A centrifugal compressor usually operates with low isentropic efficiency and a terrible stable operating range, resulting from the complex impeller flow structure companied with the intense interaction among the impel...A centrifugal compressor usually operates with low isentropic efficiency and a terrible stable operating range, resulting from the complex impeller flow structure companied with the intense interaction among the impeller and the diffuser downstream. In many studies, the potential of centrifugal compressor tandem-impeller configurations for improving the compressor has been demonstrated. Whereas, compared with the convincing results on the tandem-designed axial compressors, the results on tandem impellers are limited and contradictory. Very little insight has been provided into the flow mechanisms inside tandem impellers, which is considered to be the primary reason for the confusion in tandem impeller design and application. Tandem impellers are expected to exhibit a totally different behavior due to the intense aerodynamic interaction between the inducer and the exducer, which substantially contributes to the flow structure and the compressor performance change. In the present study, a numerical study of a highly-loaded centrifugal compressor with various tandem designs was conducted to explore the inducer/exducer matching characteristics and the underlying flow mechanism inside tandem impellers. Two tandem impeller design parameters, namely, the inducer/exducer clocking fraction and the axial gap(overlap), were considered in the tandem impeller design process. The tandem impeller was also compared to the existing conventional impeller which the tandem impeller was redesigned for. The results demonstrated that the tandem-designed impeller can improve the centrifugal compressor stage performance and intense inducer/exducer interaction can be observed with changes in the clocking fraction and the axial gap(overlap). The tandem impeller performance is sensitive to changes in axial gap(overlap) when the suction side of the exducer blade is circumferentially close to the inducer blade. The fundamental reason for the performance variation in the inducer and the exducer lies in the inducer pressure change in the blade trailing edge that is determined by the Kutta condition. Additionally, the correlation between the tandem impeller slip effect and the discharge flow quality should be emphasized in the inducer/exducer gap jet analysis, in which the jet injection angle and the Coanda effect of the exducer suction surface critically affect the discharge flow characteristics.展开更多
Extensive numerical investigations of the performance and flow structure in an unshrouded tandem-bladed centrifugal compressor are presented in comparison to a conventional compressor.Stage characteristics are explore...Extensive numerical investigations of the performance and flow structure in an unshrouded tandem-bladed centrifugal compressor are presented in comparison to a conventional compressor.Stage characteristics are explored for various tip clearance levels,axial spacings and circumferential clockings.Conventional impeller was modified to tandem-bladed design with no modifications in backsweep angle,meridional gas passage and camber distributions in order to have a true comparison with conventional design.Performance degradation is observed for both the conventional and tandem designs with increase in tip clearance.Linear-equation models for correlating stage characteristics with tip clearance are proposed.Comparing two designs,it is clearly evident that the conventional design shows better performance at moderate flow rates.However;near choke flow,tandem design gives better results primarily because of the increase in throat area.Surge point flow rate also seems to drop for tandem compressor resulting in increased range of operation.展开更多
基金financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Project No.51876022,No.51836008)is greatly appreciated。
文摘A centrifugal compressor usually operates with low isentropic efficiency and a terrible stable operating range, resulting from the complex impeller flow structure companied with the intense interaction among the impeller and the diffuser downstream. In many studies, the potential of centrifugal compressor tandem-impeller configurations for improving the compressor has been demonstrated. Whereas, compared with the convincing results on the tandem-designed axial compressors, the results on tandem impellers are limited and contradictory. Very little insight has been provided into the flow mechanisms inside tandem impellers, which is considered to be the primary reason for the confusion in tandem impeller design and application. Tandem impellers are expected to exhibit a totally different behavior due to the intense aerodynamic interaction between the inducer and the exducer, which substantially contributes to the flow structure and the compressor performance change. In the present study, a numerical study of a highly-loaded centrifugal compressor with various tandem designs was conducted to explore the inducer/exducer matching characteristics and the underlying flow mechanism inside tandem impellers. Two tandem impeller design parameters, namely, the inducer/exducer clocking fraction and the axial gap(overlap), were considered in the tandem impeller design process. The tandem impeller was also compared to the existing conventional impeller which the tandem impeller was redesigned for. The results demonstrated that the tandem-designed impeller can improve the centrifugal compressor stage performance and intense inducer/exducer interaction can be observed with changes in the clocking fraction and the axial gap(overlap). The tandem impeller performance is sensitive to changes in axial gap(overlap) when the suction side of the exducer blade is circumferentially close to the inducer blade. The fundamental reason for the performance variation in the inducer and the exducer lies in the inducer pressure change in the blade trailing edge that is determined by the Kutta condition. Additionally, the correlation between the tandem impeller slip effect and the discharge flow quality should be emphasized in the inducer/exducer gap jet analysis, in which the jet injection angle and the Coanda effect of the exducer suction surface critically affect the discharge flow characteristics.
基金the Deanship of Scientific Research,Research Center of College of Engineering, King Saud University for the financial support
文摘Extensive numerical investigations of the performance and flow structure in an unshrouded tandem-bladed centrifugal compressor are presented in comparison to a conventional compressor.Stage characteristics are explored for various tip clearance levels,axial spacings and circumferential clockings.Conventional impeller was modified to tandem-bladed design with no modifications in backsweep angle,meridional gas passage and camber distributions in order to have a true comparison with conventional design.Performance degradation is observed for both the conventional and tandem designs with increase in tip clearance.Linear-equation models for correlating stage characteristics with tip clearance are proposed.Comparing two designs,it is clearly evident that the conventional design shows better performance at moderate flow rates.However;near choke flow,tandem design gives better results primarily because of the increase in throat area.Surge point flow rate also seems to drop for tandem compressor resulting in increased range of operation.
