Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Shape optimization of regenerative flow compressor with aero-foil type blades using response surface methodology coupled with CFD

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Regenerative flow compressors or blowers are rotodynamic machines with the ability to produce high head at low flow rates. This paper describes shape optimization of the aerofoil type blades for the regenerative compressor. A regenerative compressor with accessible experimental data was modeled as a base geometry. A three-dimensional numerical analysis combined with response surface method has been performed to determine the optimized shape. The polynomial-based RSM having a second order was applied. Isothermal efficiency and Pressure coefficient were selected as objective functions. The RSM is adopted with two design variables comprising blade inlet and blade outlet angles. The Preliminary numerical simulations for obtaining the optimum number of blades revealed that the highest efficiency occurs for the pitch to chord ratio (solidity) of 0.36. For isothermal efficiency, the optimal positions of β1 and β2 occurred at 33.8° and 50.7°, respectively. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that both design variables have the same sensitivity on the efficiency but the outlet angle (β2) is more impactful on the pressure coefficient as compared to that of the inlet blade angle (β1). Throughout the optimization, the isothermal efficiency for the optimized model at the design flow coefficient was enhanced up to 3.17% compared to the reference one. In addition, the pressure coefficient for the optimal RFC was successfully increased up to 8% compared with that of the reference model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 23
Fig. 24
Fig. 25
Fig. 26

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

a i :

Polynomial coefficients

c :

Chord of aerofoil (m)

D m :

Mean diameter (m)

g :

Gravity (m s−2)

H :

Head (m)

M OT :

Impeller tip mach number

\(\dot{m}\) :

Mass flow rate (kg s−1)

N :

Number of model inputs

P :

Pressure (Pa)

P In :

Inlet pressure (Pa)

P Out :

Outlet pressure (Pa)

P ref :

Reference pressure (Pa)

P t :

Total pressure (Pa)

Q :

Volume flow rate (m3 s−1)

R :

Gas constant (J kg−1 K−1)

r 2 :

Outlet radius of impeller (m)

T :

Temperature (K)

T In :

Inlet temperature (K)

T sh :

Torque on shaft (N.m)

U t :

Tangential velocity of impeller (m s−1)

V :

Velocity (m s−1)

V max :

Maximum velocity (m s−1)

V ref :

Reference velocity (m s−1)

x i :

Set of model inputs

\({y}^{+}\) :

Exp[(u+-5.5)/2.5]distance from the wall (non-dimensional)

Z :

Number of blades

β 1 :

Inlet angle of aerofoil blades

β 2 :

Outlet angle of aerofoil blades

γ :

Specific heat capacity ratio

η iso :

Isothermal efficiency

η ref :

Reference efficiency

Π :

Pressure ratio

ρ :

Density (kg m−3)

ϕ :

Flow coefficient

ϕ n :

Design flow coefficient

ψ :

Pressure coefficient

ω :

Rotational speed (rad s−1)

References

  • Badami M, Mura M (2010) Theoretical model with experimental validation of a regenerative blower for hydrogen recirculation in a PEM fuel cell system. Energy Convers Manage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2009.10.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Badami M, Mura M (2012) Comparison between 3D and 1D simulations of a regenerative blower for fuel cell applications. Energy Convers Manage 55:93–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi WC, Yoo IS, Park MR, Chung MK (2013) Experimental study on the effect of blade angle on regenerative pump performance. Proc Inst Mech Eng A 227:585–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choon-Man J, Jong-Sung L (2012) Shape optimization of a regenerative blower used for building fuel cell system. Open J Fluid Dyn 26:2012

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon SL, Hall C (2013) Fluid mechanics and thermodynamics of turbomachinery. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Engeda A, Elkacimi Y (2008) A regenerative flow compressor as a secondary air pump for engine emission control. Proc Inst Mech Eng C 222(9):1707–1715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleder A, Böhle M (2015) A systematical study of the influence of blade length, blade width, and side channel height on the performance of a side channel pump. J Fluids Eng. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4030897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grabow G (1975) Influence of the number of vanes and vane angle on the suction behaviour of regenerative pumps. Flma 1:351–364

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffini D, Salvadori S, Carnevale M, Cappelletti A, Ottanelli L, Martelli F (2015) On the development of an efficient regenerative compressor. Energy Proced 1(82):252–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heo MW, Seo TW, Shim HS, Kim KY (2016) Optimization of a regenerative blower to enhance aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance. J Mech Sci Technol 30(3):1197–1208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jang CM, Han GY (2010) Enhancement of performance by blade optimization in two-stage ring blower. J Therm Sci 19(5):383–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeon SY, Kim CK, Lee SM, Yoon JY, Jang CM (2017) Performance enhancement of a pump impeller using optimal design method. J Therm Sci 26:119–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeon SY, Yoon JY, Jang CM (2019) Optimal design of a novel ‘S-shape’impeller blade for a microbubble pump. Energies 12(9):1793

