Modeling the Design Flow Coefficient of a Centrifugal Compressor Impeller

In calculating gas-dynamic characteristics by the universal modeling method it is necessary to determine a non-incidence flow rate through the blades of an impeller because of its relationship with the magnitude of incidence losses. The flow area decreased by the blades of finite thickness and the blades load have impact on the critical streamline direction. The universal modeling method in primary designing uses for this a scheme of replacing the influence of the blade load by the vortex effect with identical circulation. Finally, calculating the inviscid flow around the blades allows selecting a value of the inlet blade angle. For impellers with small design flow coefficients, the condition of the non-incidence inlet for the primary design and for the calculation of the inviscid flow is significantly different. The calculating correctness of the non-incidence regime for the non-viscous flow was checked earlier by measurements of the flow in the impellers. The paper presents CFD calculations of twenty impellers in a tenfold range of design flow coefficients. To provide correct comparison, it takes into account the differences in the value of the loading factor calculated by the programs of inviscid quasi-three-dimensional calculation and CFD programs. Shows the identity of inlet conditions for both methods. To increase primary design accuracy, the calculation model was refined. The formula for calculating vortex-induced velocity involves an empirical coefficient. The analysis of data for 32 impellers with different blade profiling allowed working out formulas for calculating empirical coefficient, depending on the type of an impeller, the blade load and the width of the throat at an impeller inlet. The new scheme-based calculation with the empirical coefficient is accurate enough for the primary design.</p