No abstract

In this article, the effects of volute cross section shape and centroid profile of a centrifugal compressor volute were investigated. The performance characteristics of a turbocharger compressor were obtained experimentally by measuring rotor speed and flow parameters at the inlet and outlet of the centrifugal compressor. The three dimensional flow field model of the compressor was obtained numerically solving Navier-Stokes equations with SST turbulence model. The compressor characteristic curves were plotted. For model verification, the results were compared with experimental data, showing good agreement. Modification of a volute was performed by introducing a shape factor for volute cross section geometry. By varying this parameter, new volutes were generated and modeled. The effect of volute cross section shape on compressor pressure ratio and efficiency at design rotational speed were investigated. Also pressure non-uniformity around compressor impeller for new cases was calculated and reported. The results showed how the cross section shape of the volute can influence the compressor characteristics and the non-uniformity of circumferential static pressure as well.

The axial turbine is one of the most challenging components of gas turbines for industrial and aerospace applications. With the ever-increasing requirement for high-aerodynamic performance blades, three-dimensional aerodynamic shape optimization is of great importance. In this research, the rear part of a gas turbine consisting of a one-stage axial turbine is optimized numerically. A useful optimization algorithm is presented to improve the efficiency and/or pressure ratio of the axial turbine with two different objective functions. The three-dimensional blade-shape optimization is employed to study the effects of the turbine stator and rotor lean and sweep angles on the turbine performance. The investigation is carried out at the turbine design speed. By coupling a verified computational fluid dynamics simulation code with the genetic algorithm, an automated design procedure is prepared. Geometry candidates for the optimization algorithm are generated by re-stacking of the two-dimensional airfoil sections. Three-dimensional, turbulent, and compressible flow field is numerically investigated via a Navier-Stokes solver to calculate various objective functions. Experimental results of the gas turbine are used for specifying the boundary conditions and validation of the simulation results. The proposed method results in 1.3% and 1.5% improvements in the turbine stage efficiency in design speed and reduced mass parameter at choke condition, respectively.

Axial flow compressor is one of the most important parts of gas turbine units. Therefore, its design and performance prediction are very important. One-dimensional modeling is a simple, fast and accurate method for performance prediction of any type of compressors with different geometries. In this approach, inlet flow conditions and compressor geometry are known and by considering various compressor losses, velocity triangles at rotor, and stator inlets and outlets are determined, and then compressor performance characteristics are predicted. Numerous models have been developed theoretically and experimentally for estimating various types of compressor losses. In present work, performance characteristics of the axial-flow compressor are predicted based on one-dimensional modeling approach. In this work, models of Lieblein, Koch-Smith, Herrig, Johnsen-Bullock, Pollard-Gostelow, Aungier, Hunter-Cumpsty Reneau are implemented to consider compressor losses, incidence angles, deviation angles, stall and surge conditions. The model results are compared with experimental data to validate the model. This model can be used for various types of single stage axial-flow compressors with different geometries, as well as multistage axial-flow compressors.

In this study, the main objective is to develop a one dimensional model to predict design and off design performance of an operational axial flow compressor by considering the whole gas turbine assembly. The design and off-design performance of a single stage axial compressor are predicted through 1D and 3D modeling. In one dimensional model the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations and ideal gas equation of state are solved in mean line at three axial stations including rotor inlet, rotor outlet and stator outlet. The total to total efficiency and pressure ratio are forecasted using the compressor geometry, inlet stagnation temperature and stagnation pressure, the mass flow rate and the rotational speed of the rotor, and the available empirical correlation predicting the losses. By changing the mass flow rate while the rotational speed is fixed, characteristic curves of the compressor are obtained. The 3D modeling is accomplished with CFD method to verify one dimensional code at non-running line conditions. By defining the threedimensional geometry of the compressor and the boundary conditions coinciding with one dimensional model for the numerical solver, axial compressor behavior is predicted for various mass flow rates in different rotational speeds. Experimental data are obtained from tests of the axial compressor of a gas turbine engine in Sharif University gas turbine laboratory and consequently the running line is attained. As a result, the two important extremities of compressor performance including surge and choking conditions are obtained through 1D and 3D modeling. Moreover, by comparing the results of one-dimensional and three-dimensional models with experimental results, good agreement is observed. The maximum differences of pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency of one dimensional modeling with experimental results are 2.1 and 3.4 percent, respectively.