Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Performance analysis and improvement of a high flow coefficient centrifugal compressor

  • Article
  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Very high flow coefficient centrifugal compressor stages are mostly applied as the first stages of multistage compressors. The performance of this type of stages is critical to the entire centrifugal compressors, but surprisingly little related information is available in the open literature. A centrifugal compressor with high inlet flow coefficient of 0.2, presenting a narrow operating range and unstable running situation even at design speed during the test, is investigated here. To reveal flow details in this centrifugal compressor, numerical simulations have been carried out and indicate that excessive impeller flow diffusion results in the poor performance of this centrifugal compressor. With the same inlet flow coefficient, six redesign cases coming from an in-house one-dimensional analysis program are proposed together with impeller trimming and equal flow area design method for corresponding vaneless diffuser. Performance comparison among these redesign centrifugal compressors is presented and the most suitable one is recommended for test in the future. In addition, three redesign cases with lower inlet flow coefficient developed by means of flow trimming are shown in the end to satisfy potential application areas. Finally, the results in this study can provide valuable reference information for multistage centrifugal compressor design.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sato T, Oh J M, Engeda A. Experimental and numerical investigation of the flow in a vaneless diffuser of a centrifugal compressor stage. Part 1: Experimental investigation. Proc Inst Mech Eng C-J Mech Eng Sci, 2005, 219: 1053–1059

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Sorokes J M. Selecting a centrifugal compressor. Chem Eng Prog, 2013, 6: 44–51

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dalbert P, Ribi B, Kmeci T, et al. Radial compressor design for industrial compressor. Proc Inst Mech Eng C-J Mech Eng Sci, 1999, 213: 71–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Tsang L M. A theoretical account of impeller trimming of the centrifugal pump. Proc Inst Mech Eng C-J Mech Eng Sci, 1992, 206: 213–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Mario S, Hrvoje K, Igor S. Improving centrifugal pump efficiency by impeller trimming. Desalination, 2009, 249: 654–659

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Yang S S, Kong F Y, Jiang W M, et al. Effects of impeller trimming influencing pump as turbine. Comput Fluids, 2012, 67: 72–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Engeda A. Effect of impeller exit width trimming on compressor performance. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Experimental and Computational Aerothermodynamics of Internal Flows. Lyon, France, July 2007. ISAIF 8-00135

  8. Xu C, Amano R S. Empirical design considerations for industrial centrifugal compressors. Int J Rotat Mach, 2012, 2012: 184061

    Google Scholar 

  9. Rodgers C. Centrifugal compressor blade trimming for a range of flows. In: Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2001, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 2001. 2001-GT-0316

  10. Ji X N, Liu Y G, Zhu Z F, et al. Numerical simulation of impeller trimming for centrifugal compressor. Vehicle Eng, 2012, 2: 26–29

    Google Scholar 

  11. Moroz L. Centrifugal compressor design and rerating in turbochargers. Technical Paper. SoftInWay, Inc. Burlington, MA, USA, 2010

    Google Scholar 

  12. David T, Zhang D H, Cave M. Frictional effects on a base and a flow-trimmed impeller of a low specific speed industrial compressor. In: ASME Turbo Expo 2006: Power for Land, Sea and Air, Barcelona, Spain, May 8–11, 2006. GT 2006-90998

  13. Schumann L F, Clark D A. Effect of area ratio on the performance of a 5.5:1 pressure ratio centrifugal impeller. ASME J Turbomach, 1987, 109: 10–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Shibata T, Nishida H, Kobayashi H, et al. Effect of impeller blade loading on compressor stage performance in a high specific speed range. ASME J Turbomach, 2012, 134: 041012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Wang Y S, Tong Z T, Lin F, et al. Stall improvement mechanism of vaneless diffuser flow path control in a centrifugal compressor. J Aerospace Power, 2012, 27: 2106–2112

    Google Scholar 

  16. Wang Y S, Wang K, Tong Z T, et al. Design and performance evaluation of a very flow coefficient centrifugal compressor. Int J Rotat Turbomach, 2013, 2013: 293486

    Google Scholar 

  17. Japikse D. Centrifugal Compressor Design and Performance. Vermont, USA: Concepts ETI Inc., 1996

    Google Scholar 

  18. Aungier R H. Centrifugal Compressor: A Strategy for Aerodynamic Design and Analysis. New York: ASME Press, 2000

    Google Scholar 

  19. Shibata T, Nishida H, Kobayashi H, et al. Performance improvement of a centrifugal compressor stage by increasing degree of reaction and optimizing blade loading of a 3D impeller. ASME J Turbomach, 2011, 133: 041012

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy and Power, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    YongSheng Wang, Kai Wang, Feng Lin & ChaoQun Nie

  2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    YongSheng Wang

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48823, USA

    Abraham Engeda

Authors
  1. YongSheng Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kai Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Feng Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. ChaoQun Nie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Abraham Engeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to YongSheng Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, Y., Wang, K., Lin, F. et al. Performance analysis and improvement of a high flow coefficient centrifugal compressor. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 57, 1647–1657 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-014-5557-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-014-5557-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation