Numerical Flow Analysis in a Subsonic Vaned Radial Diffuser With Leading Edge Redesign

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Casartelli ◽  
A. P. Saxer ◽  
G. Gyarmathy

The flow field in a subsonic vaned radial diffuser of a single-stage centrifugal compressor is numerically investigated using a three-dimensional Navier–Stokes solver (TASCflow) and a two-dimensional analysis and inverse-design software package (MISES). The vane geometry is modified in the leading edge area (two-dimensional blade shaping) using MISES, without changing the diffuser throughflow characteristics. An analysis of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional effects of two redesigns on the flow in each of the diffuser subcomponents is performed in terms of static pressure recovery, total pressure loss production, and secondary flow reduction. The computed characteristic lines are compared with measurements, which confirm the improvement obtained by the leading edge redesign in terms of increased pressure rise and operating range.

Author(s):  
E. Casartelli ◽  
A. P. Saxer ◽  
G. Gyarmathy

The flow field in a subsonic vaned radial diffuser of a single stage centrifugal compressor is numerically investigated using a 3D Navier-Stokes solver (TASCflow) and a 2D analysis & inverse-design software package (MISES). The vane geometry is modified in the leading edge area (2D blade shaping) using MISES, without changing the diffuser throughflow characteristics. An analysis of the 2D and 3D effects of two redesigns on the flow in each of the diffuser subcomponents is performed in terms of static pressure recovery, total pressure loss production and secondary flow reduction. The computed characteristic lines are compared with measurements, which confirm the improvement obtained by the leading edge redesign in terms of increased pressure rise and operating range.


2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hildebrandt ◽  
F. Schilling

The present paper deals with the numerical and experimental investigation of the effect of return channel (RCH) dimensions of a centrifugal compressor stage on the aerodynamic performance. Three different return channel stages were investigated, two stages comprising three-dimensional (3D) return channel blades and one stage comprising two-dimensional (2D) RCH vanes. The analysis was performed regarding both the investigation of overall performance (stage efficiency, RCH total pressure loss coefficient) and detailed flow-field performance. For detailed experimental flow-field investigation at the stage exit, six circumferentially traversed three-hole probes were positioned downstream the return channel exit in order to get two-dimensional flow-field information. Additionally, static pressure wall measurements were taken at the hub and shroud pressure and suction side (SS) of the 2D and 3D return channel blades. The return channel system overall performance was calculated by measurements of the circumferentially averaged 1D flow field downstream the diffuser exit and downstream the stage exit. Dependent on the type of return channel blade, the numerical and experimental results show a significant effect on the flow field overall and detail performance. In general, satisfactory agreement between computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-prediction and test-rig measurements was achieved regarding overall and flow-field performance. In comparison with the measurements, the CFD-calculated stage performance (efficiency and pressure rise coefficient) of all the 3D-RCH stages was slightly overpredicted. Very good agreement between CFD and measurement results was found for the static pressure distribution on the RCH wall surfaces while small CFD-deviations occur in the measured flow angle at the stage exit, dependent on the turbulence model selected.


1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 978-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. Muggli ◽  
K. Eisele ◽  
M. V. Casey ◽  
J. Gu¨lich ◽  
A. Schachenmann

This paper describes an investigation into the use of CFD for highly loaded pump diffuser flows. A reliable commercial Navier-Stokes code with the standard k-ε turbulence model was used for this work. Calculations of a simple planar two-dimensional diffuser demonstrate the ability of the k-ε model to predict the measured effects of blockage and area ratio on the diffuser static pressure recovery at low loading levels. At high loading levels with flow separation the k-ε model underestimates the blockage caused by the recirculation in the flow separation region and overestimates the pressure recovery in the diffuser. Three steady-state calculations of a highly loaded vaned diffuser of a medium specific speed pump have been carried out using different inlet boundary conditions to represent the pump outlet flow. These are compared to LDA measurement data of the flow field and demonstrate that although the Navier-Stokes code with the standard k-ε turbulence model is able to predict the presence of separation in the flow, it is not yet able to accurately predict the static pressure rise of this highly loaded pump diffuser beyond the flow separation point.


Author(s):  
S. Fischer ◽  
H. Saathoff ◽  
R. Radespiel

Experimental and numerical results for the flow through a stator cascade with active flow control are discussed. By blowing air through a slot close to the trailing edge of the aerofoils, the deflection angle as well as the static pressure rise in the stator are increased. The aerofoil design is representative for a 1st-stage stator geometry of a multi-stage compressor adapted for low–speed applications. To allow a reasonable transfer of the high-speed results to low-speed wind tunnel conditions, a corresponding cascade geometry was generated applying the Prandtl–Glauert analogy. With this modified cascade numerical simulations and experiments have been conducted at a Reynolds number of 5 · 105. As a reference case two-dimensional flow simulations without circulation control are considered using a Navier–Stokes solver. In the related wind tunnel tests three–dimensional conditions occur in the test rig. Nevertheless five–hole probe measurements in the wake of the blade mid section show a good agreement with the theoretical characteristics. Additional investigation along the whole blade span gives a deeper insight into the flow topology. For design conditions different blowing rates are applied. The wind tunnel tests confirm the positive benefit, which is predicted by two-dimensional calculations. The offset between simulated and measured pressure rise decreases with increasing blowing mass flows due to the reduction of the axial velocity ratio. This result is related to a redistribution of the passage flow which can only be explained in a three–dimensional analysis including the side wall influence. The benefit of the circulation control at varying blowing rates is finally characterized by the efficiency and the static pressure rise per injected energy.


