scholarly journals Experimental Investigation of Centrifugal Compressor Stabilization Techniques

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary J. Skoch
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
External Source ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Injection Angle ◽  
Surge Margin ◽  
Air Supply ◽  
Stabilizing Effect ◽  
Design Speed

Results from a series of experiments to investigate techniques for extending the stable flow range of a centrifugal compressor are reported. The research was conducted in a high-speed centrifugal compressor at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The stabilizing effect of steadily flowing air-streams injected into the vaneless region of a vane-island diffuser through the shroud surface is described. Parametric variations of injection angle, injection flow rate, number of injectors, injector spacing, and injection versus bleed were investigated for a range of impeller speeds and tip clearances. Both the compressor discharge and an external source were used for the injection air supply. The stabilizing effect of flow obstructions created by tubes that were inserted into the diffuser vaneless space through the shroud was also investigated. Tube immersion into the vaneless space was varied in the flow obstruction experiments. Results from testing done at impeller design speed and tip clearance are presented. Surge margin improved by 1.7 points using injection air that was supplied from within the compressor. Externally supplied injection air was used to return the compressor to stable operation after being throttled into surge. The tubes, which were capped to prevent mass flux, provided 6.5 points of additional surge margin over the baseline surge margin of 11.7 points.

scholarly journals Experimental Investigation of Centrifugal Compressor Stabilization Techniques

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary J. Skoch
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
External Source ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Injection Angle ◽  
Surge Margin ◽  
Air Supply ◽  
Stabilizing Effect ◽  
Design Speed

Results from a series of experiments to investigate techniques for extending the stable flow range of a centrifugal compressor are reported. The research was conducted in a high-speed centrifugal compressor at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The stabilizing effect of steadily flowing air-streams injected into the vaneless region of a vane-island diffuser through the shroud surface is described. Parametric variations of injection angle, injection flow rate, number of injectors, injector spacing, and injection vs. bleed were investigated for a range of impeller speeds and tip clearances. Both the compressor discharge and an external source were used for the injection air supply. The stabilizing effect of flow obstructions created by tubes that were inserted into the diffuser vaneless space through the shroud was also investigated. Tube immersion into the vaneless space was varied in the flow obstruction experiments. Results from testing done at impeller design speed and tip clearance are presented. Surge margin improved by 1.7 points using injection air that was supplied from within the compressor. Externally supplied injection air was used to return the compressor to stable operation after being throttled into surge. The tubes, which were capped to prevent mass flux, provided 9.3 points of additional surge margin over the baseline surge margin of 11.7 points.

An Enhanced Greitzer Compressor Model Including Pipeline Dynamics and Surge

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Se Young Yoon ◽  
Zongli Lin ◽  
Christopher Goyne ◽  
Paul E. Allaire
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Wide Frequency Range ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Compression System ◽  
Output Pressure ◽  
Theoretical Frequency ◽  
Measured Response

The modeling of a centrifugal compressor system with exhaust and plenum piping acoustics is presented in this paper. For an experimental centrifugal compressor test rig with modular inlet and exhaust piping, a mathematical model of the system dynamics is derived based on the Greitzer compression system model. In order to include the dynamics of the piping acoustics, a transmission line model is added to the original compressor equations and different compressor-piping configurations were tested. The resulting mathematical representations of the compression system dynamics are compared with the measured response of the experimental setup. Employing active magnetic bearings to perturb the axial impeller tip clearance of the compressor, the compression system is excited over a wide frequency range and the input-output response from the impeller tip clearance to the plenum pressure rise is analyzed. Additionally, the simulated surge oscillations are compared with the measured response in the surge condition. A good agreement is observed between the experimental and theoretical frequency responses of from the tip clearance to the output pressure, both in stable operation and during surge.

