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Centrifugal compressor performance assessment under different impeller tip clearance sizes from far to near stall conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2014

Reza Taghavi-Zenouz  and
Ehsan Solki
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Abstract

Impeller tip clearance is a key parameter in design process of a centrifugal compressor which has influential effects on its aerodynamic and thermodynamic performances. Interaction of tip leakage flow with the main stream could be the major source for occurrence of stall phenomenon. In the present investigation, two impeller tip clearances of small and large sizes are investigated under different flow coefficients assigned to “design”, “low flow” and “high flow” conditions. Flow field is precisely simulated utilizing solution of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations. Influence of the impeller stall on the volute flow field is studied. Structure of vortical flows within the impeller passages and volute are demonstrated in details. Numerical results showed that the flow within the volute becomes stall-prone while the flow within the impeller stalls. In contrast to the high flow case, the low flow condition was more prone for the stall occurrence. Performance tests were also conducted on Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) centrifugal compressor test rig for validation of the numerical results.

Keywords

stallcentrifugal compressorperformance maptip clearance
Type
Research Article
Information
Mechanics & Industry , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , 2014 , pp. 253 - 265
Copyright
© AFM, EDP Sciences 2014

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