Wetness Effect on Transonic Moist-Air Flow Through a Compressor Rotor

Author(s):  
Shota Moriguchi ◽  
Hironori Miyazawa ◽  
Takashi Furusawa ◽  
Satoru Yamamoto

In this study, we simulated moist-air flows through a 3-D transonic compressor rotor, NASA Rotor 37, to investigate the thermophysical effects of evaporation of water droplets on 3-D compressor aerodynamics. The obtained results indicated that the total pressure ratio increased in the moist-air cases when compared with dry-air case as a result of the cooling due to evaporation. While the choking mass-flow rate is almost identical for the dry-air case and the moist-air cases, the operating curve was shifted to nearly choked state in the moist-air cases. Besides this, unsteady flows were obtained at higher mass-flow rate in the moist-air cases when compared with the dry-air case. As a result, a significant deterioration in the operation was observed in the moist-air cases. This is due to the rapid and significant evaporation of water droplets after the passage shock. A secondary flow streaming radially outside toward the tip through the separated region intensified and contributed to a formation of large blockage around the tip region.

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 328-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven E. Gorrell ◽  
Theodore H. Okiishi ◽  
William W. Copenhaver

Usually less axial spacing between the blade rows of an axial flow compressor is associated with improved efficiency. However, mass flow rate, pressure ratio, and efficiency all decreased as the axial spacing between the stator and rotor was reduced in a transonic compressor rig. Reductions as great as 3.3% in pressure ratio, and 1.3 points of efficiency were observed as axial spacing between the blade rows was decreased from far apart to close together. The number of blades in the stator blade-row also affected stage performance. Higher stator blade-row solidity led to larger changes in pressure ratio efficiency, and mass flow rate with axial spacing variation. Analysis of the experimental data suggests that the drop in performance is a result of increased loss production due to blade-row interactions. Losses in addition to mixing loss are present when the blade-rows are spaced closer together. The extra losses are associated with the upstream stator wakes and are most significant in the midspan region of the flow.


Author(s):  
Steven E. Gorrell ◽  
Theodore H. Okiishi ◽  
William W. Copenhaver

Usually less axial spacing between the blade rows of an axial flow compressor is associated with improved efficiency. However, mass flow rate, pressure ratio, and efficiency all decreased as the axial spacing between the stator and rotor was reduced in a transonic compressor rig. Reductions as great as 3.3% in pressure ratio and 1.3 points of efficiency were observed as axial spacing between the blade-rows was decreased from far apart to close together. The number of blades in the stator blade-row also affected stage performance. Higher stator blade-row solidity led to larger changes in pressure ratio, efficiency, and mass flow rate with axial spacing variation. Analysis of the experimental data suggests that the drop in performance is a result of increased loss production due to blade-row interactions. Losses in addition to mixing loss are present when the blade-rows are spaced closer together. The extra losses are associated with the upstream stator wakes and are most significant in the mid-span region of the flow.


Author(s):  
Victor Mileshin ◽  
Igor Brailko ◽  
Andrew Startsev

Widening of surge margin of a transonic compressor stage is the main objective of the paper. This stage is a typical middle stage of a modern high pressure compressor (HPC) with decreased number of stages. Hot tip clearance of the stage being integrated into a six-stage HPC providing total pressure ratio π* HPC ≥ 12 and mass flow-rate < 16 kg/sec is estimated at 2.5 – 3% of blade height and is classified as a large tip clearance. In this paper experimental and 3D viscous numerical performances of the stage are obtained for two values of rotor tip clearance — equal to 0.76% (small size) and 2.66% (large size) of blade height. In doing so, tip clearance enlargement from 0.76% to 2.66% has been made by increase of casing (shroud) radius. This increase is manufactured as a circumferential trench (recess) with axial width 30% larger than rotor axial chord. Below this tip clearance is called “recessed” tip clearance. A distinguishing feature of leakage flow in case of large tip clearance is a formation of reversed flow near rotor casing. This backflow being intensified by throttling causes increase of incidence at the rotor leading edge and development of rotor stall. Casing treatments are intended to inhibit and delay the process. Among them circumferential grooves is the simplest casing treatment. Investigated in this paper casing circumferential grooves cover 82% of rotor axial chord. Numerical visualization of the near-casing streamlines demonstrates that tip leakage flow drains into the casing grooves giving rise to extended domains of positive axial velocity. Calculated mass flow-rate through groove’s cross-section demonstrates maximum over the rotor blade tip (flow into the groove) and minimum at mid-pitch (flow out of the groove). Amplitude of this variation depends on the groove location and stage throttling.


