Abstract
Numerical study is presented for the analysis of three-dimensional incompressible turbulent flows in multiblade centrifugal fan. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with standard k - $\epsilon$ turbulence model are transformed to non-orthogonal curvilinear coordinates, and are discretized with finite volume approximations. Linear Upwind Differencing Scheme(LUDS) is used to approximate the convection terms in the governing equations. SIMPLEC algorithm is used as a velocity-pressure correction procedure. The computational area is divided into three blocks; core, impeller and scroll, which are linked by multi-block method. The flow inside of the fan is regarded as steady flow, and mathematical formula established from the cascade theory and empirical coefficient are employed to simulate tile flow through the impeller. From comparisons between the computational results and the experimental data, the validity of the mathematical formula for the blade forces was examined and good results were obtained qualitatively. Hence, we can get the flow characteristics of multi-blade centrifugal fan and it will be a corner stone of the development of the multiblade centrifugal fan.
