Flow instability in a volute-free centrifugal fan subjected to non-axisymmetric pre-swirl flow from upstream bended inflow tube

The characteristics of internal flow and performance of a centrifugal fan is greatly dependent on the inflow pattern. As the fan is subjected to incoming flow from an upstream tube, the size and geometry of the tube affect the three-dimensional motion of local flow and possibly degrades the aerodynamic performance of the fan. In this work, we performed a numerical investigation on the internal flow in a centrifugal fan subjected to incoming flow from an upstream bended inflow tube of various radii using the steady and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS and URANS) simulation approaches. The effects of the non-axisymmetric pre-swirl flow generated due to the curvature of the bended inflow tube are demonstrated by analyzing the internal flow characteristics of the fan, including the spatial distributions and temporal variations of pressure field and streamlines, pressure fluctuations in the upstream tube, the inflow and outflow sections of the impeller, and the circumferential distributions of velocity and pressure in the impeller. The numerical results reveal that as the inflow tube is curved with larger curvature (smaller radius of the bended section), the pre-swirl inflow is strong and deteriorates the static pressure rise and static pressure efficiency of the centrifugal fan more remarkably, and the circumferential non-uniformity of pressure and velocity distributions appears inside of the channels of the fan. As the radius of the bended section increases, the instability of the internal flow gets more pronounced, as represented by the stronger pressure fluctuations at the inflow and outflow sections. The prediction capabilities of RANS and URANS approaches are also analyzed based on the numerical data and we found that the latter is more reliable in predicting the performance of the fan.

Blade shape optimization and internal-flow characteristics of the backward non-volute centrifugal fan

The work proposed the double parameter optimization method of the non-volute centrifugal fan’s blade profile based on the steepest descent method. Total-pressure efficiency improvement at the high-flow area was taken as an optimization objective. A method of applying the steepest descent method to modify the blade profile of backward centrifugal fan is proposed in this paper. The gradient descent direction was analyzed to design the blade profile and obtain the optimal blade profile at a high-flow rate. Besides, numerical simulations were carried out to analyze the aerodynamic performance and the internal flow characteristics of the centrifugal fan by the computational fluid dynamics method. Numerical results showed that the blade profile along the gradient descent was optimized to effectively increase the total pressure and the total pressure efficiency of the original model at the high-flow rate. The steepest descent method for local optimization could improve the fan blade design.

Numerical simulations and analysis of the turbulent flow field in a practical gas turbine engine combustor

The turbulent flow field in a practical gas turbine combustor is very complex because of the interactions between various flows resulting from components like multiple types of swirlers, dilution holes, and liner effusion cooling holes. Numerical simulations of flows in such complex combustor configurations are challenging. The challenges result from (a) the complexities of the interfaces between multiple three-dimensional shear layers, (b) the need for proper treatment of a large number of tiny effusion holes with multiple angles, and (c) the requirements for fast turnaround times in support of engineering design optimization. Both the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes simulation (RANS) and the large eddy simulation (LES) for the practical combustor geometry are considered. An autonomous meshing using the cut-cell Cartesian method and adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is demonstrated for the first time to simulate the flow in a practical combustor geometry. The numerical studies include a set of computations of flows under a prescribed pressure drop across the passage of interest and another set of computations with all passages open with a specified total flow rate at the plenum inlet and the pressure at the exit. For both sets, the results of the RANS and the LES flow computations agree with each other and with the corresponding measurements. The results from the high-resolution LES simulations are utilized to gain fundamental insights into the complex turbulent flow field by examining the profiles of the velocity, the vorticity, and the turbulent kinetic energy. The dynamics of the turbulent structures are well captured in the results of the LES simulations.

