<p> Rising costs and volatility in aviation fuel and increased regulations resulting from climate change  concerns have driven gas turbine engine manufacturers to focus on reducing fuel consumption.  Implementing centrifugal compressors as the last stage in an axial engine architecture allows for  reduced core diameters and higher fuel efficiencies. However, a centrifugal compressor's  performance relies heavily on its stationary diffusion system. Furthermore, the highly unsteady  and turbulent flow field exhibited in the diffusion system often causes CFD models to fall short of  reality. Therefore, rapid validation is required to match the speed at which engineers can simulate  different diffuser designs utilizing CFD. One avenue for this is through the use of additive  manufacturing in centrifugal compressor experimental research. This study focused on implementing a new generation of the Centrifugal Stage for Aerodynamic  Research (CSTAR) at the Purdue Compressor Research Lab that utilizes an entirely additively  manufactured diffusion system. In addition, the new configuration was used to showcase the  benefits of additive manufacturing (AM) in evaluating diffusion components. Two diffusion  systems were manufactured and assessed. The Build 2 diffusion system introduced significant  modifications to the diffusion system compared to the Build 1 design. The modifications included changes to the diffuser vane geometry, endwall divergence, and increased deswirl pinch and vane  geometries. The Build 2 diffusion system showed performance reductions in total and static  pressure rise, flow range, and efficiencies. These results were primarily attributed to the changes  made to the Build 2 diffuser. The end wall divergence resulted in end wall separation that caused  increased losses. The changes to the diffuser vane resulted in increased throat blockage and lower  pressure rise and mass flow rate. In addition to the experimental portion of this study, a computational study was conducted to study  the design changes made to the Build 2 diffusion system. A speedline at 100% corrected rotational  speed was solved, and the results were compared to experimental data. The simulated data matched  the overall stage and diffusion system performance relatively well, but the internal flow fields of  the diffusion components, namely the diffuser, were not well predicted. This was attributed to  16 using the SST turbulence model over BSL EARSM. The BSL EARSM model more accurately  predicted the diffuser flow field to the SST model.  </p>

Tesis por compendio / [ES] Esta tesis doctoral presenta un estudio de compresores scroll con inyección de vapor (SCVI) para bombas de calor que operan en climas fríos o para aplicaciones de calentamiento de agua a alta temperatura. Para ello, se comparó experimentalmente un SCVI con un compresor de dos etapas de pistones (TSRC) trabajando con R-407C en condiciones extremas. La comparación se realizó en términos de eficiencias del compresor, capacidad, COP y rendimientos estacionales tanto para el modo calefacción como para el modo refrigeración. Los resultados proporcionan una idea general sobre el rango de aplicación de los compresores estudiados y sobre las diferencias en los rendimientos de los compresores. Sin embargo, se identificaron varias limitaciones en la caracterización de los compresores y en el análisis del ciclo. Esto motivó a profundizar en el estudio del ciclo de compresión de dos etapas y sus componentes. El siguiente paso fue realizar un análisis teórico de los ciclos de compresión de dos etapas para aplicaciones de calefacción, en donde se identificó a la presión intermedia y a la relación de inyección como los parámetros del sistema más influyentes sobre el COP. La presión intermedia se optimizó para dos configuraciones de inyección (tanque de separación y economizador) utilizando varios refrigerantes. Basándose en los resultados de la optimización, se propuso una correlación que permite obtener la presión intermedia óptima del ciclo, considerando la influencia del subenfriamiento a la salida del condensador. Además, se analizó la influencia del diseño de los componentes del sistema sobre el COP del ciclo. Posteriormente, el estudio se profundizó a nivel de componentes. El factor más crítico en el sistema es el rendimiento del compresor. Por lo tanto, el siguiente paso fue evaluar la influencia de varios sistemas de compresión con inyección de vapor sobre el COP. Se tomaron en cuenta tres tecnologías de compresores, un SCVI, un TSRC y un compresor scroll de dos etapas (TSSC). Estas tecnologías de compresores fueron caracterizadas y modeladas para estudiar su rendimiento. Para ello, se propuso una nueva metodología para caracterizar compresores scroll con inyección de vapor. Esta metodología permite evaluar el rendimiento del compresor independientemente del mecanismo de inyección