1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven L. Puterbaugh ◽  
William W. Copenhaver ◽  
Chunill Hah ◽  
Arthur J. Wennerstrom

An analysis of the effectiveness of a three-dimensional shock loss model used in transonic compressor rotor design is presented. The model was used during the design of an aft-swept, transonic compressor rotor. The demonstrated performance of the swept rotor, in combination with numerical results, is used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the model. The numerical results were obtained from a fully three-dimensional Navier-Stokes solver. The shock loss model was developed to account for the benefit gained with three-dimensional shock sweep. Comparisons with the experimental and numerical results demonstrated that shock loss reductions predicted by the model due to the swept shock induced by the swept leading edge of the rotor were exceeded. However, near the tip the loss model under-predicts the loss because the shock geometry assumed by the model remains swept in this region while the numerical results show a more normal shock orientation. The design methods and the demonstrated performance of the swept rotor is also presented. Comparisons are made between the design intent and measured performance parameters. The aft-swept rotor was designed using an inviscid axisymmetric streamline curvature design system utilizing arbitrary airfoil blading geometry. The design goal specific flow rate was 214.7 kg/sec/m2 (43.98 lbm/sec/ft2), the design pressure ratio goal was 2.042, and the predicted design point efficiency was 94.0. The rotor tip sped was 457.2 m/sec (1500 ft/sec). The design flow rate was achieved while the pressure ratio fell short by 0.07. Efficiency was 3 points below prediction, though at a very high 91 percent. At this operating condition the stall margin was 11 percent.


Author(s):  
Dominik Schlüter ◽  
Robert P. Grewe ◽  
Fabian Wartzek ◽  
Alexander Liefke ◽  
Jan Werner ◽  
...  

Abstract Rotating stall is a non-axisymmetric disturbance in axial compressors arising at operating conditions beyond the stability limit of a stage. Although well-known, its driving mechanisms determining the number of stall cells and their rotational speed are still marginally understood. Numerical studies applying full-wheel 3D unsteady RANS calculations require weeks per operating point. This paper quantifies the capability of a more feasible quasi-2D approach to reproduce 3D rotating stall and related sensitivities. The first part of the paper deals with the validation of a numerical baseline the simplified model is compared to in detail. Therefore, 3D computations of a state-of-the-art transonic compressor are conducted. At steady conditions the single-passage RANS CFD matches the experimental results within an error of 1% in total pressure ratio and mass flow rate. At stalled conditions, the full-wheel URANS computation shows the same spiketype disturbance as the experiment. However, the CFD underpredicts the stalling point by approximately 7% in mass flow rate. In deep stall, the computational model correctly forecasts a single-cell rotating stall. The stall cell differs by approximately 21% in rotational speed and 18% in circumferential size from the experimental findings. As the 3D model reflects the compressor behaviour sufficiently accurate, it is considered valid for physical investigations. In the second part of the paper, the validated baseline is reduced in radial direction to a quasi-2D domain only resembling the compressor tip area. Four model variations regarding span-wise location and extent are numerically investigated. As the most promising model matches the 3D flow conditions in the rotor tip region, it correctly yields a single-cell rotating stall. The cell differs by only 7% in circumferential size from the 3D results. Due to the impeded radial migration in the quasi-2D slice, however, the cell exhibits an increased axial extent. It is assumed, that the axial expansion into the adjacent rows causes the difference in cell speed by approximately 24%. Further validation of the reduced model against experimental findings reveals, that it correctly reflects the sensitivity of circumferential cell size to flow coefficient and individual cell speed to compressor shaft speed. As the approach reduced the wall clock time by 92%, it can be used to increase the physical understanding of rotating stall at much lower costs.