Effect of hub clearance size and shape of a cantilevered stator on the performance of a small-scale transonic axial compressor

To deeply understand the hub leakage flow and its influence on the aerodynamic performance and flow behaviors of a small-scale transonic axial compressor, variations of the performance and the flow field of the compressor with different hub clearance sizes and clearance shapes were numerically analyzed. The results indicate that the hub clearance size has remarkable impacts on the overall performance of the compressor. With the increase of the hub clearance, the intensity of the hub leakage flow increases, resulting in more intense flow blockage near the stator hub, which reduces the compressor efficiency. However, the flow field near the blade mid-span is modified due to the more convergent flow as the reduced effective flow area caused by the passage blockage, and the flow separation range is narrowed, thus the flow stability of the compressor is enhanced. On this basis, two kinds of non-uniform clearance cases of expanding clearance and shrinking clearance with the same circumferential leakage area as the design clearance were investigated. The occurrence position of the double leakage flow which is closely connected with the flow loss and blockage is shifted backward by the expanding clearance, the flow capacity near the stator hub is enhanced, and the unsteady fluctuation intensity of the flow field is attenuated but fluctuation frequency remains. Similarly, the modification of the stator blade root flow field may result in the reduction of stall margin. The effect of the shrinking clearance on compressor performance is opposite to that of the expanding clearance, which reduces the peak efficiency and delays the stall inception.

Numerical investigations on non-synchronous vibration and frequency lock-in of low-pressure steam turbine last stage

The flow phenomenon of rotating instability (RI) and its induced non-synchronous vibrations (NSV) in the last stage have gradually become a security problem that restricts the long-term flexible operations of modern large-scaled low-pressure steam turbines. Especially, if one structural mode of the last stage moving blade (LSMB) is excited, significant blade vibrations may potentially lead to high-cycle fatigue failure. A loosely coupled computational fluid dynamics reduced model with prescribed blade vibrations has been established to investigate NSV of the LSMB and the potential lock-in phenomenon under low-load conditions. Firstly, calculations with reduced multi-passage domain have been verified by comparing with the results of the full-annulus one, and an appropriate reduced domain is determined. Secondly, a set of calculations by controlling blade vibration parameters indicate that lock-in phenomenon between RI frequency and blade vibration frequency may occur when nodal diameters of cascade vibrations is coincident with the wave number of RI. Furthermore, dynamic modal decomposition technology has been employed to identify the unsteady pressure field around the blade surface and to reveal the interaction relationship between the flow modes of RI and vibration-induced pressure disturbance. Finally, the blade response evaluation based on harmonic analysis shows that in NSV, the global maximum dynamic response level of locked-in case is nearly 20 times than that of unlocked one.

Cavitation in a high-speed aviation axial piston pump over a wide range of fluid temperatures

The axial piston pump in aerospace applications needs to operate over a wide range of fluid temperatures from −54°C to 135 °C. The fluid properties at such extreme temperatures will significantly affect the cavitation that is one of the major limiting factors for the efficiency and reliability of aviation axial piston pumps. However, it appears that very little of the existing literature studies the effects of extreme fluid temperatures on the pump cavitation. This paper aims to examine the temperature effects on the cavitation in an aviation axial piston pump. First, we develop a three-dimensional (3D) transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to investigate the pump cavitation and validate it experimentally. Second, we use the validated CFD model to investigate the temperature effects on the pump cavitation by changing the fluid properties including viscosity, density, and bulk modulus. The numerical results show that low fluid temperature makes the aviation axial piston pump suffer serious cavitation due to high viscosity, leading to delivery flow breakdown, unacceptable pressure pulsation, and delayed pressure built up. In contrast, high fluid temperatures have minor effects on the cavitation although they increase the pressure pulsation and built-up time slightly.

Techno-economic analysis of nitrogen-doped graphene/water nanofluid in various heat exchangers (A unified analysis)

Nitrogen-doped graphene (NDG)/water nanofluid is one of the emerging working fluids toward achieving high heating rates in heat transfer devices. In the present study, thermal performance improvement and techno-economic analysis of a double pipe, shell and tube, and plate heat exchangers are presented while incorporating NDG/water nanofluid as a working fluid. The variable properties of NDG nanofluid are incorporated and the influence of nanoparticle concentrations and mass flow rates on the device thermal performance and related costs are evaluated. The findings demonstrate that device heat transfer area and costs are adversely affected by using NDG/water nanofluid in all types of heat exchanging devices considered. An increase in heat transfer area is associated with the decrease of the specific heat capacity of the working fluid. The increase of heat transfer area can be as high as 58.5%, 45.1%, and 67.0% for double pipe, shell and tube, and plate heat exchangers, respectively. In addition, area increase becomes persistent with other types of nanoparticles used in the carrier fluid.