que se utiliza en el ciclo. Se identificó una correlación lineal entre la relación de inyección de refrigerante y la relación de compresión intermedia. Esta correlación se utiliza para determinar el flujo másico de inyección en función de la presión intermedia. Posteriormente, se propuso un modelo semi-empírico de compresores scroll y una metodología para extender dicho modelo para compresores scroll con inyección de vapor. Los modelos fueron ajustados y validados usando datos experimentales de cuatro compresores scroll trabajando con R-290 y un SCVI trabajando con R-407C. Finalmente, se comparó un SCVI con dos compresores de dos etapas, un TSSC y un TSRC, trabajando en condiciones extremas. Se optimizó la relación de volúmenes de los compresores de dos etapas. Los resultados muestran que, en las condiciones nominales de funcionamiento (Te=-15 °C, Tc=50 °C), la relación de volúmenes óptima del TSSC es 0.58, y del TSRC es 0.57. El TSSC consigue un COP 6% mayor que el SCVI y un COP 11.7% mayor que el TSRC. Bajo un amplio rango de condiciones de operación, el SCVI presenta una mejor eficiencia y COP para relaciones de presión inferiores a 5. Para relaciones de presión más altas, el TSSC presenta mejor rendimiento y consigue una temperatura de descarga más baja. Se concluye que el SCVI es una solución fácil de implementar, desde el punto de vista del mecanizado, y que permite extender el mapa de trabajo de los compresores de una etapa. Sin embargo, los resultados muestran que la compresión en dos etapas consigue mejorar en mayor medida el COP del ciclo y la capacidad, con una mayor redu / [CA] Aquesta tesi doctoral presenta un estudi de compressors scroll amb injecció de vapor (SCVI) per a bombes de calor que operen en climes freds o per a aplicacions d'escalfament d'aigua a alta temperatura. Per a això, es va comparar experimentalment un SCVI amb un compressor de dues etapes de pistons (TSRC) treballant amb R-407C en condicions extremes. La comparació es va realitzar en termes d'eficiències del compressor, capacitat, COP i rendiments estacionals tant per al mode calefacció com per al mode refrigeració. Els resultats proporcionen una idea general sobre el rang d'aplicació dels compressors estudiats i sobre les diferències en els rendiments dels compressors. No obstant això, es van identificar diverses limitacions en la caracterització dels compressors i en l'anàlisi del cicle. Això va motivar a aprofundir en l'estudi del cicle de compressió de dues etapes i els seus components. El següent pas va ser realitzar una anàlisi teòrica dels cicles de compressió de dues etapes per a aplicacions de calefacció, on es va identificar la pressió intermèdia i la relació d'injecció com els paràmetres del sistema més influents sobre el COP. La pressió intermèdia es va optimitzar per a dues configuracions d'injecció (tanc de separació i economitzador) utilitzant diversos refrigerants. Basant-se en els resultats de l'optimització, es va proposar una correlació que permet obtindre la pressió intermèdia òptima del cicle, considerant la influència del subrefredament a l'eixida del condensador. A més, es va analitzar la influència del disseny dels components del sistema sobre el COP del cicle. Posteriorment, l'estudi es va aprofundir a nivell de components. El factor més crític en el sistema és el rendiment del compressor. Per tant, el següent pas va ser avaluar la influència de diversos sistemes de compressió amb injecció de vapor sobre el COP. Es van prendre en compte tres tecnologies de compressors, un SCVI, un TSRC i un compressor scroll de dues etapes (TSSC). Aquestes tecnologies de compressors van ser caracteritzades i modelades per a estudiar el seu rendiment. Per a això, es va proposar una nova metodologia per a caracteritzar compressors scroll amb injecció de vapor. Aquesta metodologia permet avaluar el rendiment del compressor independentment del mecanisme d'injecció que s'utilitza en el cicle. Es va identificar una correlació lineal entre la relació d'injecció de refrigerant i la relació de compressió intermèdia. Aquesta correlació s'utilitza per a determinar el flux màssic d'injecció en funció de la pressió intermèdia. Posteriorment, es va proposar un model semi-empíric de compressors scroll i una metodologia per a estendre aquest model per a compressors scroll amb injecció de vapor. Els models van ser ajustats i validats utilitzant dades experimentals de quatre compressors scroll treballant amb R-290 i un SCVI treballant amb R-407C. Finalment, es va comparar un SCVI amb dos compressors de dues etapes, un TSSC i un TSRC, treballant en condicions extremes. Es va optimitzar la relació de volums dels compressors de dues etapes. Els resultats mostren que, en les condicions nominals de funcionament (Te=-15 °C, Tc=50 °C), la relació de volums òptima del TSSC és 0.58, i del TSRC és 0.57. El TSSC aconsegueix un COP 6% major que el SCVI i un COP 