Experimental Investigation of Tip Clearance Flow in a Transonic Compressor With and Without Plasma Actuators

2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Saddoughi ◽  
G. Bennett ◽  
M. Boespflug ◽  
S. L. Puterbaugh ◽  
A. R. Wadia
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Plasma Actuator ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Plasma Actuators ◽  
Tip Clearance Flow ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Clearance Flow ◽  
Design Speed

Blade tip losses represent a major performance penalty in low aspect ratio transonic compressors. This paper reports on the experimental evaluation of the impact of tip clearance with and without plasma actuator flow control on performance of an U.S. Air Force-designed low aspect ratio, high radius ratio single-stage transonic compressor rig. The detailed stage performance measurements without flow control at three clearance levels, classified as small, medium, and large, are presented. At design-speed, increasing the clearance from small to medium resulted in a stage peak efficiency drop of almost six points with another four point drop in efficiency with the large clearance (LC). Comparison of the speed lines at high-speed show significantly lower pressure rise with increasing tip clearance, the compressor losing 8% stall margin (SM) with medium clearance (MC) and an additional 1% with the LC. Comparison of the stage exit radial profiles of total pressure and adiabatic efficiency at both part-speed and design-speed and with throttling are presented. Tip clearance flow-control was investigated using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) type plasma actuators. The plasma actuators were placed on the casing wall upstream of the rotor leading edge and the compressor mapped from part-speed to high-speed at three clearances with both axial and skewed configurations at six different frequency levels. The plasma actuators did not impact steady state performance. A maximum SM improvement of 4% was recorded in this test series. The LC configuration benefited the most with the plasma actuators. Increased voltage provided more SM improvement. Plasma actuator power requirements were almost halved going from continuous operation to pulsed plasma. Most of the improvement with the plasma actuators is attributed to the reduction in unsteadiness of the tip clearance vortex near-stall resulting in additional reduction in flow prior to stall.

scholarly journals A New Endwall Model for Axial Compressor Throughflow Calculations

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Dunham
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Complex Flow ◽  
Flow Angle ◽  
Empirical Estimates ◽  
Wall Boundary Layer ◽  
Surge Margin

It is well recognised that the endwall regions of a compressor — in which the annulus wall flow interacts with the mainstream flow — have a major influence on its efficiency and surge margin. Despite many attempts over the years to predict the very complex flow patterns in the endwall regions, current compressor design methods still rely largely on empirical estimates of the aerodynamic losses and flow angle deviations in these regions. This paper describes a new phenomenological model of the key endwall flow phenomena treated in a circumferentially-averaged way. It starts from Hirsch and de Ruyck’s annulus wall boundary layer approach, but makes some important changes. The secondary vorticities arising from passage secondary flows and from tip clearance flows are calculated. Then the radial interchanges of momentum, energy and entropy arising from both diffusion and convection are estimated The model is incorporated into a streamline curvature program. The empirical blade force defect terms in the boundary layers are selected from cascade data. The effectiveness of the method is illustrated by comparing the predictions with experimental results on both low speed and high speed multistage compressors. It is found that the radial variation of flow parameters is quite well predicted, and so is the overall performance, except when significant endwall stall occurs.

Centrifugal Compressor Inlet Guide Vanes for Increased Surge Margin

1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
System Stability ◽  
Negative Slope ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Inlet Guide Vanes ◽  
Surge Margin ◽  
Compressor Inlet ◽  
Surge Line

This paper describes the results of compressor rig testing with a moderately high specific speed, high inducer Mack number, single-stage centrifugal compressor, with a vaned diffuser, and adjustable inlet guide vanes (IGVs). The results showed that the high-speed surge margin was considerably extended by the regulation of the IGVs, even though the vaned diffuser was apparently operating stalled. Simplified one-dimensional analysis of the impeller and diffuser performances indicated that at inducer tip Mach numbers approaching and exceeding unity, the high-speed surge line was triggered by inducer stall. Also, IGV regulation increased impeller stability. This permitted the diffuser to operate stalled, providing the net compression system stability remained on a negative slope.

scholarly journals Design and Development of an Advanced Two-Stage Centrifugal Compressor

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Palmer ◽  
W. F. Waterman
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Design And Development ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Surge Margin ◽  
The Impact

This paper describes the aero-mechanical design and development of a 3.3 kg/sec (7.3 lb/sec), 14:1 pressure ratio two-stage centrifugal compressor which is used in the T800-LHT-800 helicopter engine. The design employs highly nonradial, splitter bladed impellers with swept leading edges and compact vaned diffusers to achieve high performance in a small and robust configuration. The development effort quantified the effects of impeller diffusion and passive inducer shroud bleed on surge margin as well as the effects of impeller loading on tip clearance sensitivity and the impact of sand erosion and shroud roughness on performance. The developed compressor exceeded its performance objectives with a minimum of 23-percent surge margin without variable geometry. The compressor provides a high performance, rugged, low-cost configuration ideally suited for helicopter applications.

