• 한국유체기계학회 논문집
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• 제9권6호
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• pp.45-53
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• 2006

Turbo-blower as an air supply system is one of the most important BOP (Balance of Plant) systems for FCV(Fuel Cell Vehicle). For generating and blowing compressed air, the motor of air blower consumes maximum 25% of net power, and fuel cell demands a clean air. In this study, turbo-blower supported by air foil bearings is introduced as the air supply system used by 80kW proton exchange membrane fuel systems. The turbo-blower is a turbo machine which operates at high speed, so air foil bearings suit their purpose as bearing elements. Analysis for confirming the stability and endurance is conducted. The rotordynamic stability was predicted using the numerical analysis of air foil bearings and it is verified through experimental works. In spite of various transient dynamic situation, the turbo-blower had stable performances. After the performance test, results are presented. The normal power of driving motor has about 1.6 kW with the 30,000 rpm operating range and the flow rate of air has maximum 160 SCFM. The test results show that the aerodymic performance and stability of turbo-blower are satisfied to the primary goals.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2006년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.67-72
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• 2006

Blower as an air supply system is one of the most important BOP (Balance of Plant) system fur FCV(Fuel Cell Vehicle). For generating and blowing compressed air, the motor of air blower consumes maximum 25% of net power and fuel cell demands a clean air. Considering the efficiency of whole FCV, low friction lubrication of high speed rotor is needed. For the purpose of reducing electrical power and supplying clean air to Fuel cell, oil-free air foil bearings are applied at the each side of brushless motor (BLDC) as journal bearings which diameter is 50mm. The normal power of driving motor has 1.7kW with the 30,000rpm operating range and the flow rate of air has maximum 160 SCFM. The impeller of blower was adopted a mixed type of centrifugal and axial which has several advantages for variable operating condition. The performance of turbo-blower and parameters of air foil bearings was investigated analytically and experimentally. From this study, the performance of the blower was confirmed to be suitable far 80kw PEM FC.

• 한국전산유체공학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.10-17
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• 2004

Comprehensive investigation according to the two kinds of blades is systematically carried out for a design of the centrifugal blower. The motivation of this work is due to demand of enhanced flow rate with higher inlet pressure, such as air purifiers adopting several filters. It is observed that flow rate of the blower with forward blades is larger than that of the system with backward blades. The reason is due to larger outlet velocity from the rotating forward blades and the tendency is validated by a parallel experiment with a wind tunnel. Numerical analysis for the blower system shows detail information between the blades and inside the casing. A series of figures to show the flow details offers deep understanding of a centrifugal blower with the two different blades.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전산유체공학회 2003년도 추계 학술대회논문집
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• pp.165-170
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• 2003

Centrifugal blowers are widely used for air handling units in industry applications. The blower has a centrifugal impeller and a scroll casing including a driving component such as an electric motor. The impeller takes forward or backward blades to induce flows into the blower. Comprehensive investigation according to the two kinds of blades is systematically carried out for a guidance of design. It is observed that flow rate of the blower with forward blades is larger than that of the system with backward blades. The reason is due to larger velocity from the rotating forward blades and the tendency is validated by a parallel experiment with a wind tunnel. Numerical analysis for the system shows detail information inside the blades and the casing. A series of figures to show the flow details offers deep understanding of a centrifugal blower with different blades.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.86-93
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• 2014

This paper describes performance enhancement of a regenerative blower used for a 20 kW fuel cell system. Two design variables, bending angle of an impeller and blade thickness of an impeller tip, which are used to define an impeller shape, are introduced to enhance the blower performance. Internal flow of the regenerative blower has been analyzed with three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations to obtain the blower performance. General analysis code, CFX, is introduced in the present work. SST turbulence model is employed to estimate the eddy viscosity. Throughout the numerical analysis, it is found that the thickness of impeller tip is effective to increase the blower efficiency in the present blower. Pressure is successfully increased up to 2.8% compared to the reference blower at the design flow condition. And efficiency is also enhanced up to 2.98 % compared to the reference one. It is noted that low velocity region disturbs to make strong recirculation flow inside the blade passages, thus increases local pressure loss. Detailed flow field inside the regenerative blower is also analyzed and compared.