11.7% major que el TSRC. Sota un ampli rang de condicions d'operació, el SCVI presenta una millor eficiència i COP per a relacions de pressió inferiors a 5. Per a relacions de pressió més altes, el TSSC presenta millor rendiment i aconsegueix una temperatura de descàrrega més baixa. Es conclou que el SCVI és una solució fàcil d'implementar, des del punt de vista del mecanitzat, i que permet estendre el mapa de treball dels compressors d'una etapa. No obstant això, els resultats mostren que la compressió en dues etapes aconsegueix millorar en major mesura el COP del cicle i la capacitat, amb una major reducció de la / [EN] This Ph.D. thesis presents a study of scroll compressors with vapor-injection (SCVI) for heat pumps operating in cold climates or in high-temperature water heating applications. To do so, firstly, an SCVI was experimentally compared with a two-stage reciprocating compressor (TSRC) working with R-407C under extreme conditions. The comparison was made in terms of compressor efficiencies, capacity, COP, and seasonal COP, both for heating and cooling modes. The results give a general idea about the application range of the studied compressors and the differences in the compressors' performance. Nevertheless, several restrictions in the compressors' characterization and the cycle analysis were identified. This motivated us to deepen in the study of the two-stage compression cycle and its components. The next step was performing a theoretical analysis of two-stage compression cycles for heating applications, where the intermediate pressure and the injection ratio were identified as the most influential system parameters on the COP. The intermediate pressure was optimized for two vapor-injection configurations (flash tank and economizer) using several refrigerants. Based on the optimization results, a correlation was proposed that allows obtaining the optimal intermediate pressure of the cycle, considering the influence of the subcooling at the condenser outlet. In addition, a theoretical analysis of the influence of the design of the system components on the COP of the cycle was performed. Once the thermodynamic analysis of the two-stage cycle was carried out, the study was deepened at the component level. The most critical factor in the system is the compressor performance. Hence, the next step was evaluating the influence of several compression systems with vapor-injection on the COP. Three compressor technologies were taken into account, an SCVI, a TSRC and a two-stage scroll compressor (TSSC). These compressor technologies were characterized and modeled in order to study their performance. To do so, a new methodology to characterize SCVI was proposed. This methodology allows evaluating the compressor performance independently of the injection mechanism used in the cycle. A linear correlation was identified between the refrigerant injection ratio and the intermediate compression ratio. This correlation is used to determine the injection mass flow as a function of the intermediate pressure. Then, a semi-empirical model of scroll compressors and a methodology to extend the model for scroll compressors with vapor-injection was proposed. The models were adjusted and validated using experimental data from four scroll compressors working with R-290 and an SCVI compressor working with R-407C. Finally, an SCVI was compared with two two-stage compressors, a TSSC, and a TSRC, working in extreme conditions. The displacement ratio of the two-stage compressors was optimized. Results show that, at the nominal operating conditions (Te=-15 °C, Tc=50 °C), the optimal displacement ratio of the TSSC is 0.58, and of the TSRC is 0.57. The TSSC achieves 6% larger COP than the SCVI and 11.7% larger COP than the TSRC. Under a wide range of operating conditions, the SCVI presents a better efficiency and COP for pressure ratios below 5. For higher-pressure ratios, the TSSC presents better performance and achieves lower discharge temperature. It is concluded that the SCVI is an easy solution to implement from the point of view of machining, which allows extending the working map of the single-stage compressors. However, the results show that the two-stage compression technology gets further improve the COP of the cycle and the capacity, with a greater reduction of the discharge temperature operating under extreme conditions. / I thank the financial support provided by the Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT) of Ecuador, through the international scholarship program for postgraduate studies “Convocatoria Abierta 2013 Segunda Fase, Grant No 2015-AR37665”. / Tello Oquendo, FM. (2019). Study of scroll compressors with vapor-injection for heat pumps operating in cold climates or in high-temperature water heating applications [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/120473 / TESIS / Compendio

