scholarly journals Effect of Tip Clearance on the Internal Flow and Hydraulic Performance of a Three-Bladed Inducer

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanxia Fu ◽  
Jianping Yuan ◽  
Shouqi Yuan ◽  
Giovanni Pace ◽  
Luca d’Agostino
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Hydraulic Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Hydraulic Efficiency ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Ansys Cfx ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Flow Through

The influence of the tip clearance on the internal flow and hydraulic performances of a 3-bladed inducer, designed at ALTA, Pisa, Italy, are investigated both experimentally and numerically. Two inducer configurations with different blade tip clearances, one about equal to the nominal value and the other 2.5 times larger, are considered to analyze tip leakage effects. The 3D numerical model developed in ANSYS CFX to simulate the flow through the inducer with 2 different clearances under different operating conditions is illustrated. The internal flow fields and hydraulic performance predicted by the CFD model under different operating conditions are compared with the corresponding experimental data obtained from the inducer tests. As expected, both experimental and numerical results indicate that higher pressure rise and hydraulic efficiency are obtained from the inducer configuration with the nominal tip clearance.

scholarly journals Study on Hydraulic Performances of a 3-Bladed Inducer Based on Different Numerical and Experimental Methods

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanxia Fu ◽  
Yujiang Fang ◽  
Jiangping Yuan ◽  
Shouqi Yuan ◽  
Giovanni Pace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Experimental Methods ◽  
Hydraulic Performance ◽  
Outlet Pressure ◽  
Ansys Cfx ◽  
Flow Through

The hydraulic performances of a 3-bladed inducer, designed at Alta, Pisa, Italy, are investigated both experimentally and numerically. The 3D numerical model developed in ANSYS CFX to simulate the flow through the inducer and different lengths of its inlet/outlet ducts is illustrated. The influence of the inlet/outlet boundary conditions, of the turbulence models, and of the location of inlet/outlet different pressure taps on the evaluation of the hydraulic performance of the inducer is analyzed. As expected, the predicted hydraulic performance of the inducer is significantly affected by the lengths of the inlet/outlet duct portions included in the computations, as well as by the turbulent flow model and the locations of the inlet/outlet pressure taps. It is slightly affected by the computational boundary conditions and better agreement with the test data obtained when adopting the k-ω turbulence model. From the point of the pressure tap locations, the pressure rise coefficient is much higher when the inlet/outlet static pressure taps were chosen in the same locations used in the experiments.

Characteristics of the Tip Leakage Vortex in a Low-Speed Axial Compressor With Different Rotor Tip Gaps

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhibo Zhang ◽  
Xianjun Yu ◽  
Baojie Liu
Keyword(s):  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Tip Leakage

The detailed evolutionary processes of the tip leakage flow/vortex inside the rotor passage are still not very clear for the difficulties of investigating of them by both experimental and numerical methods. In this paper, the flow fields near the rotor tip region inside the blade passage with two tip gaps, 0.5% and 1.5% blade height respectively, were measured by using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV) in a large-scale low speed axial compressor test facility. The measurements are conducted at four different operating conditions, including the design, middle, maximum static pressure rise and near stall conditions. In order to analyze the variations of the characteristics of the tip leakage vortex (TLV), the trajectory, concentration, size, streamwise velocity, and the blockage parameters are extracted from the ensemble-averaged results and compared at different compressor operating conditions and tip gaps. The results show that the formation of the TLV is delayed with large tip clearance, however, its trajectory moves much faster in an approximately linear way from the blade suction side to pressure side. In the tested compressor, the size of the tip gap has little effects on the scale of the TLV in the spanwise direction, on the contrary, its effects on the pitch-wise direction is very prominent. Breakdown of the TLV were both found at the near-stall condition with different tip gaps. The location of the initiation of the TLV breakdown moves downstream from the 60% chord to 70% chord as the tip gap increases. After the TLV breakdown occurs, the flow blockage near the rotor tip region increases abruptly. The peak value of the blockage effects caused by the TLV breakdown is doubled with the tip gap size increasing from 0.5% to 1.5% blade span.

