Investigation of a rotating stall in a supercritical CO2 centrifugal compressor

Due to the nonlinear behavior of carbon dioxide properties at its critical point and the size effect of the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) centrifugal compressor, the stall causation mechanism differs between the S-CO2 centrifugal compressor and a conventional air compressor. The comprehension of the induced principle of the S-CO2 compressor rotating stall holds immense significance in enhancing stall margin and efficiency. This paper employs unsteady simulations to investigate the causes of the impeller rotating stall in the S-CO2 centrifugal compressor. The results show that the leading edge breakdown vortex (LEBV) formed by the tip leakage vortex (TLV) breakdown and the reverse flow in the passage are the reasons for blocking the passage and ultimately causing the rotating stall of the impeller. The migration motion of the LEBV not only induces the leading edge spillage phenomenon but also influences the intensity of the tip leakage flow (TLF) in adjacent passages, causing the propagation of the TLV breakdown phenomenon in the opposite direction to that of impeller rotation. The TLV undergoes intermittent breakdown in flow field, which is influenced by variations in TLF intensity. Additionally, there is a preceding process of breakdown-induced vortex formation and disappearance prior to TLV fragmentation.