scholarly journals Experimental Flow Field Investigation in a Centrifugal Compressor Vaned Diffuser

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Pinarbasi ◽  
Mark W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Flow Angle

The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of the flow physics in a centrifugal compressor vaned diffuser. A low speed compressor with a 19 bladed backswept impeller and diffuser with 16 wedge vanes was used. The measurements were made at three inter-vane positions and are presented as mean velocity, turbulent kinetic energy and flow angle distributions on eight diffuser cross sectional planes. The impeller blade wakes mix out rapidly within the vaneless space and more rapidly than in an equivalent vaneless diffuser. Although the flow is highly non uniform in velocity at the impeller exit, there is no evidence in the results of any separation from the diffuser vanes. The results do however suggest that the use of twisted vanes within the diffuser would be beneficial in reducing losses.

Off-Design Flow Measurements in a Centrifugal Compressor Vaneless Diffuser

1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pinarbasi ◽  
M. W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Flow Measurements ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Study Results

Detailed measurements have been taken of the three-dimensional velocity field within the vaneless diffuser of a backswept low speed centrifugal compressor using hot-wire anemometry. A 16 percent below and an 11 percent above design flow rate were used in the present study. Results at both flow rates show how the blade wake mixes out more rapidly than the passage wake. Strong secondary flows inherited from the impeller at the higher flow rate delay the mixing out of the circumferential velocity variations, but at both flow rates these circumferential variations are negligible at the last measurement station. The measured tangential/radial flow angle is used to recommend optimum values for the vaneless space and vane angle for design of a vaned diffuser.

Experimental Study of Pinch in Vaneless Diffuser of Centrifugal Compressor

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teemu Turunen-Saaresti ◽  
Aki-Pekka Gro¨nman ◽  
Ahti Jaatinen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Compressor Stage ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Moderate Amount ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Isentropic Efficiency

A centrifugal compressor is often equipped with a vaneless diffuser because the operation range of a vaneless diffuser is wider than the operation range of vaned diffuser, and the geometry of the vaneless diffuser is simple and inexpensive. The flow field after the centrifugal compressor rotor is highly complicated and the velocity is high. A moderate amount of this velocity should be recovered to the static pressure. It is important to study the flow field in the vaneless diffuser in order to achieve guidelines for design and an optimal performance. In this article, the experimental study of the pinch in the vaneless diffuser is conducted. Five different diffuser heights were used, b/b2 = 1, b/b2 = 0.903, b/b2 = 0.854, b/b2 = 0.806 and b/b2 = 0.903 (shroud). In three of the cases, the pinch was made to both walls of the diffuser, hub and shroud, and in one case, the pinch was made to the shroud wall. The total and the static pressure, the total temperature and the flow angle were measured at the diffuser inlet and outlet by using a cobra-probe, kiel-probes and flush-mounted pressure taps. In addition, the static pressure in the diffuser was measured at three different radius ratios. The overall performance, the mass flow, the pressure ratio and the isentropic efficiency of the compressor stage were also monitored. Detailed flow field measurements were carried out at the design rotational speed and at the three different mass flows (close to the surge, design and close to the choke). The isentropic efficiency and the pressure ratio of the compressor stage was increased with the pinched diffuser. The efficiency of the rotor and the diffuser was increased, whereas the efficiency of the volute/exit cone was decreased. The pinch made to the shroud wall was the most effective. The pinch made the flow angle more radial and increased the velocity at the shroud where the secondary flow (passage wake) from the rotor is present.

scholarly journals Detailed Off Design Flow Measurements in a Centrifugal Compressor Vaned Diffuser

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Pinarbasi ◽  
Mark W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Flow Characteristic ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Wake Flow ◽  
Centrifugal Impeller ◽  
Hot Wire ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Flow Measurements ◽  
Vaned Diffuser

Three component hot wire measurements in the vaneless space and vane region of a low speed centrifugal compressor vaned diffuser are presented. These comprise mean velocity and turbulence level distributions for a below and above design flow rate for three vane-to-vane locations at each of five radial measurement stations. The flow entering the diffuser closely resembles the classic jet-wake flow characteristic of centrifugal impeller discharges. A strong upstream influence of the diffuser vanes is observed which results in significant variations in flow quantities between the vane-to-vane locations. The circumferential variations due to the passage and blade wakes rapidly mix out in the vaneless space, although some variations are still discernible in the vaned region. Comparison with results in a vaneless diffuser suggest that the presence of the vanes accelerates this mixing out process.