Effects of inducer tip clearance on the performance and flow characteristics of a pump in a turbopump

2017 ◽  
Vol 231 (5) ◽  
pp. 398-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changhyun Kim ◽  
Semi Kim ◽  
Chang-Ho Choi ◽  
Jehyun Baek
Keyword(s):  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Cfd Analysis ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Ansys Cfx ◽  
Performance Deterioration ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
High Thrust

A turbopump is used to pressurize propellants to gain high thrust in a projectile and consists of two pumps and a turbine. The pumps usually employ an inducer upstream to prevent performance deterioration by lowering net positive suction head required of the main impeller. However, several types of cavitation and instabilities take place in the flow field. Therefore, numerous experiments and CFD analysis for turbopumps have been conducted. Especially, there were some previous studies on inducer tip clearance, but they were limited to inducer regions due to the complexity of simulating the entire pump. In this study, the flow through an oxidizer pump in a turbopump was numerically investigated with four different sizes of inducer tip clearances. ANSYS CFX 13.0 with Rayleigh–Plesset equation was used to test flows in both non-cavitating and cavitating conditions. In the non-cavitating condition, the pump with the largest inducer tip clearance showed the worst head rise, efficiency and huge size of backflow arose near inducer casing. Also, the vortex was generated between the inducer blades in the case of large inducer tip clearance due to weak tip leakage flow. In the cavitating condition, the inducer with large tip clearance was found to be vulnerable to low suction pressure and floating cavity was observed between the inducer blades. However, the heads of the pumps with different inducer tip clearances were broken down at similar cavitation numbers due to the blade cavitation near the impeller throat. In addition, the transferred cavity from the inducer region also induced head breakdown of the pump.

Study on the Effects of Upstream Flow Conditions and Clearance Sizes to Tip Leakage Flow in a Subsonic Large-Scale Rotor

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenkai Zhang ◽  
Jun Hu ◽  
Zhiqiang Wang ◽  
Ning Ding ◽  
Zhiming Mao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Layer Thickness ◽  
Boundary Layer Thickness ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Operating Condition ◽  
Tip Leakage

To clearly clarify how it affects the detailed tip clearance flow and flow mechanism by varying the upstream boundary layer thickness and tip clearance size, numerical studies were performed on a subsonic rotor, which is used for low-speed model testing of one rear stage embedded in a modern high-pressure compressor. Firstly, available experimental data were adopted to validate the numerical method. Second, comparisons were made for tip leakage vortex structure, the interface of leakage flow/mainflow, endwall loss, isentropic efficiency and pressure-rise between different operating conditions. Then, effects of different clearance sizes and inlet boundary layer thicknesses were investigated. At last, the self-induced unsteadiness at one near-stall operating condition was studied for different cases. Results show that increasing the tip clearance size has a deleterious effect on rotor efficiency and pressure-rise performance over the whole operating range, while thickening the inflow boundary layer is almost the same except that its pressure-rise performance will be increased at mass flow rate larger than design operating condition. Self-induced unsteadiness occurs at near-stall operating conditions, and its appearance depends largely on tip clearance size, while upstream boundary layer thickness has little effect.

Measurements of the Tip Clearance Flow for a High-Reynolds-Number Axial-Flow Rotor

1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. C. Zierke ◽  
K. J. Farrell ◽  
W. A. Straka
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Flow Visualization ◽  
Vortex Core ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
High Reynolds Number ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
High Reynolds

A high-Reynolds-number pump (HIREP) facility has been used to acquire flow measurements in the rotor blade tip clearance region, with blade chord Reynolds numbers of 3,900,000 and 5,500,000. The initial experiment involved rotor blades with varying tip clearances, while a second experiment involved a more detailed investigation of a rotor blade row with a single tip clearance. The flow visualization on the blade surface and within the flow field indicate the existence of a trailing-edge separation vortex, a vortex that migrates radially upward along the trailing edge and then turns in the circumferential direction near the casing, moving in the opposite direction of blade rotation. Flow visualization also helps in establishing the trajectory of the tip leakage vortex core and shows the unsteadiness of the vortex. Detailed measurements show the effects of tip clearance size and downstream distance on the structure of the rotor tip leakage vortex. The character of the velocity profile along the vortex core changes from a jetlike profile to a wakelike profile as the tip clearance becomes smaller. Also, for small clearances, the presence and proximity of the casing endwall affects the roll-up, shape, dissipation, and unsteadiness of the tip leakage vortex. Measurements also show how much circulation is retained by the blade tip and how much is shed into the vortex, a vortex associated with high losses.

scholarly journals Numerical Calculation of Flow for Cascade With Tip Clearance

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimpei Mizuki ◽  
Hoshio Tsujita
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Turbine Cascade ◽  
Governing Equations ◽  
Tensor Form ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
Rear Part ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Blade Tip Geometry

Three-dimensional incompressible turbulent flow within a linear turbine cascade with tip clearance is analyzed numerically. The governing equations involving the standard k-ε model are solved in the physical component tensor form with a boundary-fitted coordinate system. In the analysis, the blade tip geometry is treated accurately in order to predict the flow through the tip clearance in detail when the blades have large thicknesses. Although the number of grids employed in the present study is not enough because of the limitation of computer storage memory, the computed results show good agreements with the experimental results. Moreover, the results clearly exhibit the locus of minimum pressure on the rear part of the pressure surface at the blade tip.

