Diffuser (thermodynamics)

About: Diffuser (thermodynamics) is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6731 publications have been published within this topic receiving 54738 citations.

Multi-sided diffuser for a venturi in a fuel injector for a gas turbine

Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine includes a main fuel injector for receiving compressor discharge air and mixing the air with fuel for flow to a downstream catalytic section. The main fuel injector includes an array of venturis each having an inlet, a throat and a diffuser. A main fuel supply plenum between forward and aft plates supplies fuel to secondary annular plenums having openings for supplying fuel into the inlets of the venturis upstream of the throats. Each diffuser transitions from a circular cross-section at the throat to multiple discrete angularly related side walls at the diffuser exit. Gaps between circumferentially and radially spaced diffusers at their exits are eliminated. With this arrangement, uniform flow distribution of the fuel/air, velocity and temperature is provided at the catalyst inlet.

Inter-Laboratory Characterization of the Velocity Field in the FDA Blood Pump Model Using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)

Abstract: A credible computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model can play a meaningful role in evaluating the safety and performance of medical devices. A key step towards establishing model credibility is to first validate CFD models with benchmark experimental datasets to minimize model-form errors before applying the credibility assessment process to more complex medical devices. However, validation studies to establish benchmark datasets can be cost prohibitive and difficult to perform. The goal of this initiative sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is to generate validation data for a simplified centrifugal pump that mimics blood flow characteristics commonly observed in ventricular assist devices. The centrifugal blood pump model was made from clear acrylic and included an impeller, with four equally spaced, straight blades, supported by mechanical bearings. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed at several locations throughout the pump by three independent laboratories. A standard protocol was developed for the experiments to ensure that the flow conditions were comparable and to minimize systematic errors during PIV image acquisition and processing. Velocity fields were extracted at the pump entrance, blade passage area, back gap region, and at the outlet diffuser regions. A Newtonian blood analog fluid composed of sodium iodide, glycerin, and water was used as the working fluid. Velocity measurements were made for six different pump flow conditions, with the blood-equivalent flow rate ranging between 2.5 and 7 L/min for pump speeds of 2500 and 3500 rpm. Mean intra- and inter-laboratory variabilities in velocity were ~ 10% at the majority of the measurement locations inside the pump. However, the inter-laboratory variability increased to more than ~ 30% in the exit diffuser region. The variability between the three laboratories for the peak velocity magnitude in the diffuser region ranged from 5 to 25%. The bulk velocity field near the impeller changed proportionally with the rotational speed but was relatively unaffected by the pump flow rate. In contrast, flow in the exit diffuser region was sensitive to both the flow rate and the rotational speed. Specifically, at 3500 rpm, the exit jet tilted toward the inner wall of the diffuser at a flow rate of 2.5 L/min, but the jet tilted towards the outer wall when the flow rate was 7 L/min. Inter-laboratory experimental mean velocity data (and the corresponding variance) were obtained for the FDA pump model and are available for download at https://nciphub.org/wiki/FDA_CFD . Experimental datasets from the inter-laboratory characterization of benchmark flow models, including the blood pump model presented herein and our previous nozzle model, can be used for validating future CFD studies and to collaboratively develop guidelines on best practices for verification, validation, uncertainty quantification, and credibility assessment of CFD simulations in the evaluation of medical devices (e.g. ASME V&V 40 standards working group).

Numerical Simulation of Pulse-Width-Modulated Micropumps with Diffuser/Nozzle Elements

Abstract: This paper presents the numerical simulation of a new control method for dynamic micropumps with diffuser/nozzle elements: the pulse-width-modulation (PWM) of the drive signal. A piezo disk with a square wave signal actuates the pump, the square-wave-like deflection of the membrane causes velocity pulses in opposite directions. Because of the inertia of the fluid in the pump chamber, the time distance between these velocity pulses controls the generated flow rate. The paper compares results of models with different boundary conditions of the pump membrane: time-dependent velocity and time-dependent deflection. This paper also describes the fabrication of pump prototype based on laser micromachining. Simulation results are then compared to experimental results.

Impeller-Diffuser Interaction in Centrifugal Compressors

Abstract: This paper reports several CFD analyses of a centrifugal compressor stage with a vaned diffuser at high pressure ratio using different techniques to model the rotor-stator interaction. A conventional steady stage calculation with a mixing-plane type interface between the rotor and stator was used as a baseline. This simulation gave excellent agreement with the measured performance characteristics at design speed, demonstrating the ability of the particular steady simulation used to capture the essential features of the blockage interaction between the components.A full annulus simulation using a transient rotor-stator interaction (TRS) method was then used at the peak efficiency point to obtain a fully unsteady reference solution, and this predicted a small increase in peak efficiency. Finally, a computationally less expensive unsteady calculation using a Time Transformation (TT) method was carried out. This gave similar results to the fully transient calculation suggesting that this is an acceptable approach to estimate unsteady blade loading from the interaction.The impeller diffuser spacing was then reduced from 15 to 7% of the impeller tip radius using the more affordable TT approach. This identified an increase in efficiency of 1% and predicted unsteady pressure fluctuations in the impeller which were 116% higher with the closely spaced diffuser.Copyright © 2012 by ASME