Author(s):  
Ali Mohammadi ◽  
Masoud Boroomand

This paper presents the design procedure of a ducted contra-rotating axial flow fan and investigates the flow behavior inside it using ANSYS CFX-15 flow solver. This study investigates parameters such as pressure ratio, inlet mass flow rate and efficiency in different operating points. This system consists of two rotors with an outer diameter of 434 mm and an inner diameter of 260 mm which rotate contrary to each other with independent nominal rotational speeds of 1300 rpm. Blades’ maximum thickness and rotational speeds of each rotor will be altered as well as the axial distance between the two rotors to investigate their effect on the overall performance of the system. Designed to deliver a total pressure ratio of 1.005 and a mass flow rate of 1.8 kg/s at nominal rotational speeds, this system proves to be much more efficient compared to the conventional rotor-stator fans. NACA-65 airfoils are used in this analysis with the necessary adjustments at each section. Inverse design method is used for the first rotor and geometrical constraints are employed for the second one to have an axial inlet and outlet flow without using any inlet or outlet guide vanes. Using free vortex swirl distribution method, characteristic parameters and the necessary data for 3D generation of this model are obtained. The appropriate grid is generated using ATM method in ANSYS TurboGrid and the model is simulated in CFX-15 flow solver by employing k-ε turbulence model in the steady state condition. Both design algorithm and simulation analysis confirm the high anticipated efficiency for this system. The accuracy of the design algorithm will be explored and the most optimum operating points in different rotational speed ratios and axial distances will be identified. By altering the outlet static pressure of the system, the characteristic map is obtained.


Author(s):  
Khaled Yousef ◽  
Ahmed Hegazy ◽  
Abraham Engeda

Abstract This paper presents a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulation for dry air/water-liquid and two-phase flow mixing in a vertical inverted U-tube using the mixture multiphase and turbulence models. This study is to investigate the flow behaviors and underlying some physical mechanisms encountered in dry air/water-liquid flow in the inverted U-tube. Water flows through the inverted U-tube while the dry air is entrained using the side-tube installed after the water flow downward. The inverted U-tube is tested at water mass flow rates of 2,4,6 and 8 kg/s, air mass flow rates, 0.000614–0.02292 kg/s, with dry air volume fractions 0.2–0.9. The obtained results are compared with the experimental data for model validation and the present CFD model is able to give an acceptable agreement. Also, the results show that, at water mass flow rate of 2 kg/s, there are vortices and turbulent intensity disturbances are noticed at the inverted U-tube higher part, which refers to an air entrainment occurrence from the side-tube. Theses disturbances starts to be stabilized at air mass flow rate around 0.00736 kg/s and air volume fraction, αa = 0.75. This means, if the air mass flow rate increases above this limit, the air entrainment may be blocked. On the other side, at water mass flow rate of 4 kg/s, there are little noticed disturbances until air mass flow rate of 0.00368 kg/s and αa = 0.43 and thereafter stabilized. After this point for water mass flow rate of 4 kg/s, increasing air mass flow rate may block the water flow and the whole inverted U-tube system possible stop flowing. Therefore, this study is able to estimate the required operational conditions and mass ratios for stable air entrainment process. Beyond these operational conditions, air entrainment may be blocked and the whole system discontinues its normal induced gravitational flow. In addition, this study proves that the inverted U-tube is able to generate a vacuum pressure up to 53.382 kPa based on the present geometrical configuration. This generated low-pressure by the inverted U-tube can be used for engineering applications which are working under vacuum and need continuous evacuating form the dry air and non-condensable gases. Furthermore, these findings motivate the utilizing of inverted U-tube for the air evacuation purposes for less power consuming in power plants.


