Research on the influence of initial parameters of water droplets on the performance of counter-rotating axial-flow compressor

Abstract

This paper employs a numerical simulation method to investigate the wet compression working characteristics of a counter-rotating axial-flow compressor (CRAC) in an air-inlet, water-containing environment under different water droplet parameters at a designed rotational speed. The influence of initial water droplet parameters on the overall performance of the CRAC and the variations in the flow field characteristics under different wet compression conditions was investigated. The initial diameter of water droplets exhibited the most significant impact on the wet compression effect. Under an appropriate inlet water content, water droplets with smaller diameters effectively reduced the temperature of the CRAC’s internal flow field, increasing the air density. Consequently, the axial velocity decreased, altering the velocity triangle and increasing the rotor working capacity, which enhanced the performance of the CRAC. Additionally, wet compression influenced the flow field of the rear rotor stronger than that of the front rotor. When the initial diameter of water droplets is too large, the evaporative cooling effect cannot be fully exploited so wet compression only slightly improved the compressor performance. These findings may help understand the working characteristics of the CRAC in water-containing environments better, offering guidance for CRAC design using wet compression technology.