The master thesis subject takes place in the automotive industry and specifically in the internal combustion engine area. The need of improving the efficiency of the engines leads to develop new technologies like turbo compressors. Some of the challenges to overcome are high rotational speed difficulties or extreme load and fatigue in the rotors. By design they are also prone to aerodynamic instabilities like compressor surge. These off design behaviors are not often studied by the manufacturers and therefore not so well known.  The aims are to understand, analyze and possible ameliorate the sources of compressor surge; to identify surge causes; to create a way to reproduce the phenomena with robustness and precision; to be able to study potential solutions to eliminate surge noises. A literature review has been carried out. This would give good metrics to identify surge cycles. Based on the theory developed by Fink et al. (1992) a simulation model has been generated, followed by a process of calibration carried out using data acquired during field experiments. This method uses a fully modifiable simulation model in order to be able to be adapted to a wide range of turbo compressors. The predicted data by the model shows a reasonable agreement with the experimental data. This allows to test control laws with a surge valve or a high pressure gas recirculating valve. The knowledge alongside the simulation would help the team to better apprehend the problem on the future engine generations and have means to avoid the unwanted surge phenomena to occur.

A miniature centrifugal compressor is a key component of a reverse Brayton cycle cryogenic cooling system. The system is commonly used to generate a low cryogenic temperature environment for electronics to increase their efficiency, or generate, store and transport cryogenic liquids, such as liquid hydrogen and oxygen, where space limit is also an issue. Because of space limitation, the compressor is composed of a radial inlet guide vane, a radial impeller and an axial-direction diffuser (which reduces the radial size because of smaller diameter). As a result of reduction in size, in order to obtain the required static pressure ratio/rise, the rotating speed of the impeller is as high as 313 KRPM, if Helium is used as the working fluid. Two main characteristics of the compressor – miniature and high-speed, make it distinct from conventional compressors. Higher compressor efficiency is required to obtain a higher COP (coefficient of performance) system. Even though miniature centrifugal compressors start to draw researchers' attention in recent years, understanding of the performance and loss mechanism is still lacking. Since current experimental techniques are not advanced enough to capture details of flow at miniature scale, numerical methods dominate miniature turbomachinery study. This work numerically studied a high speed miniature centrifugal compressor. The length and diameter are 7 cm and 6 cm, respectively. The study was done on the same physical compressor but with three different combinations of working fluid and operating speed combinations: air and 108 KRPM, helium and 313 KRPM, and neon and 141 KRPM. The overall performance of the compressor was predicted with consideration of interaction between blade rows by using a sliding mesh model. It was found that the specific heat ratio needs to be considered when similarity law is applied. But Reynolds number effect can be neglected. The maximum efficiency observed without any tip leakage was 70.2% for air 64.8% for helium 64.9% for neon. The loss mechanism of each component was analyzed. Loss due to turning bend was found to be significant in each component, even up to 30%. Tip leakage loss of small scale turbomachines has more impact on the impeller performance than that of large scale ones. Use of 10% tip gap was found to reduce impeller efficiency from 99% to 90%. Because the splitter was located downstream of the impeller leading edge, any incidence at the impeller leading edge leads to poorer splitter performance. Therefore, the impeller with twenty blades had higher isentropic efficiency than the impeller with ten blades and ten splitters. Based on numerical study, a four-row vaned diffuser was used to replace a two-row vaned diffuser. It was found that the four-row vaned diffuser had much higher pressure recovery coefficient than the two-row vaned diffuser. However, most of pressure is found to be recovered at the first two rows of diffuser vanes. Consequently, the following suggestions were given to further improve the performance of the miniature centrifugal compressor. 1. Redesign inlet guide vane based on the numerical simulation and experimental results. 2. Add de-swirl vanes in front of the diffuser and before the bend. 3. Replace the current impeller with a twenty-blade impeller. 4. Remove the last row of diffuser.

Modem high-performance military aircraft are subjected to rapid flight maneuvers which place great operational demands on their compression system by producing highly distorted flow to the compressor. Inlet distortion generally reduces the engine compressor stability margin and may induce compressor surge at high rotational speeds, or rotating stall at lower rotational speeds. Therefore, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based compressor simulation would be very useful in the design, test, and analysis process since it gives additional information with inexpensive modifications. A new CFD simulation called the Turbine Engine Analysis Compressor Code (TEACC) was designed to meet these requirements. This code solves the compressible 3D Euler equations modified to include turbomachinery source terms which simulates the effect of the compressor blades. The source terms are calculated for each blade row by the application of a streamline curvature code. A methodology was developed for calculating turbomachinery source terms and distributing them axially, radially, and circumferentially while maintaining a sensitivity to strong inlet distortion. TEACC was compared with experimental data from NASA Rotor 1 B, a transonic rotor. Experimental data from Rotor 1 B were available for comparison with TEACC results for a clean inlet and for an inlet distortion produced by a 90-degree, one-per-revolution screen. TEACC results compared very well with experimental data with a clean inlet. Comparison with experimental data with inlet distortion demonstrated TEACC's ability to characterize the compressor overall, and to accurately predict the magnitude and shape of exit total temperature and exit total pressure in the distorted region. TEACC calculated the overall character of exit total pressure and exit total temperature in the nondistorted region, identifying the location of the largest value just after the inlet distortion and the decrease in exit total values through the nondistorted region in the direction of rotation. / Ph. D.

Loss models used in compression system performance prediction codes are often developed from the study of two-dimensional cascades. The physical mechanisms that affect the flow in supersonic compressor cascades have been reviewed, including the changes in shock geometry that will occur with back pressure for both started and unstarted operation. Compressible fluid mechanics has been applied to the known shock geometry to obtain a physics-based engineering shock loss model that is applicable over the entire supersonic operating range of the cascade. Predictions from the present method have been compared to measurements and Navier-Stokes analyses of the L030-4 and L030-6 cascades, and very good agreement was demonstrated for unstarted operation. Son1e of the started comparisons exhibited good agreement, while others did not. A clear improvement has been demonstrated over previously published shock loss models, both in the accuracy of the predictions and in the range of applicability. The dramatic increase in overall loss with increasing inlet flow angle is shown to be primarily the result of increased shock loss, and much of this increase is caused by the detached bow shock. For a given Mach number, the viscous profile loss is nearly constant over the entire unstarted operating range of the cascade, unless a shock-induced boundary layer separation occurs near stall. Shock loss is much more sensitive to inlet Mach number than is viscous profile loss. The present shock loss model has been used as the basis of an overall loss prediction method by adding a constant value, representative of the viscous profile loss, to the predicted shock loss characteristics. The overall loss characteristics obtained in this manner showed good agreement with the experimental values over the most useful operating range of the cascade. / Ph. D.

The performance of a vapor compression system is known to be affected by the ingestion of liquid droplets in the compressor. In these multiphase flows, the liquid and the vapor phase are tightly coupled. Therefore the interphase heat, mass and momentum transfer as well as droplet dynamics including droplet breakup and droplet-wall interactions play a vital role in governing these flows. Only thermodynamic analyses or two-dimensional mean-line calculations are not sufficient to gain an in-depth understanding of the complex multiphase flow field within the compressor. The objective of this research was to extend the current understanding of the operation of a multistage centrifugal compressor under two-phase flow conditions, by performing three-dimensional computational analysis. In this work, two-phase flow of a single constituent (refrigerant R134a) through a two-stage, in-line centrifugal compressor was analyzed using CFD. The CFD model accounted for real gas behavior of the vapor phase. Novel user defined routines were implemented to ensure accurate calculations of interphase heat, mass and momentum transfer terms and to model droplet impact on the compressor surfaces. An erosion model was developed and implemented to locate the erosion "hot spots" and to estimate the amount of material eroded. To understand the effects of increasing liquid carryover, the mass flow rate of the liquid phase was increased from 1% to 5% of the vapor mass flow rate. The influence of droplet size on the compressor performance was assessed by varying the droplet diameter at the inlet from 100 microns to 400 microns. The results of the two-phase flow simulations were compared with the simulation involving only the vapor phase. Liquid carryover altered the flow field within the compressor, and as a result, both impellers were observed to operate at off-design conditions. This effect was more pronounced for the second impeller. The overall effects of liquid carryover were detrimental to the compressor performance. The erosion calculations showed maximum erosion potential on the blade and shroud of the first impeller. The results from this investigation provided new and useful information that can be used to support improved design solutions. / Ph. D.

An experimental investigation into the effects of inlet temperature transients on the stall and stall recovery aerodynamics of a low speed multi-stage axial flow compressor has been presented. Experiments were conducted on a low speed multi-stage axial flow compression system to demonstrate how a compressor dynamically stalls or recovers from a rotating stall operating condition during an inlet temperature transient. The specific effects of the inlet temperature transients on the compressor rotor blade flow physics during the dynamic stall or rotating stall recovery events of the axial flow compression system have been presented. In one experiment, a full recovery from a rotating stall operating condition was successfully accomplished on the low speed multistage axial flow compressor. Explanations for the axial flow compression system dynamic stall and rotating stall recovery processes during inlet temperature transients have been presented. The method utilized for inducing the rotating stall recovery on the compression system has been proposed as a possible new technique for active recovery from rotating stall for single and multi-stage axial flow compression systems. / Ph. D.

Striving to improve performance and lower weight of aircraft engines, modern compressor blades become thinner and lighter but higher loaded resulting in an increased vulnerability towards flutter. This trend is further aggravated through blisk designs that diminish structural damping and therewith flutter margin. Modern 3D wide-chord blade designs result in complex structural behaviors that add to the difficulty of correctly predicting flutter occurrence. To counteract above tendencies by driving the physical understanding of flutter and thereby helping to improve aero engine design tools, free flutter as well as forced response will be investigated in the 1.5 stage transonic compressor at TU Darmstadt. Aim of the forced response campaign is to determine the system damping in the stable compressor regime. Hence a novel excitation system capable of dynamically exciting specific rotor blade modes is needed. It is aim of the present work to find a promising concept for such a system. In the present work, the requirements for an excitation system to be used in the TUD compressor are defined with respect to achievable frequency, phase controllability, transferred excitation level, mechanical robustness, integrability and cleanliness. Different excitation system concepts, i.e. oscillating VIGVs, rotating airfoils, tangential and axial air injection are investigated numerically. An evaluation of the results obtained through 2D numerical studies proposes axial air injection as the most favorable concept. / Master of Science

This research involves the study of a one- and two-cylinder convertible reciprocating Freon compressor for air conditioning or refrigeration purposes. The main concern is the reduction of the vibration (noise) caused during the operation of the compressor. Vibration is a main concern when the compressor is shifted from the one-cylinder operation to the two-cylinder operation mode and the reverse of this shift. The objectives for this research are (1) to investigate the shaking force due to the reciprocating mass at high frequencies, which are up to 4600 Hz (80w) in this research; (2) to determine the dominant force for compressor vibration among the three possible sources of shaking force due to reciprocating mass, impact forces due to clearance at the connecting rod - piston joint, and the z-axis force from the motor torque due to the rotor's conductor rods being skewed at an angle; (3) to minimize the difference in change of kinetic energies when switching between the one- and two-cylinder operating modes of the compressor. The properties of the vibration in one- and two-cylinder operation have been studied and results have been analyzed in terms of kinetic energies generated in different setting of operation of the compressor. Dynamic simulation for the impact force is computed using SIMULINK. The Z-axis force due to the motor is computed. Results indicated that shaking force due to the reciprocating mass is the dominant force for only the first two harmonics (w, 2w). An optimization routine based on Hooke and Jeeves pattern search method is developed and an optimized setting of angle, force, and torque for balancing of the crankshaft to achieve objective (3) is determined. / Master of Science