Spike and Modal Stall Inception in an Advanced Turbocharger Centrifugal Compressor

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. S. Spakovszky ◽  
C. H. Roduner
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Compression System ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Highly Loaded

In turbocharger applications, bleed air near the impeller exit is often used for secondary flow systems to seal bearing compartments and to balance the thrust load on the bearings. There is experimental evidence that the performance and operability of highly-loaded centrifugal compressor designs can be sensitive to the amount of bleed air. To investigate the underlying mechanisms and to assess the impact of bleed air on the compressor dynamic behavior, a research program was carried out on a preproduction, 5.0 pressure ratio, high-speed centrifugal compressor stage of advanced design. The investigations showed that bleed air can significantly reduce the stable flow range. Compressor rig experiments, using an array of unsteady pressure sensors and a bleed valve to simulate a typical turbocharger environment, suggest that the path into compression system instability is altered by the bleed flow. Without the bleed flow, the prestall behavior is dominated by short-wavelength disturbances, or so called “spikes,” in the vaneless space between the impeller and the vaned diffuser. Introducing bleed flow at the impeller exit reduces endwall blockage in the vaneless space and destabilizes the highly-loaded vaned diffuser. The impact is a 50% reduction in stable operating range. The altered diffuser characteristic reduces the compression system damping responsible for long-wavelength modal prestall behavior. A four-lobed backward traveling rotating stall wave is experimentally measured in agreement with calculations obtained from a previously developed dynamic compressor model. In addition, a self-contained endwall blockage control strategy was employed, successfully recovering 75% of the loss in surge-margin due to the bleed flow and yielding a one point increase in adiabatic compressor efficiency.

Spike and Modal Stall Inception in an Advanced Turbocharger Centrifugal Compressor

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. S. Spakovszky ◽  
C. H. Roduner
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Compression System ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Highly Loaded

In turbocharger applications bleed air near the impeller exit is often used for secondary flow systems to seal bearing compartments and to balance the thrust load on the bearings. There is experimental evidence that the performance and operability of highly loaded centrifugal compressor designs can be sensitive to the amount of bleed air. To investigate the underlying mechanisms and to assess the impact of bleed air on the compressor dynamic behavior, a research program was carried out on a pre-production, 5.0 pressure ratio, high-speed centrifugal compressor stage of advanced design. The investigations showed that bleed air can significantly reduce the stable flow range. Compressor rig experiments, using an array of unsteady pressure sensors and a bleed valve to simulate a typical turbocharger environment, suggest that the path into compression system instability is altered by the bleed flow. Without bleed flow, the pre-stall behavior is dominated by short wavelength disturbances, or so called ‘spikes’, in the vaneless space between the impeller and the vaned diffuser. Introducing bleed flow at impeller exit reduces endwall blockage in the vaneless space and destabilizes the highly-loaded vaned diffuser. The impact is a 50% reduction in stable operating range. The altered diffuser characteristic reduces the compression system damping responsible for long wavelength, modal pre-stall behavior. A four-lobed backward traveling rotating stall wave is experimentally measured, in agreement with calculations obtained from a previously developed dynamic compressor model. In addition, a self-contained, endwall blockage control strategy was employed, successfully recovering 75% of the loss in surge-margin due to bleed flow and yielding a 1 point increase in adiabiatic compressor efficiency.

Roles of vanes in diffuser on stability of centrifugal compressor

2019 ◽  
Vol 233 (14) ◽  
pp. 5380-5392
Author(s):  
Wangzhi Zou ◽  
Xiao He ◽  
Wenchao Zhang ◽  
Zitian Niu ◽  
Xinqian Zheng
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Centrifugal Compressors ◽  
Compression System ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Rotating Instability

The stability considerations of centrifugal compressors become increasingly severe with the high pressure ratios, especially in aero-engines. Diffuser is the major subcomponent of centrifugal compressor, and its performance greatly influences the stability of compressor. This paper experimentally investigates the roles of vanes in diffuser on component instability and compression system instability. High pressure ratio centrifugal compressors with and without vanes in diffuser are tested and analyzed. Rig tests are carried out to obtain the compressor performance map. Dynamic pressure measurements and relevant Fourier analysis are performed to identify complex instability phenomena in the time domain and frequency domain, including rotating instability, stall, and surge. For component instability, vanes in diffuser are capable of suppressing the emergence of rotating stall in the diffuser at full speeds, but barely affect the characteristics of rotating instability in the impeller at low and middle speeds. For compression system instability, it is shown that the use of vanes in diffuser can effectively postpone the occurrence of compression system surge at full speeds. According to the experimental results and the one-dimensional flow theory, vanes in diffuser turn the diffuser pressure rise slope more negative and thus improve the stability of compressor stage, which means lower surge mass flow rate.