Author(s):  
Hemant Kumar ◽  
Chetan S. Mistry

Abstract The Supercritical carbon-dioxide Brayton cycle main attraction is due to the Supercritical characteristic of the working fluid, carbon-dioxide (SCO2). Some of the advantages of using SCO2 are relatively low turbine inlet temperature, the compression work will be low, and the system will be compact due to the variation of thermodynamic properties (like density, and specific heat ratio) of SCO2 near the critical point. SCO2 behave more like liquid when its state is near the critical point (Total Pressure = 7.39 MPa, Total Temperature = 305 K), operating compressor inlet near critical point can minimize compression work. For present study the centrifugal compressor was designed to operate at 75,000 rpm with pressure ratio (P.R) = 1.8 and mass flow rate = 3.53 kg/s as available from Sandai report. Meanline design for centrifugal compressor with SCO2 properties was done. The blade geometry was developed using commercial CAD Ansys Bladegen. The flow domain was meshed using Ansys TurboGrid. ANSYS CFX was used as a solver for present numerical study. The thermodynamic properties of SCO2 were imported from the ANSYS flow material library using SCO2.RPG [NIST thermal physics properties of fluid system]. In order to ensure the change in flow physics the mesh independence study was also conducted. The present paper discuss about the performance and flow field study targeting different mass flow rates as exit boundary condition. The comparison of overall performance (Pressure Ratio, the Blade loading, Stage efficiency and Density variation) was done with three different mass flow rates. The designed and simulated centrifugal compressor meets the designed pressure rise requirement. The variation of mass flow rate on performance of centrifugal compressor was tend to be similar to conventional centrifugal compressor. The paper discusses about the effect of variation in density, specific heat ratio and pressure of SCO2 with different mass flow outlet condition. The performance map of numerical study were validated with experiment results and found in good agreement with experimental results. The change in flow properties within the rotor flow passage are found to be interesting and very informative for future such centrifugal compressor design for special application of SCO2 Brayton cycle. 80% mass flow rate has given better results in terms of aerodynamic performance. Abrupt change in thermodynamic properties was observed near impeller inlet region. Strong density variations are observed at compressor inlet.


Author(s):  
Pau Cutrina Vilalta ◽  
Hui Wan ◽  
Soumya S. Patnaik

Abstract In this paper, we use various regression models and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict the centrifugal compressor performance map. Particularly, we study the accuracy and efficiency of Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) and Artificial Neural Networks in modelling the pressure ratio, given the mass flow rate and rotational speed of a centrifugal compressor. Preliminary results show that both GPR and ANN can predict the compressor performance map well, for both interpolation and extrapolation. We also study the data augmentation and data minimzation effects using the GPR. Due to the inherent pressure ratio data distribution in mass-flow-rate and rotational-speed space, data augmentation in the rotational speed is more effective to improve the ANN performance than the mass flow rate data augmentation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Taghavi-Zenou ◽  
S. Abbasi ◽  
S. Eslami

ABSTRACTThis paper deals with tip leakage flow structure in subsonic axial compressor rotor blades row under different operating conditions. Analyses are based on flow simulation utilizing computational fluid dynamic technique. Three different circumstances at near stall condition are considered in this respect. Tip leakage flow frequency spectrum was studied through surveying instantaneous static pressure signals imposed on blades surfaces. Results at the highest flow rate, close to the stall condition, showed that the tip vortex flow fluctuates with a frequency close to the blade passing frequency. In addition, pressure signals remained unchanged with time. Moreover, equal pressure fluctuations at different passages guaranteed no peripheral disturbances. Tip leakage flow frequency decreased with reduction of the mass flow rate and its structure was changing with time. Spillage of the tip leakage flow from the blade leading edge occurred without any backflow in the trailing edge region. Consequently, various flow structures were observed within every passage between two adjacent blades. Further decrease in the mass flow rate provided conditions where the spilled flow ahead of the blade leading edge together with trailing edge backflow caused spike stall to occur. This latter phenomenon was accompanied by lower frequencies and higher amplitudes of the pressure signals. Further revolution of the rotor blade row caused the spike stall to eventuate to larger stall cells, which may be led to fully developed rotating stall.


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