In the automotive turbochargers centrifugal compressor, the volute has a strong potential effect, leading to circumferential nonuniformity of the impeller flow field and compressor stall. In this study, full-annulus unsteady simulations for centrifugal compressors with vaned/vaneless diffusers are carried out. The influence of the diffuser vane on the potential effect of the volute and stall behavior of a centrifugal compressor is studied in detail. Based on the distribution of the casing static pressure, the formation mechanism of the circumferential distribution of static pressure and the reverse propagation process of pressure waves caused by pressure distortion are revealed. The results of this study show that the diffuser vanes can weaken the potential effect of the volute on the impeller flow field by reducing the degree of static pressure distortion. The number of static pressure peaks in the circumferential direction is related to the number of vanes/blades. The diffuser vanes can change the circumferential position of the stall inception, but cannot eliminate the “locking effect” of the volute tongue on the circumferential position of the stall. In other words, the circumferential position of the stall inception is still determined by the volute tongue for a centrifugal compressor with a vaned diffuser. Although the degree of circumferential static pressure distortion inside the impeller is reduced, the stable operating range of the compressor cannot be significantly widened by adjusting the stagger angle of the diffuser vane when the stall first occurs at the impeller inlet.
DayIBreuerTEscuretJ, et al. Stall inception and the prospects for active control in four high speed compressors. J Turbomach1999; 121: 18–27.
4.
PullanGYoungADayI, et al. Origins and structure of spike-type rotating stall. J Turbomach2014; 137: 051007.
5.
TogeTPradeepA. Experimental investigation of stall inception of a low speed contra rotating axial flow fan under circumferential distorted flow condition. Aerosp Sci Technol2017; 70: 534–548.
6.
BerdanierRSmithNYoungA, et al. Effects of tip clearance on stall inception in a multistage compressor. J Propul Power2017; 34: 308–317.
7.
ChenJHathawayMHerrickG. Prestall behavior of a transonic axial compressor stage via time-accurate numerical simulation. J Turbomach2008; 130: 041014.
8.
InoueMKuroumaruMYoshidaS, et al. Short and long length-scale disturbances leading to rotating stall in an axial compressor stage with different stator/rotor gaps. J Turbomach2002; 124: 376–384.
9.
ArshadALiQLiS, et al. Effects of inlet radial distortion on the type of stall precursor in low-speed axial compressor. Proc IMechE, Part G: J Aerospace Engineering2016; 232: 55–67.
10.
ZhengXLiuASunZ. Investigation of the instability mechanisms in a turbocharger centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser by means of unsteady simulations. Proc IMechE, Part D: J Automobile Engineering2016; 231: 1558–1567.
11.
LeiVSpakovszkyZGreitzerE. A criterion for axial compressor hub-corner stall. J Turbomach2008; 130: 031006.
12.
HuJLiQPanT, et al. Numerical investigations on stator hub initiated stall in a single-stage transonic axial compressor. Aerosp Sci Technol2018; 80: 144–155.
13.
YamadaKFurukawaMTamuraY, et al. Large-scale detached-eddy simulation analysis of stall inception process in a multistage axial flow compressor. J Turbomach2017; 139: 071002.
14.
TangYLiuYLuL. Solidity effect on corner separation and its control in a high-speed low aspect ratio compressor cascade. Int J Mech Sci2018; 142: 304–321.
15.
MarzJHahCNeiseW. An experimental and numerical investigation into the mechanisms of rotating instability. J Turbomach2002; 124: 367–374.
16.
HuCYangCShiX, et al. Investigation of rotating stall in radial vaneless diffusers with asymmetric inflow. Aerosp Sci Technol2019; 96: 105546.
17.
HuCYangXZhuX, et al. Stability and structural sensitivity analysis of the turbulent flow in the narrow vaneless diffuser with mean flow method. Comput Fluids2018; 177: 46–57.
18.
WangZLuBLiuJ, et al. Numerical simulation of unsteady tip clearance flow in a transonic compressor rotor. Aerosp Sci Technol2018; 72: 193–203.
19.
DuJLinFChenJ, et al. Flow structures in the tip region for a transonic compressor rotor. J Turbomach2013; 135: 031012.
20.
SunZZhengXLinghuZ. Influence of volute design on flow field distortion and flow stability of turbocharger centrifugal compressors. Proc IMechE, Part D: J Automobile Engineering2018; 233: 484–494.