Characteristics of Stable Rotating Stall Cells in an Axial Compressor

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam R. Hickman ◽  
Scott C. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Flow Coefficient ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Double Phase

Flow field measurements of a high-speed axial compressor are presented during pre-stall and post-stall conditions. The paper provides an analysis of measurements from a circumferential array of unsteady shroud static pressure sensors during stall cell development. At low-speed, the stall cell approached a stable size in approximately two rotor revolutions. At higher speeds, the stall cell developed within a short amount of time after stall inception, but then fluctuated in circumferential extent as the compressor transiently approached a stable post-stall operating point. The size of the stall cell was found to be related to the annulus average flow coefficient. A discussion of Phase-Locked Average (PLA) statistics on flow field measurements during stable operation is also included. In conditions where rotating stall is present, flow field measurements can be Double Phase-Locked Averaged (DPLA) using a once-per-revolution (1/Rev) pulse and the period of the stall cell. The DPLA method provides greater detail and understanding into the structure of the stall cell. DPLA data indicated that a stalled compressor annulus can be considered to contained three main regions: over-pressurized passages, stalled passages, and recovering passages. Within the over-pressured region, rotor passages exhibited increased blade loading and pressure ratio compared to pre-stall values.

Stall Inception in a High Speed Centrifugal Compressor During Speed Transients

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangyuan Lou ◽  
John C. Fabian ◽  
Nicole L. Key
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Transient Performance ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Pressure Transducers

The inception and evolution of rotating stall in a high-speed centrifugal compressor are characterized during speed transients. Experiments were performed in the Single Stage Centrifugal Compressor (SSCC) facility at Purdue University and include speed transients from sub-idle to full speed at different throttle settings while collecting transient performance data. Results show a substantial difference in the compressor transient performance for accelerations versus decelerations. This difference is associated with the heat transfer between the flow and the hardware. The heat transfer from the hardware to the flow during the decelerations locates the compressor operating condition closer to the surge line and results in a significant reduction in surge margin during decelerations. Additionally, data were acquired from fast-response pressure transducers along the impeller shroud, in the vaneless space, and along the diffuser passages. Two different patterns of flow instabilities, including mild surge and short-length-scale rotating stall, are observed during the decelerations. The instability starts with a small pressure perturbation at the impeller leading edge and quickly develops into a single-lobe rotating stall burst. The stall cell propagates in the direction opposite of impeller rotation at approximately one third of the rotor speed. The rotating stall bursts are observed in both the impeller and diffuser, with the largest magnitudes near the diffuser throat. Furthermore, the flow instability develops into a continuous high frequency stall and remains in the fully developed stall condition.

Fan Stability With Leading Edge Damage: Blind Prediction and Validation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Gunn ◽  
T. Brandvik ◽  
M. J. Wilson ◽  
R. Maxwell
Keyword(s):  
Supersonic Flow ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Blind Prediction ◽  
Edge Damage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Operating Points ◽  
Relative Flow

Abstract This paper considers the impact of a damaged leading edge on the stall margin and stall inception mechanisms of a transonic, low pressure ratio fan. The damage takes the form of a squared-off leading edge over the upper half of the blade. Full-annulus, unsteady CFD simulations are used to explain the stall inception mechanisms for the fan at low- and high-speed operating points. A combination of steady and unsteady simulations show that the fan is predicted to be sensitive to leading edge damage at low speed, but insensitive at high speed. This blind prediction aligns well with rig test data. The difference in response is shown to be caused by the change between subsonic and supersonic flow regimes at the leading edge. Where the inlet relative flow is subsonic, rotating stall is initiated by growth and propagation of a subsonic leading edge flow separation. This separation is shown to be triggered at higher mass flow rates when the leading edge is damaged, reducing the stable flow range. Where the inlet relative flow is supersonic, the flow undergoes a supersonic expansion around the leading edge, creating a supersonic flow patch terminated by a shock on the suction surface. Rotating stall is triggered by growth of this separation, which is insensitive to leading edge shape. This creates a marked difference in sensitivity to damage at low- and high-speed operating points.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation of Stall Inception Mechanisms in a Centrifugal Compressor With Vaned Diffuser

