scholarly journals A Numerically Supported Investigation of the 3D Flow in Centrifugal Impellers: Part I — The Validation Base

Author(s):  
Ch. Hirsch ◽  
S. Kang ◽  
G. Pointel

The three-dimensional flow in centrifugal impellers is investigated on the basis of a detailed analysis of the results of numerical simulations. In order to gain confidence in this process, an in-depth validation is performed, based on computations of Krain’s centrifugal compressor and of a radial pump impeller, both with vaneless diffusers. Detailed comparisons with available experimental data provide high confidence in the numerical tools and results. The appearance of a high loss ‘wake’ region results from the transport of boundary layer material from the blade surfaces to the shroud region and its location depends on the balance between secondary and tip leakage flows and is not necessarily connected to 3D boundary layer separation. Although the low momentum spots near the shroud can interfere with 3D separated regions, the main outcome of the present analysis is that these are two distinct phenomena. Part I of this paper focuses on the validation base of the numerical approach, based on fine mesh simulations, while Part II presents an analysis of the different contributions to the secondary flows and attempts to estimate their effect on the overall flow pattern.

Author(s):  
Ch. Hirsch ◽  
S. Kang ◽  
G. Pointel

The three-dimensional flow in centrifugal impellers is investigated on the basis of a detailed analysis of the results of numerical simulations. An in-depth validation has been performed, based on the computations of Krain’s centrifugal compressor and a radial pump impeller, both with vaneless diffusers and detailed comparisons with available experimental data, discussed in Part I, provide high confidence in the numerical tools and results. The low energy, high loss ‘wake’ region results from a balance between various contributions to the secondary flows influenced by tip leakage flows and is not necessarily connected to 3D boundary layer separation. A quantitative evaluation of the different contributions to the streamwise vorticity is performed, identifying the main features influencing their intensity. The main contributions are: the passage vortices along the end walls due to the flow turning; a passage vortex generated by the Coriolis forces proportional to the local loading and mainly active in the radial parts of the impeller; blade surface vortices due to the meridional curvature. The analysis provides an explanation for the differences in wake position under different geometries and flow conditions. A secondary flow representation is derived from the calculated 3D flow field for the two geometries validated in Part I, and the identified flow features largely confirm the theoretical analysis.


1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. K. Jennions ◽  
J. J. Adamczyk

Transonic turbine rotors produce shock waves, wakes, tip leakage flows, and other secondary flows that the downstream stators have to ingest. While the physics of wake ingestion and shock interaction have been studied quite extensively, few ideas for reducing the aerodynamic interaction losses have been forthcoming. This paper aims to extend previously reported work performed by GE Aircraft Engines in this area. It reports on both average-passage (steady) and unsteady three-dimensional numerical simulations of a candidate design to shed light on the interaction loss mechanisms and evaluate the design. The results from these simulations are first shown against test data for a baseline configuration to engender confidence in the numerical approach. Simulations with the proposed newly designed rotor are then performed to show the trade-offs that are being made in such designs. The new rotor does improve the overall efficiency of the group and physical explanations are presented based on examining entropy production.


Author(s):  
Anil K. Tolpadi ◽  
James A. Tallman ◽  
Lamyaa El-Gabry

Conventional heat transfer design methods for turbine airfoils use 2-D boundary layer codes (BLC) combined with empiricism. While such methods may be applicable in the mid span of an airfoil, they would not be very accurate near the end-walls and airfoil tip where the flow is very three-dimensional (3-D) and complex. In order to obtain accurate heat transfer predictions along the entire span of a turbine airfoil, 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) must be used. This paper describes the development of a CFD based design system to make heat transfer predictions. A 3-D, compressible, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes CFD solver with k-ω turbulence modeling was used. A wall integration approach was used for boundary layer prediction. First, the numerical approach was validated against a series of fundamental airfoil cases with available data. The comparisons were very favorable. Subsequently, it was applied to a real engine airfoil at typical design conditions. A discussion of the features of the airfoil heat transfer distribution is included.


