 1730 turbine. In the next
slide, we’ll see how these equations guide our design choices." These r they key
dimensionless numbers…

Slide 6
"To keep the turbine's flow behavior similar, we preserve the specific speed—Nₛ—
which is 0.464 for the NASA 1730 turbine.
Since we’re assuming the same fluid and keeping inlet pressure and temperature
constant, the enthalpy drop doesn’t change.
Using this, we calculate the new rotational speed for our scaled turbine—
and it comes out to be 94,703 RPM."

Slide 7

"Next, we analyze the performance maps of the NASA turbine, which show that the
highest efficiency is achieved at a tip speed ratio of 0.725.
By keeping this same ratio, we ensure our scaled turbine runs at its best
aerodynamic performance.
Since we already know the rotational speed, we use Equation 65 to solve for the
new rotor diameter.
The result is 66.5 mm, and this becomes the baseline size for designing our
hydrogen turbine."
Slide 8
This performance curve is key to our scaling process, showing how the blade speed ratio
affects turbine efficiency. By maintaining the optimal ratio of 0.725, we ensure the hydrogen
turbine retains the NASA turbine's high efficiency, despite fluid and size changes, while
understanding that small deviations significantly impact performance.

Slide 9
"With the new rotor diameter and rotational speed, we create a 3D CAD model for
the hydrogen turboexpander.
The design includes nozzle guide vanes and rotor blades, based on the meridional
profiles of the NASA 1730 air turbine.
We also adjust the geometry to account for hydrogen’s properties, like its low
molecular weight and high diffusivity, which affect blade loading and flow behavior.
Using advanced meshing tools, we create a high-quality mesh and import the
model into ANSYS CFX for simulations, applying hydrogen-specific boundary
conditions.
The simulation results show a mass flow rate of about 0.46 kg/s."

Slide 10
"This is the meshed 3D model of our turbine geometry for simulation. Let me break
it down:
📌 Key Features:
 Volute: The spiral casing that guides the hydrogen flow into the turbine, narrowing to
increase speed.
 Inlet: The entry point for high-pressure hydrogen (2.4 MPa, 71 K).
 Nozzle Passage: Speeds up the hydrogen and directs it onto the rotor at the right
angle.
 Impeller Passage: Converts the hydrogen’s kinetic energy into rotational work.
 Exit: The outlet after the energy has been extracted (P₃ = 15.9 bar).
 Mesh: The geometry is divided into small cells for accurate CFD simulation, with finer
mesh in key flow areas.
 Operating Speed (N = 78,026 rpm): High-speed rotation to match hydrogen’s flow
characteristics."

Slide 11
"We’re now at the final step—re-scaling our hydrogen turbine to achieve the target
mass flow rate while maintaining optimal efficiency.
The flow coefficient (φ) guides us, ensuring dynamic similarity as we adjust for the
desired mass flow rate (m₂).
  The target mass flow rate is m₂, and we need to determine the new rotor diameter, D₂,
to achieve this flow rate.
 The design speed is calculated by keeping the tip speed ratio the same as the original
NASA air turbine."

Slide 12
After getting this relation , we finalize the design

Slide 13
"We now use the updated rotor diameter to remodel the turbine, making sure it delivers the
target flow rate without losing performance.
By keeping key non-dimensional parameters the same — like specific speed, tip speed ratio,
and flow coefficient — the final hydrogen turbine is accurately scaled.
This two-step approach, starting with aerodynamic similarity and refining through flow
matching, avoids a complete redesign while still predicting performance reliably.
Final ANSYS simulations confirms that the hydrogen version is even more efficient than the
original air turbine — a strong sign that the scaling worked.

“This method lets us smartly adapt an existing into turbine hydrogen one.
"This approach saves time, avoids full redesigns, and ensures reliable results—
especially when switching to challenging fluids like hydrogen."