Abstract
With the aim of improving the aerodynamic performance of axial turbomachinery, a new type of blade is designed using the equal–variable circulation method. Taking an axial flow fan as the research object, this article describes the development of a new type of turbomachinery by changing the design method and producing a blade with forward sweep. The aerodynamic performance of the fan is simulated and compared with the experimental data. The numerical results show that the equal circulation design method improves the aerodynamic performance of the blade roots, while the variable circulation design method enhances the aerodynamic performance of the blade tips. By adopting the equal–variable circulation design method, the total pressure of the experimental fan is increased by about 4%, while the efficiency remains unchanged. Forward-swept blades with an equal–variable circulation design also improve performance over the conventional blades by changing the center-of-gravity stacking line. At low flow rates, the efficiency of the experimental fan can be increased by 7.5%, and the working range of the flow is expanded. Under high flow rates, the restriction of the blade tip on the airflow is decreased and the fluidity is slightly reduced.
Highlights
In industrial production, low-pressure axial fans are widely used because of their uncomplicated structure, large flow rates, and stable operation
The equal–variable circulation design blade is designed to give an equal circulation quantity below 60% of the span
The results show that the forward-sweep angle has an effect on the aerodynamic performance of the blade and has an optimal value
Summary
Low-pressure axial fans are widely used because of their uncomplicated structure, large flow rates, and stable operation. In turbomachinery research, improved efficiency and reduced noise are long-standing topics of research. The modification of turbomachinery is mainly divided into three directions: airfoil modification, blade shape modification, and tip clearance modification (Peng et al, 2013; Rehman et al, 2018; Sreekanth et al, 2021). In terms of airfoil modification, Pascu et al (2009) and Cho et al (2009) proposed a scheme for optimizing the blade arbitrary vortex design based on the NACA-65 series airfoil, and combined different types of design and optimization algorithms in a CFD solver to increase the blade load and efficiency. Sogukpinar (2018) created a new airfoil by changing the thickness of the pressure side to obtain high lift coefficient and post-stall airfoils.
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