Research of characteristics of the flow part of an aerothermopressor for gas turbine intercooling air

Complex gas turbine schemes with air intercooling are usually used to bring the compression process of working fluid in compressor closer to isothermal one. A promising way to realize it is to use an aerothermopressor. The aerothermopressor is a two-phase jet apparatus, in which the highly dispersed liquid (water) is injected into the superheated gas (air) stream accelerated to the speed closed to the sound speed value (Mach number from 0.8 to 0.9). The air pressure at the aerothermopressor outlet (after diffuser) is higher than at the inlet due to instantaneous evaporation of highly dispersed liquid practically without friction losses in mixing chamber and with an increase in pressure of the mixed homogenous flow. The liquid evaporation is conducted by removing the heat from the air flow. In the course of the experimental research, the operation of the aerothermopressor for gas turbine intercooling air was simulated and its characteristics (hydraulic resistance coefficients, pressure increase, and air temperature) were determined. Within contact cooling of air in the aerothermopressor, the values of the total pressure increase in the aerothermopressor were from 1.02 to 1.04 (2–4%). Thus, the aerothermopressor use to provide contact evaporative cooling of cyclic air between the compressor stages will ensure not only compensation for pressure losses but also provides an increase in total air pressure with simultaneous cooling. Injection of liquid in a larger amount than is necessary for evaporation ensures a decrease in pressure losses in the flow path of the aerothermopressor by 15–20%. When the amount of water flow is more than 10–15%, the pressure loss becomes equal to the loss for the “dry” aerothermopressor, and with a further increase in the amount of injected liquid, they are exceeded. The values of errors in the relative increase of air pressure in the aerothermopressor measurements not exceeded 4%. The results obtained can be used in the practice of designing intercooling systems for gas turbines.

Investigation of the axial force on a varying-speed centrifugal pump impeller

Centrifugal impeller has high efficiency but obvious axial force problems because of the axial-to-radial flow direction change. It is easy to cause the over loading of thrust bearing and damage shaft system. Especially in varying-speed centrifugal pumps, the mechanism, characteristics, and influence of impeller axial force is complex. Therefore, experimental and numerical studies are conducted to resolve these problems in this case. The impeller axial force is comparatively investigated by analyzing zonal components, visualizing internal flow, and resolving pressure attenuation law in clearances. This study provides a new test scheme based on force sensors for measuring the impeller axial force. The results show that the variation tendency of impeller axial force is similar to that of pump head. Flow patterns show that streamline-rotation angle decreases with the increase of flow rate in clearances. As the key factor affecting impeller axial force, the static pressure distribution in the clearances can be divided into specific variation stages to specify the mechanism. Specially in this varying-speed case, the blade axial force shifts from positive to negative with the decrease of rotation speed from high to low. This study provides a good reference for solving the axial force problems for centrifugal pumps.

Experimental analysis of dropwise condensation heat transfer on a finned tube: Impact of pitch size

Condensation is one of the essential processes in diverse industries due to its widespread use in various industrial applications such as power generation, water desalination, and air conditioning. Much research has been conducted to achieve better efficiencies and better heat transfer performances in condensers in the past decades. Condensation is divided into dropwise and filmwise based on the surface free energy, surface roughnesses, and condensate characteristics. This study investigated the influence of the 1-Octadecanethiol coating on vertically grooved copper tube’s condensation heat transfer characteristics. The hydrophobic surfaces have been created using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the pure copper tubes (99.9% Cu). Moreover, four different pitch sizes of 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3.5 mm have been implemented on the surface. Finally, the heat flux and the heat transfer coefficient as functions of logarithmic mean temperature difference are reported in the result section. For validation, the results obtained from the experiment were compared with available data in the literature, and an acceptable agreement was achieved. According to the results, it was found that the 1.5-mm pitch size has the highest heat flux, and the 3.5-mm pitch size has the lowest heat flux. Additionally, it can be inferred that the maximum heat flux of 696.71 kW/m2 was attributed to the 1.5-mm pitch size for logarithmic mean temperature differences of 64.3 K, which is approximately 1.24 times higher compared to the plain tube.