Using Meridional Streamline and Passage Shapes to Generate Radial Turbomachinery Geometry and Meshes

Abstract

An important aspect for structural and aerodynamics design of radial flow turbomachinery is the definition of the geometry and the generation of meshes for computational analysis. Particularly in the area of computational design and optimization, the way the geometry is defined is important, as it can limit design space. Traditionally, radial compressors and radial turbine rotors are defined using a mechanical design approach. Effectively a hub and shroud profile, followed by a rotorblade geometry are defined and the shape is adjusted in order to meet certain aerodynamic boundary conditions. The current paper presents an alternative approach, in which the overall geometry is defined starting from an aerodynamic requirement. The corresponding rotor and blade geometry is generated automatically, based on certain constraints. The advantage of this approach is the ability to define directly the aerodynamic requirements, which may allow a simpler efficient optimization of the aerodynamics.