Paper 21: A Quasi-Steady Flow Representation of Centrifugal Compressor Performance Characteristics in Non-Steady Flow Systems

Author(s):  
R. S. Benson ◽  
A. Whitfield

This paper describes a theoretical and experimental study of the non-steady flow performance of a centrifugal compressor. The experimental work was designed to study the effect of pulse frequency on the compressor performance, for a given delivery configuration, using a rotary valve pulse generator. The experimental rig was designed so that it was possible to study the reverse flow and the pressure pulsations in the suction side of the compressor. The objective of the investigation was to discover how the compressor performance deteriorated with pulse frequency, and also to determine the frequency at which reverse flow through the compressor first occurred. The objective of the theoretical work was to predict the onset of reverse flow through the compressor and the mean and transient delivery pressure ratio using the conventional stationary pipe non-steady solutions by the method of characteristics. The compressor unit was replaced by a boundary condition within the pipe system equal to the experimentally known steady flow characteristics of the compressor. The physical size of the compressor was replaced by an equivalent pipe length; this technique is described. The theoretical results are compared with an extensive series of experimental results. This work is a direct extension of that given in reference (3).

Author(s):  
Minoru Ishino ◽  
Yuji Iwakiri ◽  
Akinobu Bessho ◽  
Hiroshi Uchida

Variable inlet guide vanes (VIGVs) have been developed for a small centrifugal compressor of automobile turbocharger. The effects of pre-whirl flow generated by VIGVs on compressor performance have been studied experimentally. Furthermore, the flow condition in impeller passage of the compressor with VIGVs has been compared to that of the compressor without VIGVs by using three-dimensional flow analysis. The results of experimental study have shown that pre-whirl flow is advantageous to the efficiency and surge characteristics of compressor. A weak fluid oscillation, which usually occurs in the region of high pressure-ratio and high mass flow rates, has been controlled by using VIGVs. The results of calculation of the viscous compressible flow have shown that the pre-whirl generated by VIGVs is effective in decreasing the area of the reverse flow which occurs at shroud suction side and smoothing the flow distribution between shroud and hub at the impeller exit.


Author(s):  
Ce Yang ◽  
Ben Zhao ◽  
C. C. Ma ◽  
Dazhong Lao ◽  
Mi Zhou

Two different inlet configurations, including a straight pipe and a bent pipe, were experimentally tested and numerically simulated using a high-speed, low-mass flow centrifugal compressor. The pressure ratios of the compressor with the two inlet configurations were tested and then compared to illustrate the effect of the bent inlet pipe on the compressor. Furthermore, different circumferential positions of the bent inlet pipe relative to the volute are discussed for two purposes. One purpose is to describe the changes in the compressor performance that result from altering the circumferential position of the bent inlet pipe relative to the volute. This change in performance may be the so-called clocking effect, and its mechanism is different from the one in multistage turbomachinery. The other purpose is to investigate the unsteady flow for different matching states of the bent inlet pipe and volute. Thus, the frequency spectrum of unsteady pressure fluctuation was applied to analyze the aerodynamic response. Compared with the straight inlet pipe, the experimental results show that the pressure ratio is modulated and that the choke point is shifted in the bent inlet pipe. Similarly, the pressure ratio can be influenced by altering the circumferential position of the bent inlet pipe relative to the volute, which may have an effect on the unsteady pressure in the rotor section. Therefore, the magnitude of interest spectral frequency is significantly changed by clocking the bent inlet pipe.


