Showing papers on "Axial compressor published in 2011"

Stall Warning by Blade Pressure Signature Analysis

Abstract: At low mass flow rates, axial compressors suffer from flow instabilities leading to stall and surge. The inception process of these instabilities has been widely researched in the past---primarily with the aim of predicting or averting stall onset. In recent times, attention has shifted to conditions well before stall and has focused on the level of irregularity in the blade passing signature in the rotor tip region. In general, the irregularity increases in intensity as the flow rate through the compressor is reduced. Attempts have been made to develop stall warning/avoidance procedures based on the level of flow irregularity, but little effort has been made to characterize the irregularity itself, or to understand its underlying cause. Work on this project has revealed for the first time that the increase in irregularity in the blade passing signature is highly dependent on both tip-clearance size and eccentricity. In a compressor with small, uniform, tip-clearance, the increase in blade passing irregularity that accompanies a reduction in flow rate will be modest. If the tip-clearance is enlarged, however, there will be a sharp rise in irregularity at all circumferential locations. In a compressor with eccentric tip-clearance, the increase in irregularity will only occur in the part of the annulus where the tip-clearance is largest, regardless of the average clearance level. In this paper, some attention is also given to the question of whether the irregularity observed in the prestall flow field is due to random turbulence or to some form of coherent flow structure. Detailed flow measurements reveal that the latter is the case. From these findings, it is clear that a stall warning system based on blade passing signature irregularity would be difficult to implement in an aero-engine where tip-clearance size and eccentricity change during each flight cycle and over the life of the compressor. © 2013 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

A Method to Estimate the Performance Map of a Centrifugal Compressor Stage

Abstract: A novel approach to calculate the performance map of a centrifugal compressor stage is presented. At the design point four non-dimensional parameters (the flow coefficient φ, the work coefficient λ, the tip-speed Mach number M and the efficiency η) characterize the performance. In the new method the performance of the whole map is also based on these four parameters through physically-based algebraic equations which require little prior knowledge of the detailed geometry. The variable empirical coefficients in the parameterized equations can be calibrated to match the performance maps of a wide range of stage types, including turbocharger and process compressor impellers with vaned and vaneless diffusers. The examples provided show that the efficiency and the pressure ratio performance maps of turbochargers with vaneless diffusers can be predicted to within ± 2% in this way. More uncertainty is present in the prediction of the surge line, as this is very variable from stage to stage. During the preliminary design the method provides a useful reference performance map based on earlier experience for comparison with objectives at different speeds and flows.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

Variable fan inlet guide vane assembly, turbine engine with such an assembly and corresponding controlling method

Abstract: A turbine engine includes a plurality of variable fan inlet guide vanes. Where the turbine engine is a tip turbine engine, the variable fan inlet guide vanes permit the ability to control engine stability even though the fan-turbine rotor assembly is directly coupled to the axial compressor at a fixed rate. The fan inlet guide vanes may be actuated from an inner diameter of the fan inlet guide vanes.

Three Dimensional Design and Optimization of a Transonic Rotor in Axial Flow Compressors

Abstract: This paper presents a 3-D optimization of a moderately loaded transonic compressor rotor by means of a multi-objective optimization system. The latter makes use of a Differential Evolutionary Algorithm in combination with an Artificial Neural Network and a 3D Navier-Stokes solver. Operating it on a cluster of 30 processors enabled the optimization of a large design space composed of the tip camber line and spanwise distribution of sweep and chord length. Objectives were an increase of efficiency at unchanged stall margin by controlling the shock waves and off-design performance curve. First, tests on a single blade row allowed a better understanding of the impact of the different design parameters. Forward sweep with unchanged camber improved the peak efficiency by only 0.3% with a small increase of the stall margin. Backward sweep with an optimized S shaped camber line improved the efficiency by 0.6% with unchanged stall margin. It is explained how the camber line control could introduce the forward sweep effect and compensate the negative effects of the backward sweep. The best results (0.7% increase in efficiency and unchanged stall margin) have been obtained by a stage optimization that also considered the spanwise redistribution of the rotor flow and loading to reduce the Mach number at the stator hub.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

