Three-dimensional Viscous Code Research Articles

Predication of 3-D Viscous Flowfield of a Centrifugal Impeller

A three-dimensional viscous code has been developed to solve Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The governing equations in finite volume form are solved by two-step Runge-Kutta scheme with implicit residual smoothing. The eddy viscous is obtained using the Baldwin-Lomax model. A prediction of the 3-D turbulent flow and the performance in the “all-over controlled vortex distribution” centrifugal impeller with a vaneless diffuser has been made for the compressor at design and off-design condition. The predicted effi-ciency is a little higher than the experiment data. These results suggest that the present calculation code is able to determine the flow development in the impeller and also the turbulence model in the centrifugal im-peller should be improved.

Influence of Tip Clearance on the Flow Field and Aerodynamic Performance of the Centrifugal Impeller

AbstractThis paper studies numerically the influence of the tip clearance on the three-dimensional viscous flowfield and performance of the NASA Low-Speed Centrifugal Compressor (LSCC) impeller with a vaneless diffuser. A three-dimensional viscous code developed by the authors is applied with several acceleration methods: local time-step, multigrid and residual smoothing. The computations were performed under several operating conditions with four different tip clearance sizes (0.0%, 50%, 100% and 200% design tip-clearance). The numerical results show that: (1) the throughflow wake is considerably influenced by the tip-clearance. The low-kinetic-energy fluid accumulated in the shroud/pressure side of the unshrouded impeller, but in the shroud/suction region for 0.0 tip clearance; (2) there possibly exists an optimum size of the tip-clearance which is not the zero tip clearance to make the flow loss minimized.

Aerodynamically Induced Radial Forces in a Centrifugal Gas Compressor: Part 2—Computational Investigation

Radial loads and direction of a centrifugal gas compressor containing a high specific speed mixed flow impeller and a single tongue volute were determined both experimentally and computationally at both design and off-design conditions. The experimental methodology was developed in conjunction with a traditional ASME PTC-10 closed-loop test to determine radial load and direction. The experimental study is detailed in Part 1 of this paper (Moore and Flathers, 1998). The computational method employs a commercially available, fully three-dimensional viscous code to analyze the impeller and the volute interaction. An uncoupled scheme was initially used where the impeller and volute were analyzed as separate models using a common vaneless diffuser geometry. The two calculations were then repeated until the boundary conditions at a chosen location in the common vaneless diffuser were nearly the same. Subsequently, a coupled scheme was used where the entire stage geometry was analyzed in one calculation, thus eliminating the need for manual iteration of the two independent calculations. In addition to radial load and direction information, this computational procedure also provided aerodynamic stage performance. The effect of impeller front face and rear face cavities was also quantified. The paper will discuss computational procedures, including grid generation and boundary conditions, as well as comparisons of the various computational schemes to experiment. The results of this study will show the limitations and benefits of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for determination of radial load, direction, and aerodynamic stage performance.

On the Design Criteria for Suppression of Secondary Flows in Centrifugal and Mixed Flow Impellers

In this paper, for the first time, a set of guidelines is presented for the systematic design of mixed flow and centrifugal compressors and pumps with suppressed secondary flows and a uniform exit flow field. The paper describes the shape of the optimum pressure distribution for the suppression of secondary flows in the impeller with reference to classical secondary flow theory. The feasibility of achieving this pressure distribution is then demonstrated by deriving guidelines for the design specifications of a three-dimensional inverse design method, in which the blades are designed subject to a specified circulation distribution or 2πrVθ. The guidelines will define the optimum choice of the blade loading or ∂rVθ/∂m and the stacking condition for the blades. These guidelines are then used in the design of three different low specific speed centrifugal pump impellers and a high specific speed industrial centrifugal compressor impellers. The flows through all the designed impellers are computed numerically by a three-dimensional viscous code and the resulting flow field is compared to that obtained in the corresponding conventional impeller. The results show consistent suppression of secondary flows in all cases. The design guidelines are validated experimentally by comparing the performance of the inverse designed centrifugal compressor impeller with the corresponding conventional impeller. The overall performance of the stage with the inverse designed impeller with suppressed secondary flows was found to be 5 percent higher than the conventional impeller at the peak efficiency point. Exit flow traverse results at the impeller exit indicate a more uniform exit flow than that measured at the exit from the conventional impeller.

An Investigation of the Effect of Cascade Area Ratios on Transonic Compressor Performance

Transonic compressor rotor performance is highly sensitive to variations in cascade area ratios. This paper reports on the design, experimental evaluation, and three-dimensional viscous analysis of four low-aspect-ratio transonic rotors that demonstrate the effects of cascade throat area, internal contraction, and trailing edge effective camber on compressor performance. The cascade throat area study revealed that tight throat margins result in increased high-speed efficiency with lower part-speed performance. Stall line was also improved slightly over a wide range of speeds with a lower throat-to-upstream capture area ratio. Higher internal contraction, expressed as throat-to-mouth area ratio, also results in increased design point peak efficiency, but again costs performance at the lower speeds. Reducing the trailing edge effective camber, expressed as throat-to-exit area ratio, results in an improvement in peak efficiency level without significantly lowering the stall line. Among all four rotors, the best high-speed efficiency was obtained by the rotor with a tight throat margin and highest internal contraction, but its efficiency was the lowest at part speed. The best compromise between high-speed and part-speed efficiency was achieved by the rotor with a large throat and a lower trailing edge effective camber. The difference in the shock structure and the shock boundary layer interaction of the four blade was analyzed using a three-dimensional viscous code. The analytical results are used to supplement the data and provide further insight into the detailed physics of the flow field.

Secondary Flows and Vortex Motion in a High-Efficiency Backswept Impeller at Design and Off-Design Conditions

The three-dimensional viscous flow field of a 4.7:1 pressure ratio backswept impeller was studied experimentally and numerically by using laser velocimetry and an advanced three-dimensional viscous code. The impeller was designed by a CAD method, and a maximum rotor efficiency of 94 percent was achieved. Both the experimental and the theoretical approach revealed comparatively smooth impeller discharge velocity profiles at all three operating conditions (design, choke, and near surge) differing widely from the well-known jet/wake-type flow pattern. The three-dimensional viscous code was used for detailed flowfield studies, i.e., secondary flows; vortex motion and tip-clearance effects were analyzed at design and off-design conditions. The comparison of experimental and numerical results indicates that the tip-clearance effect should be properly modeled to predict the impeller flow pattern properly and that optimum shape of rotor exit flow pattern can be obtained by controlling the swirling vortex motion.