We report a numerical study on the vaneless diffuser core flow instability in centrifugal compressors. The analysis is performed for the purpose of better understanding of the rotating stall flow mechanism in radial vaneless diffusers. Since the analysis is restricted to the two-dimensional core flow, the effect of the wall boundary layers is neglected. A commercial code with the standard incompressible viscous flow solver is applied to model the vaneless diffuser core flow in the plane parallel to the diffuser walls. At the diffuser inlet, rotating jet-wake velocity pattern is prescribed and at the diffuser outlet constant static pressure is assumed. Under these circumstances, two-dimensional rotating flow instability similar to rotating stall is found to exist. Performed parameter analysis reveals that this instability is strongly influenced by the diffuser geometry and the inlet and outlet flow conditions.

/pdf/two-dimensional-rotating-stall-analysis-in-a-wide-vaneless-40680mxniy.pdf

Two-Dimensional Rotating Stall Analysis in a Wide Vaneless Diffuser

Study on static and dynamic characteristics of an axial fan with abnormal blade under rotating stall conditions

At present, off-design centrifugal compressor suffers from great instabilities, such as rotating stall and surge, which lead to work failure, strong pressure fluctuations, and violent vibrations of the entire system. One cause of these instabilities is the rotating stall occurring in vaneless diffuser. In this review, recent researches on rotating stall of vaneless diffuser in centrifugal compressor are reviewed, and its inductive mechanism and characteristic description are emphatically introduced. In vaneless diffuser, the rotating stall starts up and fully develops under non-design conditions with the characteristic of increasing pressure fluctuation amplitude. The negative effects of rotating stall include reverse flow and vortex, both of which have significant effects on the instability of centrifugal compressors. Some improvement methods of rotating stall are also introduced, and a lot of examples are given. Finally, some suggestions and discussions are put forward for the future work.

A Review of Rotating Stall in Vaneless Diffuser of Centrifugal Compressor

Paper reports a numerical study on vaneless diffuser flow instability performed for the purpose of better understanding of rotating stall mechanism in radial vaneless diffusers. This analysis is restricted to the two-dimensional flow where effect of wall boundary layers is neglected. Numerical results reveal that a two-dimensional rotating flow instability similar to rotating stall occurs when critical flow angle is exceeded. They also show that the stability limit and the structure of a twodimensional rotating instability are influenced by the configuration geometry and inlet and outlet flow conditions. Good agreement with data from the literature is found for the stability limit and number and speed of propagating cells. Number of cells and their speed is somewhat higher than observed in experiments from literature. This might imply that inception point is caused by the core flow instability and that wall boundary layers are more determinative for the structure of rotating instability.

Rotating stall characteristics in a wide vaneless diffuser

• A submitted manuscript is the author's version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.

Rotating stall in wide vaneless diffusers

We present the measured rotating stall signal patterns in a vaneless diffuser in a centrifugal compressor with a radial bladed impeller. Unsteady flow and rotating stall in the vaneless diffuser were investigated by measuring unsteady velocity fluctuations at several different diffuser radius ratios and axial distances using a hot wire anemometer. The flow characteristics in terms of the radial and tangential velocity components and the flow angle distribution in the vaneless diffuser during rotating stall were investigated using phase-locked averaging techniques. The results clearly identified abrupt rotating stall at several different impeller rotational speeds. According to the experimental results, two different mechanisms exist for the development of the reverse flow zone in a vaneless diffuser. One is dominated by the extension of the reentering flow from the diffuser exit, and the other is dominated by the growth of the local flow separation zone on the hub and shroud side. The fluctuation in the flow direction increases as the diffuser radius ratio increases and is dominated by the strength of the reverse flow

Kwang Ho Kim

Papers

An Experimental Study on the Development of a Reverse Flow Zone in a Vaneless Diffuser