Experience With an Integrated Centrifugal Compressor Design Procedure
An integrated centrifugal compressor design procedure is described consisting of several phases, each using progressively more complex models. After initially sizing the compressor overall geometry, the detailed geometry is first determined from a one-dimensional mean streamline model. This geometry is subsequently analyzed by more complex two-dimensional hub-to-shroud and blade-to-blade internal flow models. The one-dimensional mean streamline model is a key element in this integrated design procedure, since it links the results of the preliminary sizing model with the more sophisticated two-dimensional internal flow models. It quickly determines a complete (hub and shroud contour and blade angle distributions) compressor geometry from a desired blade loading distribution and the overall performance requirements of the compressor. After a presentation of this mean streamline design model and its assumptions, an impeller design case study is given using the integrated centrifugal compressor design procedure. From a comparison between the actual flow predictions of the various models it can be concluded that the major aerodynamic trends are properly described by the mean streamline model.