Three different inlet configurations,including a original straight pipe and two bend pipes with different axial length,for a high speed low mass flow centrifugal compressor were modeled with whole blade passages and simulated unsteadily by 3D viscous Navier-Stokes equations.The performance disparities of compressor stage were tested and verified by experiments in which dynamic pressure data acquisition of internal flow field was performed.As the result shows,the choke point decreases to lower mass flow rate due to the distortion caused by bend-pipe inlet and is aggravated as the rotation speed increases.The distortion effect spreads circumferentially in impeller and makes the flow structure varied.The longer axial distance bent inlet leads to larger radial distortion and heavy blockage at mid-span under large mass flow mainly causes compressor choke margin nar-rowed.Bend pipe distortion brings an impact up to diffuser on unsteady pressure pulsation caused by blades sweep and the impact appears more powerful when it is closer to volute tongue.
Steady air injection upstream of the leading edge was used to increase the surge margin of a centrifugal compressor.To reveal the mechanism,steady numerical simulations were performed on a high pressure ratio centrifugal compressor rotor operated with a rotor tip speed of 586 m/s.Eight different injection yaw angle with four different injection mass flow was performed to determine the configuration that provide the best results for the compression system studied in this work.The injection angle,α,was fifteen degree and the injectors were placed at short distance（ten percent of the inlet tip radius upstream of the compressor face） to achieve maximum control over the leading edge flow by varying individual injection parameters.The results show that at design speed（n=50 000 r/min） with injection flow rate more than 2% of the main flow rate and yaw angle between 20° and 30°,the mass flow rate at stall decreases for approximately 8%.But with higher injection rate,other compressor parameters were affected such as compressor efficiency and compressor total pressure ratio.
A high speed and small mass-flow-rate centrifugal compressor with original and modified volute tongue shape was simulated by 3D viscous Navier-Stokes equations.A sharp and a round tongue of volute were modeled to compare their pressure ratios and efficiency characteristics.The flow fields around volute tongues were investigated;the velocity and pressure distributions of volute inlet were studied by unsteady simulation.Static pressure fluctuation near volute tongue was monitored and transformed into amplitude spectrum to identify blade passing frequency influence.The results show that the tongue simplification can cause certain difference on pressure ratio and efficiency.The pressure and velocity distribution of volute inlet indicate obvious circumferential distortion due to volute tongue especially at low mass flow rate.In addition,the static pressure pulsation of volute inlet and the noise level in diffuser and volute increase significantly under low mass flow operating condition.
