Flow Analysis of Centrifugal Compressor using ANSYS

Abstract: The aerodynamic and structural designs of the impeller are vital to the functioning of the entire compressor stage in centrifugal compressors. In contrast to previous years, there has been a greater demand for industrial centrifugal compressors to operate with greater efficiency and operational range. Although the efficiency of low-pressure-ratio centrifugal compressors has nearly achieved its maximum, intermediate and high-pressure ratio machines still lag behind the state-of-the-art in terms of efficiency. Maintaining maximum efficiency while extending the working range is a challenging task in centrifugal compressor design. Furthermore, a single design must be usable globally due to product globalisation, even in the face of technological disparities and variances in electricity frequency of up to 10 percent in some nations. Often operating at different rotational speeds, centrifugal compressors add another layer of complexity to the impeller structural design. A full-3D impeller design that is optimised for both structural integrity and aerodynamic performance is shown in this study .For air conditioning systems of the future, centrifugal compressor performance must be improved. This research focusses on systematic numerical simulation, a computationally efficient method of optimising centrifugal compressor performance. ANSYS simulations are used in conjunction with a thorough literature review on the aerodynamic behaviour of materials used in centrifugal compressors. For the purpose of performing flow simulations under subsonic circumstances with suitable boundary conditions and grid independence checks, geometric modelling was completed using CATIAV5R22 and imported into ANSYS. Tests were conducted using various aluminium materials and mass flow rates, and enhanced efficiency findings were confirmed by comparison with experimental data. Materials Processing and Characterisations is in charge of peer review.