High Dimensional Matching Optimization of Impeller–Vaned Diffuser Interaction for a Centrifugal Compressor Stage

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruihong Qin ◽  
Yaping Ju ◽  
Lee Galloway ◽  
Stephen Spence ◽  
Chuhua Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Sequential Optimization ◽  
High Dimensional ◽  
Compressor Stage ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Flow Angle

Abstract The matching and interaction between the impeller and vaned diffuser is the most important aerodynamic-coupling between the components of a high-speed centrifugal compressor. Many research studies have been carried out during the last decade, both experimentally and numerically, on the flow mechanisms underlying impeller–vaned diffuser matching and interaction, with the aim of achieving a high-performance stage. However, the published work lacks any study that optimizes the matching of the impeller–vaned diffuser components in the environment of a full compressor stage due to two unresolved issues, i.e., identifying an effective matching optimization strategy and the high dimensional nature of the problem. To tackle these difficulties, four different optimization strategies (i.e., (1) integrated, (2) single component, (3) parallel, and (4) sequential optimization strategies) have been proposed and validated through a high dimensional matching optimization of the Radiver compressor test case published by the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery at Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University. Particular attention has been paid to the slope of the diffuser total pressure ratio characteristic near the surge point to further extend the stage surge margin. The results showed that the integrated optimization strategy was the most effective one for achieving good matching of the impeller–vaned diffuser interaction due to its inherently strong coupling optimization. Compared with the baseline compressor, the optimized stage achieved a gain of 1.2% in total-to-total isentropic efficiency at the peak efficiency point as well as a predicted 26.17% increase in stable operating range. For the stage examined in this study, a fore-loaded design of impeller blade as well as an increased vane angle for the diffuser vane was beneficial to the impeller–vaned diffuser matching. The more uniform spanwise distributions of the impeller discharge flow angle and the diffuser vane incidence presented the opportunity for a more optimized matching of the flow field between the 3D impeller and the 2D vaned diffuser. The outcomes of this work are particularly relevant for the advanced design of high-speed centrifugal compressors.

scholarly journals Flow Studies in a Centrifugal Compressor Stage

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Rajendran
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Compressor Stage ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor Stage ◽  
Operating Range ◽  
Impeller Outlet ◽  
Outlet Flow

The overall efficiency of a compressor is dependent on the design of both the impeller and the diffuser. The vaned diffuser reduces the operating range compared to the vaneless diffuser. However, by proper setting of the diffuser with reference to the impeller, it is possible to achieve a good stage performance. This paper describes the experimental investigation of the detailed flow behavior inside a centrifugal compressor stage for three different setting angles of the vaned diffuser with reference to the fixed impeller blade outlet angle. It is seen that diffuser setting angles lower than the impeller outlet flow angle gives wide operating range.

