This study proposes a method to optimize the blade angle and chord length distributions of axial flow fan rotor blade, and applied it to the design of the actual industrial axial flow fan. The present design model of the axial flow fan rotor blade is to construct and stack the section profiles using single circular arc and airfoil thickness distribution with the camber and stagger angles as design variables along the blade span height from hub to tip, and the chord length distribution is designed in a parabolic fashion from hub to tip. The performance and efficiency of the fan rotor blades are predicted by applying a through-flow analysis method to the 3D fan blade geometry obtained from the design variables of the camber angle, stagger angle, and chord length of the blade sections. These fan design and through-flow analysis methods are used as the simulation engine for optimization problem. Through applying the optimization algorithm, an optimal axial flow fan rotor is obtained with maximum efficiency and computational fluid dynamics analysis is performed to verify the result of the present optimal design. From the computational fluid dynamics calculation results, it can be seen that the present optimal design model has an efficiency improvement of about 2% compared to the initial design, and maintains relatively high efficiency even under partial load conditions.
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