Numerical modeling of startup and shutdown transients in reciprocating compressors

Abstract: Several phenomena that affect energy consumption, noise level and reliability of compressors are associated with transient effects that occur during the compressor startup and shutdown. This paper presents a simulation methodology, experimentally validated, developed to analyze the compressor in such transients. Because the time scale associated with the compressor thermal behavior is much larger than that related to the mechanical physics, a thermal equilibrium condition has been considered herein for convenience. Results for valve displacement, piston motion, pressure in the compression chamber and resistive torques are provided to illustrate the application of the methodology and to assist an understanding of the physical aspects that affect the compressor performance throughout the startup and shutdown. It is observed that the dynamics of suction and discharge valves are greatly affected. Moreover, the model is employed to estimate the minimum voltage required for the compressor startup as a function of the equalized pressure and the auxiliary coil actuation time.

Experimental and Numerical Cross-Over Jet Impingement in an Airfoil Trailing-Edge Cooling Channel

Abstract: Technological advancement in gas turbine field demands high temperature gases impacting on the turbine airfoils in order to increase the output power as well as the thermal efficiency. Leading-edge is one of the most critical and life-limiting sections of the airfoil which requires intricate cooling schemes to maintain a robust design. In order to maintain coherence with a typical external aerodynamic blade profile, cooling processes usually take place in geometrically complex internal paths where analytical approaches may not provide a proper solution. In this study, experimental and numerical models simulating the leading-edge and its adjacent cavity were created. Cooling flow entered the leading-edge cavity through the crossover ports on the partition wall between the two cavities and impinged on the internal surface of the leading edge. Three flow arrangements were tested: 1,2) flow entering from one side (root or tip) of the adjacent cavity and emerging from either the same side or the opposite side of the leading-edge cavity and 3) flow entering from one side of the adjacent cavity and emerging from both sides of the leading-edge cavity. These flow arrangements were tested for five crossover-hole settings with a focus on studying the heat transfer rate dependency on the axial flow produced by upstream crossover holes (spent air). Numerical results were obtained from a three-dimensional unstructured computational fluid dynamics model with 1.1 million hexahedral elements. For turbulence modeling, the realizable k–e was employed in combination with enhanced wall treatment approach for the near wall regions. Other available RANS turbulence models with similar computational cost did not produce any results in better agreement with the measured data. Nusselt numbers on the nose area and the pressure/suction sides are reported for jet Reynolds numbers ranging from 8000 to 55000 and a constant crossover hole to the leading-edge nose distance ratio, Z/Dh , of 2.81. Comparisons with experimental results were made in order to validate the employed turbulence model and the numerically-obtained results. Results show a significant dependency of Nusselt number on the axial flow introduced by upstream jets as it drastically diminishes the impingement effects on the leading-edge channel walls. Flow arrangement has immense effects on the heat transfer results. Discrepancies between the experimental and numerical results averaged between +0.3% and −24.5%, however correlation between the two can be clearly observed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

Granular axial band formation in rotating tumblers: a discrete element method study

Abstract: The onset mechanism for band formation of a granular mixture in long rotating tumblers is still largely unresolved. We study this issue for axial segregation of binary mixtures having different size particles, using discrete element method simulations. Endwalls initiate axial segregation via an axial flow due to friction. The non-uniform distribution of axial velocity in the flow together with simultaneous radial segregation via percolation results in the axial flow rate of the two types of particles differing in the upstream and downstream portions of the flowing layer. Thus, small particles are driven further from the endwalls, while large particles accumulate at the endwalls. Once this occurs, a cascading mechanism begins so that other bands form due to the gradient in particle concentration near the endwalls. A small axial flow between segregated bands of small and large particles persists even after the bands are fully developed.

