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Experimental and numerical investigations of radial flow compressor component losses

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Abstract

This research numerically and experimentally investigates a small turbocharger radial flow compressor with a vane-less diffuser and volute. The geometry of the compressor is obtained via component scanning, through which a 3D model is prepared. The flow inside this model is numerically analyzed by using a Navier-Stokes solver with a shear-stress transport turbulence model. The characteristic curves of the compressor and the contributions of its components to total pressure drop are acquired by measuring the static and total pressures at different cross sections of the compressor. Numerical results are verified with the experimental test results. The model results exhibit good agreement with the experimental results. In particular, the results show that the losses related to the impeller are higher than those related to the stationary components at different conditions, with the former causing a decline of at least 15% in compressor isentropic efficiency. The contribution of stationary components to efficiency decrease is approximately 4.8% at maximum efficiency mass flow rate and is limited to 7.1%. At low mass flow rates, the contribution of the diffuser to efficiency decline is higher than that of the volute. This finding is reversed at high mass flow rates. The performances of the diffuser and the volute are also studied by exploring total pressure and static pressure recovery coefficients, as well as the net radial force on the impeller shaft under a wide operating range.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Mojaddam, Ali Hajilouy-Benisi, S. Abolfazl Moussavi-Torshizi, Mohammad Reza Movahhedy & Mohammad Durali

Authors
  1. Mohammad Mojaddam
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  2. Ali Hajilouy-Benisi
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  3. S. Abolfazl Moussavi-Torshizi
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  4. Mohammad Reza Movahhedy
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  5. Mohammad Durali
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Hajilouy-Benisi.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Donghyun You

Mohammad Mojaddam received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at Sharif University of Technology (SUT), Tehran, Iran in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Since then, Mojaddam has been a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Energy Conversion at the Mechanical Engineering Department of SUT. Working on his Ph.D. thesis enables him to gain experience in experimental studies on turbomachines, particularly turbochargers, radial flow compressors, and radial turbines. His research interests include designing, modeling (computational fluid dynamics), optimization, and measurement techniques.

Ali Hajilouy-Benisi received his Ph.D. from the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Imperial College at the University of London in 1993. Since 1978, he has been a faculty member at the Institute of Water and Energy and the School of Mechanical Engineering at SUT. Dr. Hajilouy-Benisi served as the director of the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory from 1993 to 1995, and as founder and director of the Turbocharger Laboratory from 1993, the Turbocharging Laboratory from 2000, and the Gas Turbine Laboratory from 2008 at the School of Mechanical Engineering, SUT. His research interests include experimental and theoretical investigations of turbochargers, turbocharging, and gas turbines.

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Mojaddam, M., Hajilouy-Benisi, A., Abolfazl Moussavi-Torshizi, S. et al. Experimental and numerical investigations of radial flow compressor component losses. J Mech Sci Technol 28, 2189–2196 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-0506-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-0506-7

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