Numerical investigation of deep surge in a centrifugal compressor with vaned diffuser and large plenum

2019 ◽  
Vol 234 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-155
Author(s):  
Zhao Yang ◽  
Xi Guang ◽  
Wang Zhiheng ◽  
Zhang Pengfei
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Blade Loading ◽  
Transient Feature ◽  
Different Characteristics

As the flow rate decreases from stable point to surge point, the complex unsteady flow phenomenon of surge occurs in a centrifugal compressor, which has a significant influence on vast aspects of a compressor. To advance deep understanding of the feature of the deep surge phenomenon, the RANS/URANS numerical simulation is conducted on a centrifugal compressor with a large plenum to analyze the detailed internal flow field in the compressor together with the macroscopic characteristics of the deep surge cycle. The anticlockwise limit cycle obtained from the simulation is firstly analyzed to show the transient characteristics of the stage. Then the variation of blade torque and axial force is presented to show the transient feature in surge cycle together with the proposed prediction of blade torque versus mass flow rate. Meanwhile, there exist different characteristics of the pressure fluctuation along the streamwise direction of the impeller blade, especially the large variation of blade loading near the trailing edge. And the fluctuation of flow field can respectively suppress or promote the hub-corner separation at the process of acceleration or deceleration region, affecting the development of diffuser stall in the surge cycle. The detailed analysis can be helpful to develop the surge model of lumped parameters and determine the effect of surge on impeller blades or downstream components.

Detailed Stress Tensor Measurements in a Centrifugal Compressor Vaneless Diffuser

1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 394-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pinarbasi ◽  
M. W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Stress Tensor ◽  
Reynolds Stress ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Reynolds Stresses ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Flow Measurements

Detailed flow measurements have been made in the vaneless diffuser of a large low-speed centrifugal compressor using hot-wire anemometry. The three time mean velocity components and full stress tensor distributions have been determined on eight measurement planes within the diffuser. High levels of Reynolds stress result in the rapid mixing out of the blade wake. Although high levels of turbulent kinetic energy are found in the passage wake, they are not associated with strong Reynolds stresses and hence the passage wake mixes out only slowly. Low-frequency meandering of the wake position is therefore likely to be responsible for the high kinetic energy levels. The anisotropic nature of the turbulence suggests that Reynolds stress turbulence models are required for CFD modeling of diffuser flows.

Unsteady Flow in a Turbocharger Centrifugal Compressor: 3D-CFD Simulation, Impeller Blade Vibration and Vaned Diffuser-Volute Interaction

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Peter Dickmann ◽  
Thomas Secall Wimmel ◽  
Jaroslaw Szwedowicz ◽  
Janpeter Ku¨hnel ◽  
Uwe Essig
Keyword(s):  
Unsteady Flow ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Axisymmetric Flow ◽  
Forced Response ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Mode Shapes ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Rotating Blades

Experimental investigations on a single stage centrifugal compressor with radial inlet duct showed that measured alternating strains of the rotating blades depend considerably on the circumferential position of the diffuser ring to the volute tongue. By modeling of the entire turbocharger compressor stage with volute and inducer casing bleed system included, 3D unsteady flow simulations provided comprehensive insight into the excitation mechanism. A part load operating point was investigated experimentally and numerically. For operating conditions due to resonance transient CFD was employed, since only then a meaningful prediction of the blade excitation, induced by the unsteady air flow, is expected. The CFD results show primarily the interaction between the volute tongue and the two different vaned diffuser ring positions. It is shown that pressure and flow angle vary significantly due to the circumferential position of the flow entering the volute and the turning impeller blades. The geometrical arrangement of the volute and suction elbow imposes a non-axisymmetric flow field, which excites rotating blades periodically. These vibrations depend on the circumferential assembly position of the vaned diffuser. Outflow and reverse flow at the tongue region also differ with respect to the vaned diffuser ring position. The time dependent pressure distribution on the impeller blades resulting from the CFD calculation was transformed into the frequency domain by Fourier decomposition. The complex modal pressure data were imposed as exciting load on the structure which was simulated by the FEM. By applying a fine FE mesh the measured resonant frequencies for the lower modes were reproduced very well by FEM. After determining the 3D mode shapes of the impeller by means of a free vibration calculation, forced response simulations without considering transient vibration effects were carried out for predicting the resonance strain amplitudes which were computed for both minimum and maximum experimental modal damping ratios. Comparisons with the experimental results at the strain gauges demonstrate that this employed methodology is capable of predicting the 3D impeller’s vibration behavior under real engine conditions up to 8 kHz. Considering strong influence of mistuning on real impeller vibrations, a new method for the comparison of experimental and numerical data has been successfully introduced. In general, this approach is based on the resonance sensitivity assessment, which takes into account the excitation, damping and mistuning parameters. Then, the measured resonance strain amplitudes of all experimental tests match very well the predicted scatter range of numerical results.