The instability of the boundary layer over a disk rotating in an enforced axial flow

Abstract: We consider the convective instability of stationary and traveling modes within the boundary layer over a disk rotating in a uniform axial flow. Complementary numerical and high Reynolds number asymptotic analyses are presented. Stationary and traveling modes of type I (crossflow) and type II (streamline curvature) are found to exist within the boundary layer at all axial flow rates considered. For low to moderate axial flows, slowly traveling type I modes are found to be the most amplified, and quickly traveling type II modes are found to have the lower critical Reynolds numbers. However, near-stationary type I modes are expected to be selected due to a balance being struck between onset and amplification. Axial flow is seen to stabilize the boundary layer by increasing the critical Reynolds numbers and reducing amplification rates of both modes. However, the relative importance of type II modes increases with axial flow and they are, therefore, expected to dominate for sufficiently high rates. The application to chemical vapour deposition(CVD) reactors is considered.

Self-Regulating Casing Treatment for Axial Compressor Stability Enhancement

Abstract: The operating range of an axial compressor is often restricted by a safety imposed stall margin. One possible way of regaining operating range is with the application of casing treatment. Of particular interest here is the type of casing treatment which extracts air from a high pressure location in the compressor and re-injects it through discrete loops into the rotor tip region. Existing re-circulation systems have the disadvantage of reducing compressor efficiency at design conditions because worked flow is unnecessarily re-circulated at these operating conditions. Re-circulation is really only needed near stall. This paper proposes a self-regulating casing treatment in which the re-circulated flow is minimized at compressor design conditions and maximized near stall. The self-regulating capability is achieved by taking advantage of changes which occur in the tip clearance velocity and pressure fields as the compressor is throttled toward stall. In the proof-of-concept work reported here, flow is extracted from the high pressure region over the rotor tips and re-injected just upstream of the same blade row. Parametric studies are reported in which the flow extraction and re-injection ports are optimized for location, shape and orientation. The optimized design is shown to compare favorably with a circumferential groove tested in the same compressor. The relationship between stall inception type and casing treatment effectiveness is also investigated. The self-regulating aspect of the new design works well: stall margin improvements from 2.2 to 6.0% are achieved for just 0.25% total air re-circulated near stall and half that near design conditions. The self-regulating capability is achieved by the selective location and orientation of the extraction hole; a simple model is discussed which predicts the optimum axial location. Copyright © 2011 by ASME.

A neural network-based sliding-mode control for rotating stall and surge in axial compressors

Abstract: A decoupled sliding-mode neural network variable-bound control system (DSMNNVB) is proposed to control rotating stall and surge in jet engine compression systems in presence of disturbance and uncertainty. The control objective is to drive the system state to the original equilibrium point and it proves that the control system is asymptotically stable. In this controller, an adaptive neural network (NN) control scheme is employed for unknown dynamic of nonlinear plant without using a model of the plant. Moreover, no prior knowledge of the plant is assumed. The proposed DSMNNVB controller ensures Lyapunov stability of the nonlinear dynamic of the system.

The Tip Clearance Flow Resonance Behind Axial Compressor Nonsynchronous Vibration

Abstract: Nonsynchronous vibration (NSV) is a particular type of aero-elastic phenomenon, where the rotor blades vibrate at nonintegral multiples of the shaft rotational frequencies. NSV behavior appears similar to off-design stall flutter but with a particular blade tip flow evolution. This paper demonstrates the link between NSV and the resonance induced by the tip clearance flow based on a proposed hypothesis and experimental confirmation. At off-design operating conditions, the rotor blade tip clearance shear layer flow can evolve tangentially. It is proposed that this tangential flow becomes a support for an acoustic feedback wave that settles between rotor blades. The feedback wave is driven by the blade vibratory motion and synchronizes the shear layer vortical structures with the blade vibration frequency. Depending on the blade tip local temperature, and when the feedback wavelength matches within one or two blade pitches, the system becomes resonant and very high vibrations can occur on the blade. An axial stage compressor test rig is set-up to look into the underlying mechanism behind NSV through targeted measurements using both static and rotating instrumentation. The experimental apparatus consists of the first stage of a high pressure compressor driven by an electric motor. The test-section is built to minimize the effects of the adjacent stator blade rows in order to isolate the role of rotor blade tip clearance flow on NSV. Sensitivity studies are carried out to assess and demonstrate the effects of the rotor blade tip clearance and inlet temperature on NSV and validate the predicted resonance for NSV occurrence under various conditions. Vibrations and surface pressure data from adjacent blades are collected to demonstrate the predicted interactions between neighboring rotor blades. Finally, evidence of the staging phenomenon, inherent to the proposed NSV mechanism, is experimentally obtained. All the data obtained are consistent with and thus in support of the proposed mechanism for NSV.

