Date of Award
2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Engineering Science
Program
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Supervisor
Dr. Eric Savory
Second Advisor
Dr. Robert Martinuzzi
Third Advisor
Dr. Chao Zhang
Abstract
The unsteady high-speed flow in centrifugal compressor stages tests current limitations of modeling techniques due to high degrees of curvature, adverse pressure gradients, and three-dimensional turbulent boundary layers. The current study presents experimental and numerical validation studies of predictions for a centrifugal compressor stage with a tandem impeller and fish-tail discrete passage diffuser using the mixing plane approach presently used for the design of these stages. Assessments are made of predictions with a more accurate geometry representation than has been modeled previously and with a number of turbulence closure models including the k — e, SST, SST-RM, and RSM-SSG models. Comparison with measured performance parameters seems to indicate better predictions by the RSM-SSG and SST models. For further validation of the numerical modeling, the latest results of a laser Doppler velocimetry study are presented and compared to numerical predictions, yielding good agreement at stage inlet and exit.
Recommended Citation
Bourgeois, Jason A., "NUMERICAL MIXING PLANE STUDIES WITH VALIDATION FOR AERO-ENGINE CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR DESIGN" (2008). Digitized Theses. 4857.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4857