• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2013

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the influences of various non-uniform tip clearances on the performance and flow field in a centrifugal compressor. Numerical simulations were conducted for three centrifugal compressor impellers in which the tip clearance height varied linearly from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The numerical result was compared with the experimental data for validation. Although the performance improved for low tip clearances, a smaller tip clearance at the trailing edge reduced the overall tip leakage flow more effectively than a smaller tip clearance at the leading edge. Therefore, a smaller tip clearance at the trailing edge lowered the mixing loss caused by interactions between the tip leakage flow and the main passage flow.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1445-1450
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• 2001

Stall inception in a high-speed centrifugal compressor has been examined. The main objective was to find stall precursor and to develop a reliable stall warning method. For stall warning, a method which uses the spectrum at impeller frequency is suggested. The use of the spectrum at impeller frequency as a stall warning method showed a warning time of about two hundreds impeller revolutions. This method uses only one sensor that it has made the stall warning method more useful. And the well-known traveling wave energy method proved to be a good method for stall warning also in a high-speed centrifugal compressor. The warning time was about one hundred impeller revolutions at lower speeds, and about one thousand impeller revolutions at higher speeds. The stall warning methods used here were found to be robust and reliable. Therefore, it seems to be promising to set up a reliable stall avoidance control based on this analysis.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.2617-2629
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• 1995

The flow through a centrifugal compressor rotor was calculated using the quasi-3-dimensional and fully 3-dimensional Navier-Stokes solution methods. The calculated results, obtained during the development of the computer codes for both methods are discussed. In the inviscid quasi 3-dimensional analysis, stream function formulation was used for the blade to blade (B-B) plane calculations, and the streamline curvature method was used for the meridional (H-S) plane calculations. In the viscous 3-dimensional flow analysis, a control volume method based on a general rotating curvilinear coordinate system was used to solve the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, and a standard k-.epsilon. model was used to obtain eddy viscosity. The quasi-3-dimensional analysis reasonably predicts the pressure distributions and requires much less computation time in the region where viscous effects are not strong; however, it fails to predict velocity field and loss mechanism through the impeller passage. The viscous 3-dimensional flow analysis shows reasonable pressure distributions and typical jet-wake flow field through the impeller passage. Secondary flow and total pressure distributions on cross-sectional planes explain the loss mechanisms through the impeller.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.21-26
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• 2016

The objective of present study is to assess the performance of the first stage compressor in a total 3-stage 5000 HP-level turbo compressor. CFD commercial code, CFX has been used to predict three-dimensional flow characteristics inside of the impeller. Shear Stress Transport (SST) model has been used to simulate turbulent flows through Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. Grid dependency has been also checked to get optimal grid distribution. Numerical results have been compared with the experimental test results to elucidate performance characteristics of the present compressor. In addition, flow characteristics of the impeller only have been studied for various blade configurations. Angular offset in leading edge of the blade has been selected for the optimal blade design. Performance characteristics in region of low mass flow rate and high pressure ratio between the impeller entrance and exit have been investigated for the selection of optimal blade design. Also, flow instability such as stall phenomena has been studied and anti-stall characteristics have been checked for various blade configurations in the operational window.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.55-62
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• 2012

Centrifugal compressors are widely used and each operating condition is different. However, it cannot be manufactured according to the every operating condition. In the this study, performance of compressor was evaluated with various rotational speeds of impeller and various stagger angles of diffuser in order to apply a typical model widely. A centrifugal compressor was designed and manufactured based on the design point. On this machines, an experiment was conducted and the performance was predicted at off-design point. The performance prediction was validated with the experimental result and the numerical result. Although the isentropic efficiency on the prediction was slightly lower than that on the experimental result due to the heat loss in the experiment, the pressure ratio was predicted well and also the predicted results were matched well with the numerical results. When the rotational speed of the impeller and the stagger angle of the diffuser were changed together, the compressor can be worked in the high efficiency region and avoided operating in the stall region.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.3 no.2 s.7
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• pp.36-43
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• 2000

This study presents the centrifugal compressor performance for three different vane stagger angles and wall pressure distribution within vaned diffuser channels, and is also discussed about the stability with respect to the compressor components. As the vane stagger angle decreases, the flow rate for the stall onset decreases, and higher pressure can be obtained at the low flow rate region, however, the effective operation range of the compressor decreases because of the blockage effect of the diffuser vane. Low pressure pocket within the vaned diffuser channel moves from the pressure side of leading edge to the suction side as the flow rate decreases. The compressor system stability mainly depends on that of the diffuser.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.8 no.1 s.28
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• pp.7-15
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• 2005

Tip clearance of centrifugal compressor affects the performance. Larger tip clearance results in lower efficiency. What really affects the performance is the running tip clearance, not the cold tip clearance. When the compressor is operating, blade strain and the pressure difference between impeller backplate and hub affects the running tip clearance. This paper describes measured running tip clearance and its effects on the performance of centrifugal compressor. Cold tip clearance before operation was 0.4 mm and running tip clearance varied from 0.86 mm to 0.25 mm with impeller exit pressure. As the pressure at impeller exit increases, the running tip clearance tends to decreases. The target running tip clearance for Compressor at $100\%$ speed was 0.3 mm, and it turned out to be exactly 0.30 mm from experiment.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1999.12a
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• pp.55-60
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• 1999

A centrifugal compressor was tested with three different diffusers with plate vanes. The vane inlet angle was varied from 15 to 30 dog. The higher static pressure rises are obtained with lower vane stagger angle. In the stable region the static pressure field in vaneless space is very sensitive to flow rate. The impeller has a stabilizing effect over the whole stable operating range. The diffuser has a stabilizing effect at high flow rate but is destabilizing at low flow rate.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.3722-3730
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• 2015

The performance improvement of a small centrifugal compressor for waste water treatment has been conducted by the design change of vaneless diffuser and volute casing. Existing two compressors use a common impeller, but the width and length of the vaneless diffuser and the cross-sectional shape of the volute casing are different, respectively. Based on the experiment of the existing two compressors and their CFD results, the design of the vaneless diffuser and the volute casing has been changed. It was found that the strength of the interaction among the volute tongues, the vaneless diffusers and the impellers of two existing/one improved compressors, was affected by the cross-sectional area and inlet radial length of the volute casing including system losses' change. The efficiency of the impeller with one existing design was increased as the decrease of the width of the vaneless diffuser, but losses at the diffuser were accumulated. In conclusion, approximately 2.88%p efficiency increase at the design point of the new compressor with the improved design has been confirmed by CFD analysis results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.15-23
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• 2008

A numerical method based on the prediction of total pressure loss of major components of the engine has been developed for prediction of the windmilling start performance of micro-turbojet engine. The start performance in on/off design region has been analysed by applying this method to predict windmilling start-able regions of the centrifugal-type engine. The results of this analysis have been validated by comparing with the test data. The effect of each design parameters on windmilling start performance has been analysed for the enlargement of start-able regions.