Author(s):  
W. A. Woods

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of steady flow through a pair of exhaust poppet valves. An account is given of the gas exchange process on engines which use poppet valves and the reason why pressure losses should be kept to a minimum is explained. Tests carried out on the cylinder head of a uniflow two-stroke cycle engine are described following a brief description of the apparatus used. The results of a simple analysis of incompressible flow are also given. It is shown that the two previous models of flow through a valve, namely the sudden enlargement and constant static pressure, both give unrealistic pressure losses for large area ratios, i.e. at high valve lifts. A new model is introduced which leads to realistic pressure losses at small and large area ratios, i.e. at low and high valve lifts. Effective areas for the present tests are calculated on the basis of the constant pressure model, and details of calculation of pressure losses are outlined. The blockage effect caused by placing the exhaust valves near the cylinder wall is given in the discussion of the test results. This is zero for 0 < l/d < 0·08, but reaches a maximum blockage of 10 per cent at l/d = 0·28. With unrestricted twin valves the effective area is about twice that of a single valve up to l/d = 0·18 with a progressively larger effective area at lifts up to 13 per cent higher at l/d = 0·4. A comparison is also made with other data readily available. The pressure losses determined from the tests were analysed using a parameter derived in the simple theory. The parameter used is found to be almost independent of pressure ratio and the results are presented by means of this pressure loss parameter as a function of valve lift. The representation provides a quantitative method of comparing the performance of a given configuration of valve and port. On this basis the twin poppet valves are shown to give a slightly higher pressure loss than a single valve.


Author(s):  
Mohammad R. Aligoodarz ◽  
Mohammad Reza Soleimani Tehrani ◽  
Hadi Karrabi ◽  
Mohammad R. Roshani

Turbo machineries including compressors performance degrades over the period of operation and deviates from design levels due to causes including dust entrance into the compressor, blades mechanical damage, erosion and corrosion. These lead to reduction in compressor performance, efficiency and pressure ratio. Subsequently gas turbine performance is affected since their operation sate is correlated. In this study the numerical investigation of common causes that determine geometric characteristics of a 2-stage centrifugal compressor running in a gas station, including blades fouling and corrosion is performed. 3D Numerical modeling is implemented along with utilization of Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model and independency from the grids is verified.


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.


Author(s):  
Ziliang Li ◽  
Xingen Lu ◽  
Ge Han ◽  
Yanfeng Zhang ◽  
Shengfeng Zhao ◽  
...  

Centrifugal compressors often suffer relatively low efficiency and a terrible operating range particularly due to the complex flow structure and intense impeller/diffuser interaction. Numerous studies have focused on improving the centrifugal compressor performance using many innovative ideas, such as the tandem impeller, which has become increasingly attractive due to its ability to achieve the flow control with no additional air supply configurations and control costs in compressor. However, few studies that attempted to the investigation of tandem impeller have been published until now and the results are always contradictory. To explore the potential of the tandem impeller to enhance the compressor performance and the underlying mechanism of the flow phenomena in the tandem impellers, this paper numerically investigated a high-pressure-ratio centrifugal compressor with several tandem impellers at off-design operating speeds. The results encouragingly demonstrate that the tandem impeller can achieve a performance enhancement over a wide range of operating conditions. Approximately 1.8% maximum enhancement in isentropic efficiency and 5.0% maximum enhancement in operating range are achieved with the inducer/exducer circumferential displacement of [Formula: see text] = 25% and 50%, respectively. The observed stage performance gain of the tandem impellers decreases when the operating speed increases due to the increased inducer shock, increased wake losses, and deteriorated tandem impeller discharge flow uniformity. In addition, the tandem impeller can extend the impeller operating range particularly at low rotation speeds, which is found to be a result from the suppression of the low-momentum fluid radial movement. The results also indicate that the maximum flux capacity of the tandem impeller decreases due to the restriction of the inducer airfoil Kutta–Joukowsky condition.


