Study of the Hydrodynamic Unsteady Flow Inside a Centrifugal Fan and Its Downstream Pipe Using Detached Eddy Simulation

Jian-Cheng Cai, Hao-Jie Chen, Volodymyr Brazhenko and Yi-Hong Gu
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Jian-Cheng Cai: College of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Hao-Jie Chen: College of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Volodymyr Brazhenko: College of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Yi-Hong Gu: School of Mechatronic Engineering, Quzhou College of Technology, Quzhou 324000, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: The detailed unsteady turbulent flow inside a centrifugal fan and its downstream pipe was studied using detached eddy simulation (DES) at three flowrates, namely, the best efficiency point (BEP), 0.75BEP, and 1.49BEP. Both the mean and fluctuating flow fields were analyzed on the basis of the root-mean-square value as the indication of fluctuating intensity. Results showed that the pressure fluctuation had the minimum value at BEP, but the velocity fluctuation increased with the flowrate. Most regions inside the centrifugal fan underwent large pressure fluctuation with the magnitude of about 10~20% of p ref = 0.5 ?u 2 2 , where u 2 is the blade velocity at the impeller outlet. The pressure fluctuation had a maximum value at the impeller side of the tongue tip rather than the stagnation point, and it decreased rapidly along the outlet pipe with magnitude about 1% of p ref after distance of five pipe diameters. The spectra of hydrodynamic pressure showed conspicuous spikes at the blade passing frequency (BPF) in the volute but not in the downstream pipe. At the downstream pipe entrance, pressure fluctuation spectra agreed with experimental results, showing that hydrodynamic pressure fluctuations were dominant; however, the experimental data showed a much slower decreasing rate due to the acoustic fluctuations.

Keywords: centrifugal fan; unsteady flow; hydrodynamic pressure fluctuation; detached eddy simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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