Investigation of the instability mechanisms in a turbocharger centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser by means of unsteady simulations

2016 ◽  
Vol 231 (11) ◽  
pp. 1558-1567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinqian Zheng ◽  
Anxiong Liu ◽  
Zhenzhong Sun
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Great Accuracy ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Unstable Flow ◽  
Low Velocity

The stable-flow range of a compressor is predominantly limited by surge and stall. In this paper, an unsteady simulation method was employed to investigate the instability mechanisms of a high-speed turbocharger centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser. In comparison with the variation in the pressure obtained by dynamic experiments on the same compressor, unsteady simulations show a great accuracy in representing the stall behaviour. The predicted frequency of the rotating stall is 22.5% of the rotor frequency, which agrees with to the value for the high-frequency short-term rotating stall obtained experimentally. By investigating the instability of the flow field, it is found that the unstable flow of the turbocharger compressor at high rotational speeds is caused by the tip clearance leakage flow and the ‘backflow vortices’ originating from the interaction of the incoming flow and the backflow in the tip region of the passages. The asymmetric volute helps to induce the occurrence of stall in certain impeller passages because it generates an asymmetric flow field. The high-pressure low-velocity area from the 180° circumferential position to the 270° circumferential position is dominant and strengthens the backflow at the trailing edge of the impeller, finally triggering the stall.

Study of the Flow in Centrifugal Compressor

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Xu ◽  
R. S. Amano
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
High Pressure Ratio ◽  
Surge Margin

An unshrouded centrifugal compressor would give up clearance very large in relation to the span of the blades, because centrifugal compressors produce a sufficiently large pressure rise in fewer stages. This problem is more acute for a low flow high-pressure ratio impeller. The large tip clearance would cause flow separations, and as a result it would drop both the efficiency and surge margin. Thus a design of a high efficiency and wide operation range for a centrifugal compressor is a great challenge. This paper describes a new development of high efficiency and a large surge margin flow coefficient of 0.145 centrifugal compressor. A viscous turbomachinery optimal design method developed by the authors for axial flow machine was further extended and used in this centrifugal compressor design. The new compressor has three main parts: impeller, a low solidity diffuser and volute. The tip clearance is under a special consideration in this design to allow impeller insensitiveness to the clearance. A three-dimensional low solidity diffuser design method is proposed and applied to this design. This design demonstrated to be successful to extend the low solidarity diffusers to high-pressure ratio compressor. The design performance range showed the total to static efficiency of the compressor being about 85% and stability range over 35%. The experimental results showed that the test results are in good agreement with the design.

Evaluation of a High Hub/Tip Ratio Centrifugal Compressor

1970 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. G. Groh ◽  
G. M. Wood ◽  
R. S. Kulp ◽  
D. P. Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Total Efficiency ◽  
Compressor Stage ◽  
Vaneless Diffuser ◽  
Centrifugal Stage ◽  
Design Speed ◽  
Multistage Axial Compressor

A centrifugal compressor stage with an unusually high inlet hub/tip ratio of 0.87 was designed for a pressure ratio of 2.0 at a corrected mass flow of 2.45 lb per sec. The geometry was selected so that the centrifugal stage could replace several of the last stages of a multistage axial compressor. The stage was tested with two diffuser schemes. One diffuser consisted of a series of drilled conical pipes, whereas the other employed multirow vaned cascades. Sea level aerodynamic tests of the compressor stage with each diffuser showed a peak total-to-total efficiency at design speed of 83.8 percent for the pipe diffuser and 82.9 percent for the vaned cascade diffuser. Additional tests were conducted with a vaneless diffuser to determine effects of impeller discharge tip clearance and inlet prewhirl on impeller performance.

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