Author(s):  
R. S. Benson ◽  
A. Whitfield

This paper deals with a theoretical approach to study the non-steady flow and wave action in a centrifugal impeller and vaneless diffuser, and also to predict the non-steady flow performance of a centrifugal compressor. This was carried out by replacing the compressor unit by a model which consisted of a simplified rotating duct, a vaneless diffuser, and a cone-shaped pipe which replaced the scroll. A theoretical technique using the method of characteristics and the development of the non-steady flow equations to a rotating duct and radial diffuser is given. The development of the theory and the difficulties encountered are described. In particular, the techniques developed for starting a computer calculation are described. In order to maintain homentropic flow in the impeller and diffuser all losses were assumed to occur at the impeller inlet. A pressure loss boundary condition was developed to enable the steady pressure ratio-mass flow characteristics to be computed. When these values agreed with the experimentally determined characteristics, the boundary condition at the rotor inlet was such that the pressure loss terms allowed for the impeller and diffuser losses. The theoretical results obtained are compared with corresponding experimental results, and the possibility of using this theoretical technique as a design tool is discussed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Ubben ◽  
Reinhard Niehuis

Adjustable diffuser vanes offer an attractive design option for centrifugal compressors applied in industrial applications. However, the knowledge about the impact on compressor performance of a diffuser vane clearance between vane and diffuser wall is still not satisfying. This two-part paper summarizes results of experimental investigations performed with an industrial-like centrifugal compressor. Particular attention was directed toward the influence of the diffuser clearance on the operating behavior of the entire stage, the pressure recovery in the diffuser, and on the diffuser flow by a systematic variation of the parameters diffuser clearance height, diffuser vane angle, radial gap between impeller exit and diffuser inlet, and rotor speed. Compressor map measurements provide a summary of the operating behavior related to diffuser geometry and impeller speed, whereas detailed flow measurements with temperature and pressure probes allow a breakdown of the losses between impeller and diffuser and contribute to a better understanding of relevant flow phenomena. The results presented in Part I show that an one-sided diffuser clearance does not necessarily has a negative impact on the operation and loss behavior of the centrifugal compressor, but instead may contribute to an increased pressure ratio and improved efficiency as long as the diffuser passage is broad enough with respect to the clearance height. The flow phenomena responsible for this detected performance behavior are exposed in Part II, where the results of detailed measurements with pressure probes at diffuser exit and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements conducted inside the diffuser channel are discussed. The experimental results are published as an open computational fluid dynamics (CFD) testcase “Radiver 2.”


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Xu ◽  
R. S. Amano

Centrifugal compressor developments are interested in using optimization procedures that enable compressor high efficiency and wide operating ranges. Recently, high pressure ratio and efficiency of the centrifugal compressors require impeller design to pay attention to both the blade angle distribution and the meridional profile. The geometry of the blades and the meridional profile are very important contributions of compressor performance and structure reliability. This paper presents some recent studies of meridional impacts of the compressor. Studies indicated that the meridional profiles of the impeller impact the overall compressor efficiency and pressure ratio at the same rotational speed. Proper meridional profiles can improve the compressor efficiency and increase the overall pressure ratio at the same blade back curvature.


Author(s):  
R. S. Benson ◽  
K. H. Scrimshaw

Comprehensive steady and non-steady flow tests on a small radial turbine turbo-charger are given. Steady flow tests included both full admission and partial admission over the whole speed and pressure range from zero flow to maximum flow. Non-steady flow tests were carried out over a pulse frequency range from 30 to 70 pulses/s and turbine speeds from 30 000 to 60 000 rev/min with the turbine coupled to the exhaust system of a six-cylinder pulse generator under partial admission conditions. Extensive transient pressure and temperature measurements were taken upstream and downstream (pressure only) of the turbine. The total mass flow and power were also measured. A quasi-steady flow analysis was carried out using the steady flow test data. The tests results showed that for a six-cylinder exhaust pipe configuration, with two exhaust pipes entering separate nozzle segments in the radial turbine, the quasi-steady flow analysis using partial admission data grossly underestimated the mass flow and power output of the turbine. Using full admission data the ratio of measurement mass flow and horsepower to the calculated mass flow and horsepower was nearly always greater than unity. Furthermore, the average turbine efficiency was greater under non-steady flow than under steady flow. The magnitude of the recorded effects was dependent on the pulse frequency and turbine speed.


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