Aerodynamic Performances of a Centrifugal Compressor With Discrete Cavities

In this study, aerodynamic performance of the centrifugal compressor was investigated by using a recirculating device called discrete cavities. A parametric study was conducted using six parameters related to the geometry of the discrete cavities, i.e., the inclined angle, the port angle and width, the length of cavity, the axial location of each cavity, and the number of cavities. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with shear stress transport turbulence model were used for aerodynamic analysis of the centrifugal compressor with discrete cavities. The hexahedral grid was used in impeller domain and tetrahedral grid was used in volute and inclined discrete cavities. The numerical results for the adiabatic efficiency and the total pressure ratio (inlet to outlet) showed good agreements with experimental data. It was found that inclination of the discrete cavities further increased the stall margin without loss of efficiency compared to the uninclined discrete cavities.