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Bousquet ◽  
N. Binder ◽  
G. Dufour ◽  
X. Carbonneau ◽  
M. Roumeas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Axial Compressor ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Boundary Layer Separation ◽  
Flow Topology ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Flow Reduction

The present paper numerically investigates the stall inception mechanisms in a centrifugal compressor stage composed of a splittered unshrouded impeller and a vaned diffuser. Unsteady numerical simulations have been conducted on a calculation domain comprising all the blade passages over 360 deg for the impeller and the diffuser. Three stable operating points are simulated along a speed line, and the full path to instability is investigated. The paper focusses first on the effects of the mass flow reduction on the flow topology at the inlet of both components. Then, a detailed analysis of stall inception mechanisms is proposed. It is shown that at the inlet of both components, the mass flow reduction induces boundary layer separation on the blade suction side, which results in a vortex tube having its upper end at the casing and its lower end at the blade wall. Some similarities with flows in axial compressor operating at stall condition are outlined. The stall inception process starts with the growth of the amplitude of a modal wave rotating in the vaneless space. As the flow in the compressor is subsonic, the wave propagates upstream and interacts with the impeller flow structure. This interaction leads to the drop in the impeller pressure ratio.

scholarly journals Stall Inception in a High-Speed Low Aspect Ratio Fan Including the Effects of Casing Treatments

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Gorrell ◽  
P. M. Russler
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Casing Treatment ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Casing Treatments

The stall inception process in high-speed compressor components is important to understand in order to increase stage loading while maintaining stall margin. This paper presents the results of an in depth experimental investigation on the stall inception of a two stage, high-speed, low aspect ratio fan that is representative of current operational commercial and military fan technology. High-response static pressure measurements are presented which detail the stall inception process of the fan under various operating conditions. These conditions include: varied corrected speeds, a smooth case, a circumferential groove casing treatment, and a recirculating cavity casing treatment. Stage pressure characteristics and radial pressure ratio profiles are presented for the different operating conditions. The stage performance data, together with the static pressure data, are analyzed to provide a clear and thorough understanding of the stall inception process and how the process may vary under different conditions. Experimental results show that a stage may stall on the positive, neutral, or negative sloped part of the pressure characteristic. The three casing treatments had a significant effect on the rotor tip flow and these variations changed the stall inception path of the fan. Stall inception was characterized by the formation of a stall inception cell which grew to fully developed rotating stall. Properties affected by the changing tip flow include the stall inception duration, stall inception cell frequency, existence of modal waves, duration of modal waves, and modal wave frequency. In some instances modal waves appear to play a role in stall inception, in others they do not.

An Investigation of Stall Inception in Centrifugal Compressor Vaned Diffuser1

2012 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan N. Everitt ◽  
Zoltán S. Spakovszky
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Short Wavelength ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Leakage Flows ◽  
Blade Tip

