Performance characteristics of flow in annular diffuser using CFD

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardial Singh ◽  
Bharat Bhushan Arora

Abstract An annular diffuser is a critical component of the turbomachinery, and its prime function is to reduce the flow velocity. The current work is carried to study the effect of four different geometrical designs of an annular diffuser using the ANSYS Fluent. The numerical simulations were carried out to examine the effect of fully developed turbulent swirling and non-swirling flow. The flow behavior of the annular diffuser is analyzed at Reynolds number 2.5 × 105. The simulated results reveal pressure recovery improvement at the casing wall with adequate swirl intensity at the diffuser inlet. Swirl intensity suppresses the flow separation on the casing and moves the flow from the hub wall to the casing wall of the annulus region. The results also show that the Equal Hub and Diverging Casing (EHDC) annular diffuser in comparison to other diffusers has a higher static pressure recovery (C p  = 0.76) and a lower total pressure loss coefficient of (C L  = 0.12) at a 17° swirl angle.

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardial Singh ◽  
B.B. Arora

Abstract In this paper, the effects of non-swirling and swirling flow on the performance of parallel hub axial annular diffuser has been investigated. The study was conducted on a fully developed swirling flow and non-swirling flow to predict the separation of the flow from the wall. Three different annular diffusers were used with casing wall angles of 3°, 6°, and 9°. Furthermore, various swirl angles (0–25°) at the inlet of diffusers have been investigated to analyze the performance across the length. It was found that parallel hub axial annular diffuser performance increases up to a certain length as the inlet swirl angle increases. However, the performance also improves as the diffuser area ratio (AR) increases. The performance is evaluated based on the static pressure recovery coefficient (Cp) and the total pressure loss coefficient (CTL). The highest possible pressure recovery is achieved by the 12° swirl angle with a casing angle of 6°.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardial Singh ◽  
B.B. Arora

AbstractIn this paper, the effects of non-swirling and swirling flow on the performance of parallel hub axial annular diffuser has been investigated. The study was conducted on a fully developed swirling flow and non-swirling flow to predict the separation of the flow from the wall. Three different annular diffusers were used with casing wall angles of 3°, 6°, and 9°. Furthermore, various swirl angles (0–25°) at the inlet of diffusers have been investigated to analyze the performance across the length. It was found that parallel hub axial annular diffuser performance increases up to a certain length as the inlet swirl angle increases. However, the performance also improves as the diffuser area ratio (AR) increases. The performance is evaluated based on the static pressure recovery coefficient (Cp) and the total pressure loss coefficient (CTL). The highest possible pressure recovery is achieved by the 12° swirl angle with a casing angle of 6°.


Author(s):  
G. K. Feldcamp ◽  
A. M. Birk

An experimental investigation into the overall influence of struts spanning a double divergent annular diffuser followed by a straight cored annular diffuser has been undertaken in order to determine the performance of various strut configurations over a wide range of inlet swirl conditions. Two strut profiles have been investigated in four and eight strut configurations. Results have shown that the presence of struts under no swirl conditions have a relatively small effect on the overall total pressure loss. Increasing the inlet swirl angle to 20° has shown that the struts are able to assist in recovery of the swirling flow such that the pressure recovery nearly approaches that without struts, despite increased total pressure losses. Performance at 40° swirl is highly dependent on strut profile; the higher thickness-to-chord ratio strut configurations show minimal decrease in pressure recovery compared to 20° swirl, while the lower thickness-to-chord ratio configurations experiences a significant decrease as the result of significant flow separation from the struts. The exit swirl number has been shown to correlate strongly with the strut profile shape, while the number of struts had only a secondary influence. The exit velocity profiles show significant distortions at 40° swirl, and as a result the ideal pressure recovery calculated from the inlet and exit profiles change with strut configuration at 40° swirl.


Author(s):  
Hardial Singh ◽  
◽  
Arora B.B ◽  

In the present work, the parallel hub axial flow annular diffuser's performance characteristics with divergent casing varying between equivalent cone angle (10°, 15°, and 20°) with area ratio 3 have been evaluated computationally as well as experimentally. The performance of three diffusers were tested at different inlet swirl angles (from 0° to 25°) for swirling and non-swirling flow. Simulations have been carried out on a fully developed flow at Reynolds number 2.5×105. The results were analyzed based on the velocity profiles, static pressure recovery coefficient, and the total pressure loss coefficient. The result analysis shows that the inlet swirl flow improves the recovery of pressure and also delays the flow separation on the casing. Moreover,the findings also show that the best performance was achieved in equivalent cone angle 10° at the inlet swirl angle of 7.5° compared to other diffusers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Shaiful Ashrul Ishak ◽  
Mohammad Nazri Mohd Jaafar

The main purpose of this paper is to study the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) prediction on CO-NO formation production inside the combustor close to burner throat while varying the swirl angle of the radial swirler. Air swirler adds sufficient swirling to the inlet flow to generate central recirculation region (CRZ) which is necessary for flame stability and fuel air mixing enhancement. Therefore, designing an appropriate air swirler is a challenge to produce stable, efficient and low emission combustion with low pressure losses. A liquid fuel burner system with different radial air swirler with 280 mm inside diameter combustor of 1000 mm length has been investigated. Analysis were carried out using four different radial air swirlers having 30°, 40°, 50° and 60° vane angles. The flow behavior was investigated numerically using CFD solver Ansys Fluent. This study has provided characteristic insight into the formation and production of CO and pollutant NO inside the combustion chamber. Results show that the swirling action is augmented with the increase in the swirl angle, which leads to increase in the center core reverse flow, therefore reducing the CO and pollutant NO formation. The outcome of this work will help in finding out the optimum swirling angle which will lead to less emission.  