On the Behavior of Water Droplets When Moving Onto Blade Surface in a Wet Compression Transonic Compressor

Abstract: The process of wet compression in an axial compressor is an intricate two-phase flow involving not only heat and mass transfer processes but also droplet breakup and even formation of discontinuous water film on the blade surface and then breaking into droplets. In this paper, the droplet-wall interactions are analyzed using the theory of spray wall impingement through two computational models for an isolated transonic compressor rotor (NASA rotor 37). Model 1, representing spread phenomenon, assumes that all droplets impacting on the blade are trapped in the water film and subsequently released from its trailing edge and enter the wake region with an equivalent mass flow but bigger in diameter and smaller in number. Whereas, the model 2, representing splashing phenomenon, assumes that upon impacting on the blade, the droplets will breakup into many smaller ones. The three-dimensional flow simulation results of these two models are analyzed and compared in this paper.

A unified correction method for Reynolds number, size, and roughness effects on the performance of compressors

Abstract: An equation is derived that relates the changes in turbomachinery efficiency with Reynolds number to the changes in the friction factor of an equivalent flat plate. This equation takes into account...

Influence of a homogeneous axial magnetic field on Taylor–Couette flow of ferrofluids with low particle–particle interaction

Abstract: Experimental results concerning the stability of Couette flow of ferrofluids under magnetic field influence are presented. The fluid cell of the Taylor–Couette system is subject to a homogeneous axial magnetic field and the axial flow profiles are measured by ultrasound Doppler velocimetry. It has been found that an axial magnetic field stabilizes the Couette flow. This effect decreases with a rotating outer cylinder. Moreover, it could be observed that lower axial wave numbers are more stable at a higher axial magnetic field strength. Since the used ferrofluid shows a negligible particle–particle interaction, the observed effects are considered to be solely based on the hindrance of free particle rotation.

Rotordynamic Force Prediction of Centrifugal Compressor Impellers Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract: The energy industry depends on centrifugal compressors to produce, process, reinject, and transport many different gases. Centrifugal compressors use one or more impellers to impart momentum to the flowing gas and, thereby, produce an increase in pressure through diffusion. As the operating pressure in a compressor increases, the fluid-rotor interaction at the seals and impellers become more important. Also, the new generation of megascale liquefied natural gas compressors is dependent on accurate assessment of these forces. The aerodynamic forces and cross-coupled stiffness from the impellers cannot be accurately predicted with traditional methods and must be estimated with semi-empirical formulations. The result of these inaccuracies is a potential for compressor designs that can experience unexpected, dangerous, and damaging instabilities and sub-synchronous vibrations. The current investigation is intended to advance the state of the art to achieve an improved, physics-based method of predicted aerodynamic destabilizing cross-coupling forces on centrifugal compressor impellers using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). CFD was employed in this study to predict the impeller-fluid interaction forces, which gives rise to the aerodynamic cross coupling. The procedure utilized in this study was developed by Moore and Palazzolo (2002, "Rotordynamic Force Prediction of Centrifugal Impeller Shroud Passages Using Computational Fluid Dynamic Techniques With Combined Primary Secondary Flow Model, " ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power, 123, pp. 910―918), which applied the method to liquid pump impellers. Their results showed good correlation to test data. Unfortunately, no such data exist for centrifugal compressors. Therefore, in order to validate the present model, comparisons will be made to predict the instability of an industrial centrifugal compressor. A parametric CFD study is then presented leading to a new analytical expression for predicting the cross-coupled stiffness for centrifugal impellers.