21.
EynonPWhitfieldA. Pressure recovery in a turbocharger compressor volute. Proc IMechE, Part A: J Power and Energy2000; 214: 599–610.
22.
AyderEBraembusscheVBraszJ. Experimental and theoretical analysis of the flow in a centrifugal compressor volute. J Turbomach1993; 115: 582–589.
23.
HagelsteinDHillewaertKVan den BraembusscheR, et al. Experimental and numerical investigation of the flow in a centrifugal compressor volute. J Turbomach1999; 122: 22–31.
24.
FatsisAPierretSVan den BraembusscheR. Three-dimensional unsteady flow and forces in centrifugal impellers with circumferential distortion of the outlet static pressure. J Turbomach1997; 119: 94–102.
25.
GuFEngedaACaveM. A numerical investigation on the volute/diffuser interaction due to the axial distortion at the impeller outlet. J Fluid Eng2001; 123: 475–483.
26.
GuFEngedaA. A numerical investigation on the volute/impeller steady-state interaction due to circumferential distortion. In: ASME turbo expo 2001, New Orleans, LA, 4–7 June 2001, paper no. 2001-GT-0328. New York: ASME.
27.
YangMZhengXZhangY, et al. Stability improvement of high—pressure—ratio turbocharger centrifugal compressor by asymmetric flow control—part I: non-axisymmetrical flow in centrifugal compressor. J Turbomach2012; 135: 210061–210069.
28.
YangCWangYLaoD, et al. Detailed measurements of the static pressure characteristics around the centrifugal compressor casing wall. J Therm Sci Tech2017; 12: jtst0009.
29.
WangLHouHYangC, et al. Non-axisymmetric flow characteristics in centrifugal compressor. J Therm Sci2015; 24: 313–322.
30.
ZhangHYangCWangW, et al. Investigation on the casing static pressure distribution and stall behaviors in a centrifugal compressor with volute. Int J Mech Sci2019; 160: 318–331.
31.
LanCZhengXTamakiH. Non-axisymmetric flow structure in vaneless diffuser of centrifugal compressor for turbochargers. In: Proceedings of the ASME gas turbine India conference, Mumbai, India, >1 December 2012, pp.291–298. New York: ASME.
32.
YangCWangYTongD, et al. Stall inception induced by the volute tongue at centrifugal compressor inlet. Proc IMechE, Part G: J Aerospace Engineering2016; 231: 931–940.
33.
FuLYangCBaoW, et al. Effect of circumferential static pressure non-uniformity caused by volute on tip leakage flow in a centrifugal compressor. Proc IMechE, Part G: J Aerospace Engineering2019; 233: 5134–5149.
34.
QiGZhangX. Effect of a volute on the unsteady flow in the vane diffuser of a centrifugal compressor. Proc IMechE, Part A: J Power and Energy2016; 230: 773–791.
35.
JapikseDKrivitzkyE. Radial stages with non-uniform pressures at diffuser inlet. In: Proceedings of ASME turbo expo 2016: Turbomachinery technical conference and exposition, Seoul, 13–17 June 2016, paper no. GT2016-57956. New York: ASME.
36.
ZhengXJinLTamakiH. Influence of volute distortion on the performance of turbocharger centrifugal compressor with vane diffuser. Sci China Technol Sc2013; 56: 2778–2786.
37.
NUMECA International. User manual FINETM/Turbo v11.2. Brussels: NUMECA International.
38.
BormOKauH-P. Unsteady aerodynamics of a centrifugal compressor stage —validation of two different CFD solvers. In: 2012 proceedings of ASME turbo expo 2012, Copenhagen, 11–15 June 2012, paper no. GT2012-69636. New York: IEEE.
39.
WilcoxDC. Turbulence model for CFD. La Cañada Flintridge, CA: DCW Industries, Inc., 1994.
40.
YangCZhangHYangD, et al. Casing wall static pressure distribution behavior in a centrifugal compressor with asymmetric inlet/outlet structures. Proc IMechE, Part A: J Power and Energy2018; 333: 37–51.
ZhangHYangCYangD, et al. Investigation on the stall inception circumferential position and stall process behavior in a centrifugal compressor with volute. J Eng Gas Turb Power2018; 141: 021030.