• 한국유체기계학회 논문집
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.47-51
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• 2011

This paper describes the shape optimization of a blower impeller used for a refuse collection system. Two design variables, which are used to define the blade angles of an impeller, are introduced to increase the blower performance. A blower efficiency is selected as an object function, and the shape optimization of the blade angles is performed by a response surface method (RSM). Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are introduced to analyze the internal flow of the blower and to find the value of object function for the training data. Relatively good agreement between experimental measurements and numerical simulation is obtained in the present study. Throughout the shape optimization, blower efficiency for the optimal blade angles is successfully increased up to 3.6% compared with that of reference at the design flow rate. Detailed flow field inside the turbo blower is also analyzed and discussed.

• 신재생에너지
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.6-13
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• 2012

This paper describes unsteady internal flow characteristics of a cathode air blower, used for the 1 kW fuel cell system. The cathode air blower considered in the present study is a diaphragm type blower. To analyze the flow field inside the diaphragm cavity, compressible unsteady numerical simulation is performed. Moving mesh system is applied to the numerical analysis for describing the volume change of the diaphragm cavity in time. Throughout a numerical simulation by modeling the inlet and outlet valves in a diaphragm cavity, unsteady nature of an internal flow is successfully analyzed. Variations of mass flow rate, force and pressure on the lower moving plate of a diaphragm cavity are evaluated in time. The computed mass flow rate at the same pressure and rotating frequency of a motor has a maximum of 5 percent error with the experimental data. It is found that flow pattern at the suction process is more complex compared to that at the discharge process. Unsteady nature of internal flow in the cathode air blower is analyzed in detail.

• 한국유체기계학회 논문집
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.5-10
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• 2010

This study is concerned with effects of impeller blade thickness on performance of a turbo blower. This turbo blower is developed as an air supply system in 250 kW MCFC system. The turbo blower consists of an impeller, two vaneless diffusers, a vaned diffuser and a volute. The three dimensional, steady state numerical analysis is simultaneously conducted for the impeller, diffuser and volute to investigate the performance of total system. To consider the non-uniform condition in volute inlet due to volute tongue, full diffuser passages are included in the calculation. The results of numerical analysis are validated with experimental results of thin blade thickness. Total pressure ratio, efficiency, slip factor and blade loading are compared in two cases. The slip factor is different in two cases and the comparison of two cases shows a good performance in thin blade thickness in all aspects.

• 한국유체기계학회 논문집
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.30-35
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• 2010

Pressure characteristics according to the duct shapes of turbo blowers connected in serial have been performed to reduce pressure loss in the piping system. To analyze three-dimensional flow field in the turbo blower system, general analysis code, CFX, is introduced in the present work. SST turbulence model is applied to estimate the eddy viscosity. Throughout the numerical simulation for the turbo blower system having a various shape of a inlet guide, optimal inlet guide can be selected. It is found that the pressure loss in the piping system having the optimal inlet guide can be reduced by minimizing the inflow distortion at the upstream of the impeller. Detailed flow analysis of the blower system serially connected is also performed and analyzed.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전산유체공학회 2008년도 춘계학술대회논문집
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• pp.280-283
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• 2008

This study is concerned with development of air supply system in 250kW MCFC fuel cell system. The turbo blower is decided as an air supply system to increase the efficiency of fuel cell system. The turbo blower consists of an impeller, two vaneless diffuser, a vaned diffuser and a volute. The cascade diffuser is used to raise the efficiency of turbo blower. An aerodynamic design was done by applying the repeating design procedure including a meanline design, a 3D geometry generation and fluid dynamic calculation. It is confirmed from meanline and 3D flow analysis results that the operating range is enough and design requirements are successfully achieved. The performance test results were also included in this paper.