Effects of Non-Axisymmetric Volute on Rotating Stall in the Vaneless Diffuser of a Centrifugal Compressor

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zitian Niu ◽  
Zhenzhong Sun ◽  
Baotong Wang ◽  
Xinqian Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Stability Boundary ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Evolution Process ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Unstable Flow ◽  
Centrifugal Compressors ◽  
Specific Location

Abstract Rotating stall is an important unstable flow phenomenon that leads to performance degradation and limits the stability boundary in centrifugal compressors. The volute is one of the sources to induce the non-axisymmetric flow in a centrifugal compressor, which has an important effect on the performance of compressors. However, the influence of volute on rotating stall is not clear. Therefore, the effects of volute on rotating stall by experimental and numerical simulation have been explored in this paper. It’s shown that one rotating stall cell generates in a specific location and disappears in another specific location of the vaneless diffuser as a result of the distorted flow field caused by the volute. Also, the cells cannot stably rotate in a whole circle. The frequency related to rotating stall captured in the experiment is 43.9% of the impeller passing frequency (IPF), while it is 44.7% of IPF captured by three-dimensional unsteady numerical simulation, which proves the accuracy of the numerical method in this study. The numerical simulation further reveals that the stall cell initialized in a specific location can be split into several cells during the evolution process. The reason for this is that the blockage in the vaneless diffuser induced by rotating stall is weakened by the mainstream from the impeller exit to make one initialized cell disperse into several ones. The volute has an important influence on the generation and evolution process of the rotating stall cells of compressors. By optimizing volute geometry to reduce the distortion of the flow field, it is expected that rotating stall can be weakened or suppressed, which is helpful to widen the operating range of centrifugal compressors.

Influence of different blade numbers on the performance of “saddle zone” in a mixed flow pump

2021 ◽  
pp. 095765092110460
Author(s):  
Leilei Ji ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Weidong Shi ◽  
Fei Tian ◽  
Shuo Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Mixed Flow ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Vorticity Transport ◽  
Flow Pump

In order to study the effect of different numbers of impeller blades on the performance of mixed-flow pump “saddle zone”, the external characteristic test and numerical simulation of mixed-flow pumps with three different impeller blade numbers were carried out. Based on high-precision numerical prediction, the internal flow field and tip leakage flow field of mixed flow pump under design conditions and stall conditions are investigated. By studying the vorticity transport in the stall flow field, the specific location of the high loss area inside the mixed flow pump impeller with different numbers of blades is located. The research results show that the increase in the number of impeller blades improve the pump head and efficiency under design conditions. Compared to the 4-blade impeller, the head and efficiency of the 5-blade impeller are increased by 5.4% and 21.9% respectively. However, the increase in the number of blades also leads to the widening of the “saddle area” of the mixed-flow pump, which leads to the early occurrence of stall and increases the instability of the mixed-flow pump. As the mixed-flow pump enters the stall condition, the inlet of the mixed-flow pump has a spiral swirl structure near the end wall for different blade numbers, but the depth and range of the swirling flow are different due to the change in the number of blades. At the same time, the change in the number of blades also makes the flow angle at 75% span change significantly, but the flow angle at 95% span is not much different because the tip leakage flow recirculates at the leading edge. Through the analysis of the vorticity transport results in the impeller with different numbers of blades, it is found that the reasons for the increase in the values of the vorticity transport in the stall condition are mainly impacted by the swirl flow at the impeller inlet, the tip leakage flow at the leading edge and the increased unsteady flow structures.

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