scholarly journals Influence of Large Relative Tip Clearances for a Micro Radial Fan and Design Guidelines for Increased Efficiency

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick H. Wagner ◽  
Jan Van herle ◽  
Lili Gu ◽  
Jürg Schiffmann
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Blade Tip Clearance

Abstract The blade tip clearance loss was studied experimentally and numerically for a micro radial fan with a tip diameter of 19.2mm. Its relative blade tip clearance, i.e., the clearance divided by the blade height of 1.82 mm, was adjusted with different shims. The fan characteristics were experimentally determined for an operation at the nominal rotational speed of 168 krpm with hot air (200 °C). The total-to-total pressure rise and efficiency increased from 49 mbar to 68 mbar and from 53% to 64%, respectively, by reducing the relative tip clearance from 7.7% to the design value of 2.2%. Single and full passage computational fluid dynamics simulations correlate well with these experimental findings. The widely-used Pfleiderer loss correlation with an empirical coefficient of 2.8 fits the numerical simulation and the experiments within +2 efficiency points. The high sensitivity to the tip clearance loss is a result of the design specific speed of 0.80, the highly-backward curved blades (17°), and possibly the low Reynolds number (1 × 105). The authors suggest three main measures to mitigate the blade tip clearance losses for small-scale fans: (1) utilization of high-precision surfaced-grooved gas-bearings to lower the blade tip clearance, (2) a mid-loaded blade design, and (3) an unloaded fan leading edge to reduce the blade tip clearance vortex in the fan passage.

On the Recessed Blade Tip With and Without a Porous Material in an Axial Compressor

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Jin Jung ◽  
Tae-Gon Kim ◽  
Minsuk Choi
Keyword(s):  
Porous Material ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Flow Solver ◽  
Stall Margin ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Strong Vortex

This paper addresses the effect of the recessed blade tip with and without a porous material on the performance of a transonic axial compressor. A commercial flow solver was employed to analyze the performance and the internal flow of the axial compressor with three different tip configurations: reference tip, recessed tip and recessed tip filled with a porous material. It was confirmed that the recessed blade tip is an effective method to increase the stall margin in an axial compressor. It was also found in the present study that the strong vortex formed in the recess cavity on the tip pushed the tip leakage flow backward and weakened the tip leakage flow itself, consequently increasing the stall margin without any penalty of the efficiency in comparison to the reference tip. The recessed blade tip filled with a porous material was suggested with hope to obtain the larger stall margin and the higher efficiency. However, it was found that a porous material in the recess cavity is unfavorable to the performance in both the stall margin and the efficiency. An attempt has been made to explain the effect of the recess cavity with and without a porous material on the flow in an axial compressor.

Three-Dimensional Navier-Stokes Analysis of Turbine Rotor and Tip-Leakage Flowfield

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Luo ◽  
B. Lakshminarayana
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Blade Tip

The 3-D viscous flowfield in the rotor passage of a single-stage turbine, including the tip-leakage flow, is computed using a Navier-Stokes procedure. A grid-generation code has been developed to obtain embedded H grids inside the rotor tip gap. The blade tip geometry is accurately modeled without any “pinching”. Chien’s low-Reynolds-number k-ε model is employed for turbulence closure. Both the mean-flow and turbulence transport equations are integrated in time using a four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme. The computational results for the entire turbine rotor flow, particularly the tip-leakage flow and the secondary flows, are interpreted and compared with available data. The predictions for major features of the flowfield are found to be in good agreement with the data. Complicated interactions between the tip-clearance flows and the secondary flows are examined in detail. The effects of endwall rotation on the development and interaction of secondary and tip-leakage vortices are also analyzed.

Performance and Development of a Miniature Rotary Shaft Pump

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 752-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny Blanchard ◽  
Phil Ligrani ◽  
Bruce Gale
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Electronics Cooling ◽  
Maximum Flow ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Hydraulic Efficiency ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Total Analysis ◽  
And Performance

The development and performance of a novel miniature pump called the rotary shaft pump (RSP) is described. The impeller is made by boring a 1.168 mm hole in one end of a 2.38 mm dia shaft and cutting slots in the side of the shaft at the bottom of the bored hole such that the metal between the slots defines the impeller blades. The impeller blades and slots are 0.38 mm tall. Several impeller designs are tested over a range of operating conditions. Pump performance characteristics, including pressure rise, hydraulic efficiency, slip factor, and flow rate, are presented for several different pump configurations, with maximum flow rate and pressure rise of 64.9ml∕min and 2.1 kPa, respectively, when the working fluid is water. Potential applications include transport of biomedical fluids, drug delivery, total analysis systems, and electronics cooling.

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