1980 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 305-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. Kumar ◽  
K. L. Kumar

Annular diffusers are likely to operate with varying amounts of swirl at the inlet. The work described in this paper is concerned mainly with an experimental investigation of subsonic turbulent swirling flows through annular diffusers having diverging hub and casing boundaries. The test facility was designed SO as to peImit different levels of inlet swirl. The static pressure distributions and the axial and tangential velocity profiles were measured with the help of a three-hole cobra probe suitably mounted at different cross sections along the diffuser length. The diffuser performance parameters such as static-pressure recovery, effectiveness, and the total pressure loss coefficient were then computed from the experimental observations. The behaviour of these parameters has been discussed to establish the effect of swirl. The presence of inlet swirl was found to increase the overall static-pressure recovery. A substantial increase in the pressure recovery occurred over the initial stages of diffusion and the gain was maintained thereafter. Improvement in effectiveness was more significant for otherwise stalled diffusers. Introduction of swirl was found to substantially reduce the chances of separation at the casing and to shift the stall from the casing to the hub for the stalled diffusers.


Author(s):  
D. J. Cerantola ◽  
A. M. Birk

Passive augmentation devices are typically added to diffusers to increase pressure recovery; however, applications such as infrared suppression exist where more uniform outlet velocity profiles are also desirable. Square tabs were added to a short annular diffuser system with diffuser effectiveness of 80% in strong swirling subsonic turbulent flow. The number, axial position, width, and height were varied for the tabs with a 135° orientation angle. Results showed that back pressure increased linearly with increasing tab projected area blockage but outlet velocity uniformity was maximum with 7% tab blockage. Tabs placed on the centre body base recovered more dynamic pressure than tabs placed downstream on the centre body with similar tab area blockage.


Author(s):  
D. J. Cerantola ◽  
A. M. Birk

Ring vanes were recognized as being beneficial for increasing pressure recovery and reducing stall in wide-angled diffusers. Augmentation devices can also reduce swirl-induced flow distortion. A three-point ring vane was inserted into a short annular diffuser with a length-to-inlet-height ratio of 14.5 and area ratio of 4. Numerical optimization studies were completed using the realizable k-ε turbulence model at zero and 12 deg inlet swirl that established a preferential location of the ring vane leading edge. Parametric computational fluid dynamics studies evaluated the influence of the dominant variables — overall length and angle — at 0 to 12 deg inlet swirl. Performance was dependent on the ability of the ring vane to reduce outer wall stall without swirl or the central toroidal recirculation zone with swirl and the ring vane wake. Shorter vanes angled towards the centre reduced back pressure with no swirl whereas longer outward-angled vanes were preferred with 12 deg swirl.


2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Shaiful Ashrul Ishak ◽  
Mohammad Nazri Mohd. Jaafar ◽  
Wan Zaidi Wan Omar

The main purpose of this paper is to study the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) prediction on temperature distribution inside the canister burner with inlet air pre-heating of 100K and 250K while varying the swirl angle of the radial swirler. Air swirler adds sufficient swirling to the inlet flow to generate central recirculation region (CRZ) which is necessary for flame stability and fuel air mixing enhancement. Therefore, designing an appropriate air swirler is a challenge to produce stable, efficient and low emission combustion with low pressure losses. A liquid fuel burner system with different radial air swirler with 280 mm inside diameter combustor of 1000 mm length has been investigated. Analysis were carried out using four different radial air swirlers having 30°, 40°, 50° and 60° vane angles. The flow behavior was investigated numerically using CFD solver Ansys Fluent. This study has provided characteristic insight into the distribution of temperature inside the combustion chamber. Results show that with the inlet air preheat before the combustion, the temperature distribution inside the canister would stabilize early into the chamber with higher swirl number (SN) compared without inlet air preheat. As for the inlet air preheat, the main effects are the resulting temperatures in the canister are higher, but there is a smaller hot-spot in the flame. This means that the temperature profile in the chamber is well distributed.


Author(s):  
G. K. Feldcamp ◽  
A. M. Birk

Cold flow experiments were conducted to study swirling flows in an annular diffuser with various strut configurations. Experimental results at 0°, 20°, and 40° of inlet swirl were obtained. Measured properties included detailed inlet and exit traverses using three and seven hole pressure probes, surface pressure taps on the diffuser wall, and surface flow visualization techniques. Evaluation of the diffuser and strut performance was based on pressure recovery, and detailed pressure distributions. The experimental results have been studied further using Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). These models are of modest size (less than four million volumes). Several turbulence models have been used to predict the performance of the annular diffuser with struts. Both high and low Reynolds number implementations of the turbulence models have been investigated. The results show that modest CFD models can be used with confidence to design these devices.


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