Design of Experiment on the influence of channel design onto regenerative compressor performance

Abstract

For regenerative compressors the influence of the geometric parameters on the characteristic curve have not yet been fully explored. This work focuses on three of them: side channel height, change of the side channel area in circumferential direction and the side channel length. To evaluate the influence of the factors on the isentropic efficiency and the mass flow rate, a design of experiment approach with a full factorial design plan is employed. The factors are tested on two stages, using a linear model to describe the relation. The influence of the main effects is generally bigger than the secondary effects and stronger for higher pressures. For all cases, the impact on the mass flow rate is greater than that on the isentropic efficiency. The resulting model for optimisation has a statistical error of maximum ± 1.4% within the boundaries of the tested factors.