Abstract
The effects of a three-dimensional tapered diffuser vane on the flow field and noise radiated from a centrifugal compressor are investigated by both CFD analyses and experiments. Tapered diffuser vanes are very useful not only for the reduction of the interaction tone noise but also for the improvement of the pressure recovery characteristics within the diffuser passage. By using tapered diffuser vanes, the interaction area between the impeller-discharge flow and diffuser vanes becomes small, and then the noise level of the discrete tone can be reduced remarkably as a result. Furthermore, by utilizing the visualization technique of vortical structures based on the CFD results, the scale of vortex shedding leaving from the leading edge of the diffuser vanes is found to be contracted and a tendency for the turbulence level to decrease is observed. This may be the cause of the attenuation of broadband noise components. The secondary flow, which is considered to be an obstruction of diffuser pressure recovery, can also be suppressed by the tapered diffuser vanes, and the pressure decrease observed in the throat part of the diffuser passage is further reducible.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kobayashi, H., et al.: Noise in Centrifugal Compressor, 1st Report: Influence of the Diffuser Vane on Noise (in Japanese), Trans. of the JSME(B), vol.62, no.598, pp.303–2309, (1996).
Yoshinaga, Y., et al.: Aerodynamic Performance of a Centrifugal Compressor with Vaned Diffusers, Trans. of the ASME, J. of Fluids Engineering, vol.102, pp.486–493, (1980).
Ohta, Y., Outa, E., Tajima, K.: Evaluation and Prediction of Blade-Passing Frequency Noise Generated by a Centrifugal Blower, Trans. of the ASME, J. of Turbomachinery, vol.118, pp.597–605, (1996).
Ohta, Y., Takehara, N., Okutsu Y., Outa, E.: Effects of Diffuser Vane Geometry on Interaction Noise Generated from a Centrifugal Compressor, Journal of Thermal Science, vol. 14, no.4, pp.321–328, (2005).
Ohta, Y., Okutsu Y., Goto, T., Outa, E.: Aerodynamic Performance and Noise Characteristics of a Centrifugal Compressor with Modified Vaned Diffusers, Journal of Thermal Science, vol.15, no.4, pp.289–295, (2006).
Steger, J. L. and Warming, R. F.,: Flux Vector Splitting of the Inviscid Gasdynamic Equations with Application to Finite-Difference Methods, Journal of Comp. Physics, vol.40, pp.263–293, (1981).
Roe, P. L.,: Approximate Riemann Solvers, Parameter Vectors and Difference Schemes, Journal of Comp. Physics, vol.43, pp.357–372, (1981).
B. van Leer,: Towards the Ultimate Conservative Difference Scheme, V. A Second-Order Sequel to Godunov’s Method, Journal of Comp. Physics, vol.32, pp.101–136, (1979).
Jeong, J., Hussain, F.,: On the Identification of a Vortex, Journal of Fluid Mech., vol.285, pp.69–94, (1995).
Tyler, J. M., Sofrin, T. G.,: Axial Flow Compressor Noise Studies, Society of Automotive Engineers Transactions, vol.70, pp.309–332, (1962).
Eck, B.,: Design and Operation of Centrifugal, Axial-flow and Cross-flow Fans, Oxford, U.K., Pergamon Press, (1972).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ohta, Y., Goto, T. & Outa, E. Effects of tapered diffuser vane on the flow field and noise of a centrifugal compressor. J. Therm. Sci. 16, 301–308 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-007-0301-1
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-007-0301-1