Optimization of Return Channels of High Flow Rate Centrifugal Compressor Stages Using CFD Methods

Yuri Galerkin, Aleksey Rekstin, Lyubov Marenina, Aleksandr Drozdov, Olga Solovyeva and Vasiliy Semenovskiy
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Yuri Galerkin: National Technological Initiative Center of Excellence in New Manufacturing Technologies, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Aleksey Rekstin: National Technological Initiative Center of Excellence in New Manufacturing Technologies, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Lyubov Marenina: National Technological Initiative Center of Excellence in New Manufacturing Technologies, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Aleksandr Drozdov: National Technological Initiative Center of Excellence in New Manufacturing Technologies, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Olga Solovyeva: National Technological Initiative Center of Excellence in New Manufacturing Technologies, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Vasiliy Semenovskiy: National Technological Initiative Center of Excellence in New Manufacturing Technologies, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-23

Abstract: Calculations performed with modern CFD programs aid in optimizing flow paths of centrifugal compressors. Characteristics of stator elements of flow paths, calculated via CFD methods, are considered quite accurate. We present optimized return channels (RCh) of three model industrial compressor stages with vaneless diffusers. A parameterized model was created for optimization. The MOGA (Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm) optimization method was applied in the Direct Optimization program of the ANSYS (Analysis System) software package. Optimization objects were return channels of the stages with high flow rate 0.15. The stages have three different loading factors 0.45, 0.60, 0.70. The optimization goal was to achieve the minimum loss coefficient at the design point. During the optimization process, we varied the following: the number of vanes, the inlet angle of the vanes, the height of the vanes at the inlet, the outer and inner radii of curvature of the U-bend. The outlet angle of the vanes was selected to minimize outlet circumferential velocity. In comparison with preliminary design, the optimized RCh are more efficient across the entire range of flow rates. The optimization reduced the loss coefficient by 20% at the design flow rate.

Keywords: optimization; return channel; U-bend; loss coefficient; centrifugal compressor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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