Loading and unloading of compressors in a cooling system

Abstract: A system and method of loading and unloading a compressor in a cooling system. The method includes detecting a temperature, determining a compressor should be turned on/off to supply/stop supplying cooling based on the temperature, turning the compressor on/off, and opening/closing a plurality of valves when the compressor is turned on/off.

Compressor recirculation into annular volume

Abstract: To solve the problems of compressor wheel blade flow separation causing surge type noises when a compressor return or recirculation valve is opened or closed, bypass airflow from a compressor recirculation valve is fed into an annular volume, defined between inner and outer walls or shaped as a radially expanded, axially flattened cylindrical space in the compressor inlet, so that the generally unidirectional radial flow from the compressor recirculation valve is re-directed and organized as it is turned from generally radial to generally axial, merging with the general inlet flow and presenting the compressor wheel with airflow of “circumferentially uniform” flow velocity.

Effect of Recirculation Device With Counter Swirl Vane on Performance of High Pressure Ratio Centrifugal Compressor

Abstract: Centrifugal compressors used for turbochargers need to achieve a wide operating range. The author has developed a high pressure ratio centrifugal compressor with pressure ratio 5.7 for a marine use turbocharger. In order to enhance operating range, two different types of recirculation devices were applied. One is a conventional recirculation device. The other is a new one. The conventional recirculation device consists of an upstream slot, bleed slot and the annular cavity which connects both slots. The new recirculation device has vanes installed in the cavity. These vanes were designed to provide recirculation flow with negative preswirl at the impeller inlet, a swirl counterwise to the impeller rotational direction. The benefits of the application of both of the recirculation devices were ensured. The new device in particular, shifted surge line to a lower flow rate compared to the conventional device. This paper discusses how the new recirculation device affects the flow field in the above transonic centrifugal compressor by using steady 3-D calculations. Since the conventional recirculation device injects the flow with positive preswirl at the impeller inlet, the major difference between the conventional and new recirculation device is the direction of preswirl that the recirculation flow brings to the impeller inlet. This study focuses on two effects which preswirl of the recirculation flow will generate. (1) Additional work transfer from impeller to fluid. (2) Increase or decrease of relative Mach number. Negative preswirl increases work transfer from the impeller to fluid as the flow rate reduces. It increases negative slope on pressure ratio characteristics. Hence the recirculation flow with negative preswirl will contribute to stability of the compressor. Negative preswirl also increases the relative Mach number at the impeller inlet. It moves shock downstream compared to the conventional recirculation device. It leads to the suppression of the extension of blockage due to the interaction of shock with tip leakage flow.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

A New Approach for Compressor Endwall Contouring

Abstract: Against the background of the high development status of modern axial compressors, a further performance enhancement is linked with the extension of the design space in the development process and the concentration on the essential loss mechanisms in the compressor. The performance of a compressor cascade is considerably influenced by secondary flow effects in the near endwall region, since up to 50 percent (for low aspect ratio) of the losses in the bladed channel of a turbomachinery are linked to the endwalls. In this context the application of non-axisymmetric profiled endwalls provides a potential for compressor improvement. The paper presents the detailed experimental and numerical investigation of controlling the endwall cross flow in a compressor cascade. The general approach is based on a boundary layer fence arrangement, whose application on the compressor endwall works as a non-axisymmetric endwall contour. This non-axisymmetric endwall modification constrains the interaction of the endwall cross flow with the suction side boundary layer, thus the onset of the corner separation is delayed and a significant loss reduction of 8 percent is achieved. The experiments were carried out in a linear compressor cascade at the high-speed cascade wind tunnel of the DLR in Berlin at peak efficiency (design point) and off-design of the cascade at Mach number M = 0.67. Furthermore, high fidelity 3D-RANS flow simulations were performed in order to analyze the complex blade and endwall boundary layer interaction. The combined consideration of experimental and numerical flow pattern allows a detailed interpretation and description of the resulting flow phenomena.Copyright © 2011 by ASME