1984 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Goldstein ◽  
J. Karni

A naphthalene sublimation technique is used to determine the circumferential and longitudinal variations of mass transfer from a smooth circular cylinder in a crossflow of air. The effect of the three-dimensional secondary flows near the wall-attached ends of a cylinder is discussed. For a cylinder Reynolds number of 19000, local enhancement of the mass transfer over values in the center of the tunnel are observed up to a distance of 3.5 cylinder diameters from the tunnel wall. In a narrow span extending from the tunnel wall to about 0.066 cylinder diameters above it (about 0.75 of the mainstream boundary layer displacement thickness), increases of 90 to 700 percent over the two-dimensional flow mass transfer are measured on the front portion of the cylinder. Farther from the wall, local increases of up to 38 percent over the two-dimensional values are measured. In this region, increases of mass transfer in the rear portion of the cylinder, downstream of separation, are, in general, larger and cover a greater span than the increases in the front portion of the cylinder.


Author(s):  
Akira Goto

The complex three-dimensional flow fields in a mixed-flow pump impeller are investigated by applying the incompressible version of the Dawes’ 3D Navier-Stokes code. The applicability of the code is confirmed by comparison of computations with a variety of experimentally measured jet-wake flow patterns and overall performances at four different tip clearances including the shrouded case. Based on the computations, the interaction mechanism of secondary flows and the formation of jet-wake flow are discussed. In the case of large tip clearances, the reverse flow caused by tip leakage flow is considered to be the reason for the thickening of the casing boundary layer followed by the deterioration of the whole flow field.


1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Govardhan ◽  
N. Venkatrayulu ◽  
D. Prithvi Raj

The paper presents the results of three dimensional flow measurements behind the trailing edges of an impulse turbine blade row of 120° deflection in an annular cascade. The entry boundary layer thickness was systematically varied on the hub and casing walls separately and its effect on secondary flows and losses is investigated. With the increase of entry boundary layer thickness, it has been found that (i) the contours of local loss coefficient show that the magnitude of the hub loss core increased, (ii) the loss cores near the hub and casing wall are convected away from the walls, (iii) the spanwise variation of the pitchwise averaged losses indicate that the position of large loss peak near the hub wall remains the same, but the magnitude of the loss increases, (iv) the exit static pressure increases and the exit velocity in general decreases, (v) the degree of underturning of flow increases and (vi) the net secondary losses do not change appreciably.


1986 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 257-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Hall ◽  
Mujeeb R. Malik

The instability of a three-dimensional attachment-line boundary layer is considered in the nonlinear regime. Using weakly nonlinear theory, it is found that, apart from a small interval near the (linear) critical Reynolds number, finite-amplitude solutions bifurcate subcritically from the upper branch of the neutral curve. The time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations for the attachment-line flow have been solved using a Fourier–Chebyshev spectral method and the subcritical instability is found at wavenumbers that correspond to the upper branch. Both the theory and the numerical calculations show the existence of supercritical finite-amplitude (equilibrium) states near the lower branch which explains why the observed flow exhibits a preference for the lower branch modes. The effect of blowing and suction on nonlinear stability of the attachment-line boundary layer is also investigated.


1981 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-88
Author(s):  
G. Haymann-Haber ◽  
W. T. Thompkins

Measurement of passage shock strength in a transonic compressor rotor using a gas fluorescent technique revealed an unexpected variation in shock strength in the radial direction. An axisymmetric idealization would normally predict that the passage shock strength would gradually weaken when moving radially inward until disappearing at the sonic radius. However, the measurements indicated a sharp peak in strength at the nominal sonic radius. Blade boundary layer separation originating at this point accounts for about one half of the total rotor losses. A numerical computation of the three-dimensional inviscid flow, using time-marching techniques, has accurately predicted in general the radial and tangential variations in passage shock strength and in particular the sharp pressure peak at the nominal sonic radius. The overall shock strength was somewhat over-predicted, but this overprediction may be the result of boundary layer separation in the experiment. This paper presents comparisons between the optical density measurements and computational results and in addition a short analytical discussion which demonstrates that the sharp shock strength rise may occur in many transonic compressor rotors.


1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-411
Author(s):  
H. Ekerol ◽  
J. W. Railly

Experimental data on the wall shear stress of a turbulent boundary layer on the suction side of a blade in a two-dimensional radial impeller is compared with the predictions of a theory which takes account of rotation and curvature effects as well as the three-dimensional influence of the endwall boundary layers. The latter influence is assumed to arise mainly from mainstream distortion due to secondary flows created by the endwall boundary layers, and it appears as an extra term in the momentum integral equation of the blade boundary layer which has allowance, also for the Coriolis effect; an appropriate form of the Head entrainment equation is derived to obtain a solution and a comparison made. A comparison of the above theory with the Patankar-Spalding prediction method, modified to include the effects of Coriolis (including mixing length modification, MLM), is also made.


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