Experimental and numerical investigations of radial flow compressor component losses

Abstract

This research numerically and experimentally investigates a small turbocharger radial flow compressor with a vane-less diffuser and volute. The geometry of the compressor is obtained via component scanning, through which a 3D model is prepared. The flow inside this model is numerically analyzed by using a Navier-Stokes solver with a shear-stress transport turbulence model. The characteristic curves of the compressor and the contributions of its components to total pressure drop are acquired by measuring the static and total pressures at different cross sections of the compressor. Numerical results are verified with the experimental test results. The model results exhibit good agreement with the experimental results. In particular, the results show that the losses related to the impeller are higher than those related to the stationary components at different conditions, with the former causing a decline of at least 15% in compressor isentropic efficiency. The contribution of stationary components to efficiency decrease is approximately 4.8% at maximum efficiency mass flow rate and is limited to 7.1%. At low mass flow rates, the contribution of the diffuser to efficiency decline is higher than that of the volute. This finding is reversed at high mass flow rates. The performances of the diffuser and the volute are also studied by exploring total pressure and static pressure recovery coefficients, as well as the net radial force on the impeller shaft under a wide operating range.