In compression systems, the stable operating range is limited by rotating stall and/or surge. Two distinct types of stall precursors can be observed prior to full scale instability: the development of long-wavelength modal waves or a short-wavelength, three-dimensional flow breakdown (so-called “spike” stall inception). The cause of the latter is not well understood; in axial machines it has been suggested that rotor blade-tip leakage flow plays an important role, but spikes have recently been observed in shrouded vaned diffusers of centrifugal compressors where these leakage flows are not present, suggesting an alternative mechanism may be at play. This paper investigates the onset of instability in a shrouded vaned diffuser from a highly loaded turbocharger centrifugal compressor and discusses the mechanisms thought to be responsible for the development of short-wavelength stall precursors. The approach combines unsteady 3D RANS simulations of an isolated vaned diffuser with previously obtained experimental results. The unsteady flow field simulation begins at the impeller exit radius, where flow is specified by a spanwise profile of flow angle and stagnation properties, derived from single-passage stage calculations but with flow pitchwise mixed. Through comparison with performance data from previous experiments and unsteady full-wheel simulations, it is shown that the diffuser is accurately matched to the impeller and the relevant flow features are well captured. Numerical forced response experiments are carried out to determine the diffuser dynamic behavior and point of instability onset. The unsteady simulations demonstrate the growth of short-wavelength precursors; the flow coefficient at which these occur, the rotation rate and circumferential extent agree with experimental measurements. Although the computational setup and domain limitations do not allow simulation of the fully developed spike nor full-scale instability, the model is sufficient to capture the onset of instability and allows the postulation of the following necessary conditions: (i) flow separation at the diffuser vane leading edge near the shroud endwall; (ii) radially reversed flow allowing vorticity shed from the leading edge to convect back into the vaneless space; and (iii) recirculation and accumulation of low stagnation pressure fluid in the vaneless space, increasing diffuser inlet blockage and leading to instability. Similarity exists with axial machines, where blade-tip leakage sets up endwall flow in the circumferential direction leading to flow breakdown and the inception of rotating stall. Rather than the tip leakage flows, the cause for circumferential endwall flow in the vaned diffuser is the combination of high swirl and the highly nonuniform spanwise flow profile at the impeller exit.

Stall Inception in a High-Speed Centrifugal Compressor During Speed Transients

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangyuan Lou ◽  
John C. Fabian ◽  
Nicole L. Key
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Transient Performance ◽  
Stall Inception ◽  
Pressure Transducers

The inception and evolution of rotating stall in a high-speed centrifugal compressor are characterized during speed transients. Experiments were performed in the single stage centrifugal compressor (SSCC) facility at Purdue University and include speed transients from subidle to full speed at different throttle settings while collecting transient performance data. Results show a substantial difference in the compressor transient performance for accelerations versus decelerations. This difference is associated with the heat transfer between the flow and the hardware. The heat transfer from the hardware to the flow during the decelerations locates the compressor operating condition closer to the surge line and results in a significant reduction in surge margin during decelerations. Additionally, data were acquired from fast-response pressure transducers along the impeller shroud, in the vaneless space, and along the diffuser passages. Two different patterns of flow instabilities, including mild surge and short-length-scale rotating stall, are observed during the decelerations. The instability starts with a small pressure perturbation at the impeller leading edge (LE) and quickly develops into a single-lobe rotating stall burst. The stall cell propagates in the direction opposite of impeller rotation at approximately one-third of the rotor speed. The rotating stall bursts are observed in both the impeller and diffuser, with the largest magnitudes near the diffuser throat. Furthermore, the flow instability develops into a continuous high frequency stall and remains in the fully developed stall condition.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Unsteady Flow Field in a Vaned Diffuser of a High-Speed Centrifugal Compressor

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klemens Vogel ◽  
Reza S. Abhari ◽  
Armin Zemp
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Wake Flow ◽  
Vaned Diffuser ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Vaned diffusers in centrifugal compressor stages are used to achieve higher stage pressure ratios, higher stage efficiencies, and more compact designs. The interaction of the stationary diffuser with the impeller can lead to resonant vibration with potentially devastating effects. This paper presents unsteady diffuser vane surface pressure measurements using in-house developed, flush mounted, fast response piezoresistive pressure transducers. The unsteady pressures were recorded for nine operating conditions, covering a wide range of the compressor map. Experimental work was complemented by 3D unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using ansys cfx V12.1 to detail the unsteady diffuser aerodynamics. Pressure fluctuations of up to 34.4% of the inlet pressure were found. High pressure variations are present all along the vane and are not restricted to the leading edge region. Frequency analysis of the measured vane surface pressures show that reduced impeller loading, and the corresponding reduction of tip leakage fluid changes the characteristics of the fluctuations from a main blade count to a total blade count. The unsteady pressure fluctuations in the diffuser originate from three distinct locations. The impact of the jet-wake flow leaving the impeller results in high variation close to the leading edge. It was observed that CFD results overpredicted the amplitude of the pressure fluctuation on average by 62%.

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