Author(s):  
Manjunath L Nilugal ◽  
K Vasudeva Karanth ◽  
Madhwesh N

This article presents the effect of volute chamfering on the performance of a forward swept centrifugal fan. The numerical analysis is performed to obtain the performance parameters such as static pressure rise coefficient and total pressure coefficient for various flow coefficients. The chamfer ratio for the volute is optimized parametrically by providing a chamfer on either side of the volute. The influence of the chamfer ratio on the three dimensional flow domain was investigated numerically. The simulation is carried out using Re-Normalisation Group (RNG) k-[Formula: see text] turbulence model. The transient simulation of the fan system is done using standard sliding mesh method available in Fluent. It is found from the analysis that, configuration with chamfer ratio of 4.4 is found be the optimum configuration in terms of better performance characteristics. On an average, this optimum configuration provides improvement of about 6.3% in static pressure rise coefficient when compared to the base model. This optimized chamfer configuration also gives a higher total pressure coefficient of about 3% validating the augmentation in static pressure rise coefficient with respect to the base model. Hence, this numerical study establishes the effectiveness of optimally providing volute chamfer on the overall performance improvement of forward bladed centrifugal fan.


1995 ◽  
Vol 291 ◽  
pp. 369-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald D. Joslin

The spatial evolution of three-dimensional disturbances in an attachment-line boundary layer is computed by direct numerical simulation of the unsteady, incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Disturbances are introduced into the boundary layer by harmonic sources that involve unsteady suction and blowing through the wall. Various harmonic-source generators are implemented on or near the attachment line, and the disturbance evolutions are compared. Previous two-dimensional simulation results and nonparallel theory are compared with the present results. The three-dimensional simulation results for disturbances with quasi-two-dimensional features indicate growth rates of only a few percent larger than pure two-dimensional results; however, the results are close enough to enable the use of the more computationally efficient, two-dimensional approach. However, true three-dimensional disturbances are more likely in practice and are more stable than two-dimensional disturbances. Disturbances generated off (but near) the attachment line spread both away from and toward the attachment line as they evolve. The evolution pattern is comparable to wave packets in flat-plate boundary-layer flows. Suction stabilizes the quasi-two-dimensional attachment-line instabilities, and blowing destabilizes these instabilities; these results qualitatively agree with the theory. Furthermore, suction stabilizes the disturbances that develop off the attachment line. Clearly, disturbances that are generated near the attachment line can supply energy to attachment-line instabilities, but suction can be used to stabilize these instabilities.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Abdelwahab

Vaned diffusers have been used successfully as efficient and compact dynamic pressure recovery devices in industrial centrifugal compressor stages. Typically such diffusers consist of a cascade of two-dimensional blades distributed circumferentially at close proximity to the impeller exit. In this paper three low-solidity diffuser blade geometries are numerically investigated. The first geometry employs variable stagger stacking of similar blade sections along the blade span. The second employs linearly inclined stacking to generate blade lean along the diffuser span. The third geometry employs the conventional two-dimensional low-solidity diffuser geometry with no variable stagger or lean. The variable stagger blade arrangement has the potential of better aligning the diffuser leading edges with the highly non-uniform flow leaving the impeller. Both variable stagger and linearly leaned diffuser blade arrangements, however, have the effect of redistributing the blade loading and flow streamlines in the spanwise direction leading to improved efficiency and pressure recovery capacity of the diffuser. In this paper a description of the proposed diffuser geometries is presented. The results of Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes numerical simulations of the three centrifugal compressor arrangements are discussed. Comparisons between the performance of the two and three-dimensional diffuser blade geometries are presented. The comparisons indeed show that the variable stagger and leaned diffusers present an improvement in the diffuser operating range and pressure recovery capacity over the conventional two-dimensional diffuser geometry.


1963 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 620-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Maull ◽  
L. F. East

The flow inside rectangular and other cavities in a wall has been investigated at low subsonic velocities using oil flow and surface static-pressure distributions. Evidence has been found of regular three-dimensional flows in cavities with large span-to-chord ratios which would normally be considered to have two-dimensional flow near their centre-lines. The dependence of the steadiness of the flow upon the cavity's span as well as its chord and depth has also been observed.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. V. Rathish Kumar ◽  
T. Yamaguchi ◽  
H. Liu ◽  
R. Himeno

Abstract Unsteady flow dynamics in a doubly constricted vessel is analyzed by using a time accurate Finite Volume solution of three dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Computational experiments are carried out for various values of Reynolds number in order to assess the criticality of multiple mild constrictions in series and also to bring out the subtle 3D features like vortex formation. Studies reveal that pressure drop across a series of mild constrictions can get physiologically critical. Further this pressure drop is found to be sensitive to the spacing between the constrictions and also to the oscillatory nature of the inflow profile.


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