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Flow phenomena leading to surge in a centrifugal compressor

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  • Semlitsch, Bernhard
  • Mihăescu, Mihai

Abstract

Surge is a global flow instability occurring in centrifugal compressors at low mass-flow rate operation. Due to its violent nature, it is the limiting factor for operability. To enhance the operating range, understanding of the flow instability inception when approaching surge is essential. Therefore, the flow evolution along a speed line is analysed by performing unsteady, three-dimensional flow simulations using a centrifugal compressor geometry with ported shroud. A stable operating condition, at high mass-flow rates, is compared to lower mass-flow rate operating conditions close to and at surge. The particularities of the flow-fields are analysed and described. A smooth flow-field is observed for the stable operating condition, whereas flow reversal manifesting as tip leakage at the outer periphery of the impeller occurs for all off-design operating conditions. The reversed flow exhibits swirling motion in the impeller rotation direction. This induces a globally swirling flow upstream of the impeller, which influences the flow incidence angles at the blades and hence, their efficiency. Proper orthogonal decomposition and dynamic mode decomposition have been performed to analyse the flow structures appearing with surge more thoroughly. For the lowest mass-flow rate operating condition, low frequency modes describing the filling and emptying processes during surge have been found.

Suggested Citation

  • Semlitsch, Bernhard & Mihăescu, Mihai, 2016. "Flow phenomena leading to surge in a centrifugal compressor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 572-587.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:103:y:2016:i:c:p:572-587
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2016.03.032
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    Cited by:

    1. Han, Jaeyoung & Yu, Sangseok & Yi, Sun, 2017. "Adaptive control for robust air flow management in an automotive fuel cell system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 73-83.
    2. Shuai Li & Yan Liu & Mohammad Omidi & Chuang Zhang & Hongkun Li, 2021. "Numerical Investigation of Transient Flow Characteristics in a Centrifugal Compressor Stage with Variable Inlet Guide Vanes at Low Mass Flow Rates," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Powers, Katherine & Kennedy, Ian & Archer, Jamie & Eynon, Paul & Horsley, John & Brace, Chris & Copeland, Colin & Milewski, Paul, 2022. "A new first-principles model to predict mild and deep surge for a centrifugal compressor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(PB).
    4. Jixiang Chen & Zhitao Zuo & Xin Zhou & Jianting Sun & Jingxin Li & Wenbin Guo & Haisheng Chen, 2023. "Study on the Influence of Radial Inlet Chamber Splitter Blades on the Oblique Flow Compressor Performance," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-21, May.
    5. Li, Yuehua & Pei, Pucheng & Ma, Ze & Ren, Peng & Huang, Hao, 2020. "Analysis of air compression, progress of compressor and control for optimal energy efficiency in proton exchange membrane fuel cell," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    6. He, Yang & Chen, Haisheng & Xu, Yujie & Deng, Jianqiang, 2018. "Compression performance optimization considering variable charge pressure in an adiabatic compressed air energy storage system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(PB), pages 349-359.
    7. Grzegorz Liśkiewicz & Kirill Kabalyk & Andrzej Jaeschke & Filip Grapow & Michał Kulak & Mateusz Stajuda & Władysław Kryłłowicz, 2020. "Unstable Flow Structures Present at Different Rotational Velocities of the Centrifugal Compressor," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.
    8. Aryana, Babak, 2016. "New version of DEA compressor for a novel hybrid gas turbine cycle: TurboDEA," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 676-690.
    9. Xu, Han & Yao, Anren & Yao, Chunde & Gao, Jian, 2017. "Proper orthogonal decomposition for energy convergence of shock waves under severe knock," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 813-829.

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