Unsteady Velocity Field Measurements of Outlet Flow in an Automotive Supercharger
Recently the automotive industry has been using superchargers to boost the power generated by the engine, but the noise generated by these superchargers is of great concern. The noise generated during the working of the supercharger is primarily a fluid mechanics phenomenon. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to study air flow characteristics of a positive displacement supercharger with an emphasis on gaining insights into strategies for noise reduction. PIV was used to measure the instantaneous and ensemble-averaged velocity fields of the flow at the outlet of the supercharger as a function of blade position, allowing for visualization of the flow as it leave the blades. The preliminary results show that the flow exits the supercharger as a high speed jet at the end closer to the pulley end, and the flow varies with the change in blade position.