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanase R, Kasturi M, Pise AT, Garje PV (2017) Experimental and CFD analysis of regenerative pump. In: Proceedings of the 24th national and 2nd international ISHMT-ASTFE heat and mass transfer conference (IHMTC-2017), Hyderabad, India

  • Khuri AI, Mukhopadhyay S (2010) Response surface methodology. Wiley Interdiscip Rev: Comput Stat 2(2):128–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee C, Kil HG, Kim KY (2015) The performance analysis method with new pressure loss and leakage flow models of regenerative blower. Int J Fluid Mach Syst 8(4):221–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long T, Wu D, Guo X, Wang GG, Liu L (2015) Efficient adaptive response surface method using intelligent space exploration strategy. Struct Multidiscip Optim 51(6):1335–1362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meakhail T, Park SO (2005) An improved theory for regenerative pump performance. Proc Inst Mech Eng A 219(3):213–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mekhail TAM, Dahab OM, Sadik MF, El-Gendi MM, Abdel-Mohsen HS (2015) Theoretical, experimental and numerical investigations of the effect of inlet blade angle on the performance of regenerative blowers. Open J Fluid Dyn 5(03):224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moradi R, Habib E, Bocci E, Cioccolanti L (2020) Investigation on the use of a novel regenerative flow turbine in a micro-scale Organic Rankine Cycle unit. Energy 210:118519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nejad J, Riasi A, Nourbakhsh A (2017) Parametric study and performance improvement of regenerative flow pump considering the modification in blade and casing geometry. Int J Numer Methods Heat Fluid Flow. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-03-2016-0088

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nejadali J (2019) Calculation of flow in incompressible regenerative turbo-machines with bucket form blades based on the geometry of flow path. Int J Numer Methods Heat Fluid Flow. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-10-2018-0595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nejadali J (2020) Design optimization of hydrodynamic coupling applying response surface method combined with CFD technique. J Braz Soc Mech Sci Eng 42(10):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nejadrajabali J, Riasi A, Nourbakhsh SA (2016) Flow pattern analysis and performance improvement of regenerative flow pump using blade geometry modification. Int J Rotat Mach 1:2016

    Google Scholar 

  • Pei J, Zhang F, Appiah D, Hu B, Yuan S, Chen K, Asomani SN (2019) Performance prediction based on effects of wrapping angle of a side channel pump. Energies 12:139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peters CA (2001) Statistics for analysis of experimental data. In: Environmental engineering processes laboratory manual, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, pp 1–25

  • Raheel MM (1969) A theoretical, experimental and CFD analysis of regenerative flow compressors and pumps for microturbine and automotive fuel applications. Michigan State University, East Lansing

    Google Scholar 

  • Raheel M (2003) A theoretical, experimental and CFD analysis of regenerative flow compressors and regenerative flow pumps for microturbine and automotive fuel applications, Ph.D. thesis, Michigan State University, USA

  • Raheel M, Engeda A (2005) Performance characteristics of regenerative flow compressors for natural gas compression application. J Energy Resour Technol 127(1):7–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sixsmith H, Altmann H (1977) A regenerative compressor. Trans ASME J Eng Ind 99(637):647

    Google Scholar 

  • Song JW, Raheel M, Engeda A (2003a) A compressible flow theory for regenerative compressors with aerofoil blades. Proc Inst Mech Eng C 217(11):1241–1257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song JW, Engeda A, Chung MK (2003b) A modified theory for the flow mechanism in a regenerative flow pump. Proc Inst Mech Eng A 217(3):311–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Choi C (2010) Optimized Design of Regenerative Blowers for Enhanced Efficiency. Proceedings of the ASME 2010 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Volume 7: Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer and Thermal Systems, Parts A and B. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. November 12–18, 2010. pp 1241–248. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2010-40600

Download references

Funding

There is no funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Mazandaran, Pasdaran Street, 57416-13534, Babolsar, Iran

    Jafar Nejadali

Authors
  1. Jafar Nejadali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jafar Nejadali.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Replication of results

The author assures that the information presented in the manuscript is sufficient for the reproduction of results. Range of design variables and the geometries are presented.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Shikui Chen

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nejadali, J. Shape optimization of regenerative flow compressor with aero-foil type blades using response surface methodology coupled with CFD. Struct Multidisc Optim 64, 2653–2667 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-021-03020-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-021-03020-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation