Flow field in volute for various operating conditions of centrifugal compressor

Abstract

The primary function of centrifugal compressor volute is to flow from the impeller and diffuser to the pipe system. The strength of the scroll vortex and flow pattern in the volute vary with the operating point. This is largely caused by the interaction between the impeller and the volute flow fields. The recirculation flow around the tongue and the scroll vortex can be used to understand the characteristics of the volute flow at off-design points. The present study aims to find the characteristics of a flow pattern in the diffuser and volute of a centrifugal compressor from the rectangular cross section of the volute. Measurements are carried out using PIV. The results obtained in this study show that the separation region around the tongue is reduced and that the recirculation flow increases as the flow coefficient decreases. ？ 2013 The Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers.