Advanced Turbomachinery Tutorial: Centrifugal Air

Compressor

Purpose
The purpose of this tutorial is to illustrate how to set up a centrifugal (radial-flow) com-
pressor problem in FLUENT6. This example is representative of Single Reference Frame
(SRF) modeling for single blade row turbomachinery analysis.

Prerequisites
This tutorial assumes that you are familiar with the menu structure in FLUENT and that you
have solved some introductory tutorials. This tutorial uses the SRF capability of FLUENT,
so you should have some experience with this. If not, Tutorial 7 of the FLUENT Tutorial
Guide will provide you with the necessary experience.

Problem Description
In this problem, we model the steady-state flow of air through a centrifugal compressor
(the Eckardt rotor[1]) running at 14,000 rpm. To simplify the CFD calculation, we only
model the flow through a single blade row — a blade row is the fluid passageway between
two adjacent blades on the rotor (there are 20 blade rows in total for this compressor), and
employ rotationally periodic boundary conditions on the boundaries between blade rows.
The governing equations are cast in a SRF moving at the speed of the rotor. We also
treat the air as an ideal gas with constant values of specific heat (Cp ), conductivity (k) and
molecular viscosity (µ). The outline of a single blade row and the complete rotor (repeating
a single blade row 20 times) are shown below.

c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002 1

Centrifugal Air Compressor

Figure 1: Single Blade Row

Figure 2: Complete Rotor

2 c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002

 Centrifugal Air Compressor

Setup and Solution

Step 1: Grid

1. Start the 3D version of FLUENT and read the grid file (eckardt comp.msh).
The grid is created for a single blade row (28000 cells). You can use the graphical
display to plot the various surfaces and zones and familiarize yourself with the flow
domain and the geometry.

2. Check and display the grid.

Z Y
X

Grid May 09, 2002

FLUENT 6.0 (3d, segregated, lam)

Figure 3: Grid Display

Step 2: Models

1. Define Coupled solver and retain the default values for the other parameters.

2. Select Spalart-Allmaras (1 eqn) turbulence model and retain the default values for the
other parameters.
Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model is a good and economical choice for mildly complex
boundary-layer flows under pressure gradient.

Step 3: Materials

1. Set the Density of air to ideal-gas. Retain the default values for the other parameters.
The ideal gas model will automatically activate the solution of the energy equation.

c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002 3

Centrifugal Air Compressor

Step 4: Operating Conditions

1. Set the Operating Pressure to 0 and retain the default values for the other parameters.
Note: Now, all the pressures will be absolute.
For compressible flow, the values of the absolute pressure are important because the
ideal-gas equation of state pv = RT and other compressible flow relations are based
on the absolute pressure.

Step 5: Boundary Conditions

1. Set the boundary conditions for inlet zone.

Note: For compressible flow problems, we use pressure inlet boundary conditions.
(a) Set the Gauge Total Pressure and Supersonic/Initial Gauge Pressure to 1 and 0.9
respectively.
(b) Set the Total Temperature to 288.1 and select Turbulent Viscosity Ratio as the
Turbulence Specification method.
(c) Retain the default values for the other parameters.

2. Set the boundary conditions for outlet zone.

(a) Set the Gauge Pressure and Backflow Total Temperature to 1.59 and 288 respec-
tively.
(b) Select Turbulent Viscosity Ratio as the Turbulence Specification method and retain
the default values for the other parameters.

3. Set the boundary conditions for fluid zone.

(a) Select Moving Reference Frame for Motion Type and set the Speed for Rotational
Velocity to 14000 rpm.
(b) Under Rotation-Axis Direction, set the value of X and Z coordinates to 1 and 0
respectively.
(c) Retain the default values for the other parameters.

4. Set the boundary conditions for wall-blade-pressure, wall-blade-suction and hub zones.
These are the solid blade walls rotating at the angular speed of 14,000 rpm, so they
should be set up as Moving Wall at zero relative velocity to the adjacent cell cone (fluid).
(a) Set the Wall Motion to Moving Wall and Motion to Rotational.
(b) Under Rotation-Axis Direction, set the value of X and Z coordinate to 1 and 0
respectively.
(c) Retain the default values for the other parameters.

4 c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002

 Centrifugal Air Compressor

5. Set the boundary conditions for shroud zone.

The shroud is the non-rotating casing wall of the compressor, so it should be set up
as a Moving Wall at absolute zero rotational speed.
(a) Set the Wall Motion to Moving Wall.
(b) Set the Motion to Absolute and Rotational.
(c) Under Rotation-Axis Direction, set the value of X and Z coordinates to 1 and 0
respectively.
(d) Retain the default values for the other parameters.

6. Set the boundary conditions for periodic-wall-1 and periodic-wall-2 zones.

These two boundaries on the edge of the blade row are the faces normal to the circum-
ferential direction, and should be set as rotational periodic boundaries.
(a) Set the Periodic Type to Rotational and retain the default values for the other
parameters.

Step 6: Solution

1. Set the discretization scheme for Modified Turbulent Viscosity to Second Order Upwind
and retain the default values for the other parameters.

2. Initialize the flow field from the inlet zone.

3. Enable the plotting of residuals during the calculation, and decrease the Convergence
Criterion for continuity to 1e-5.

4. Define surface monitors to monitor the solution.

(a) In the Surface Monitors panel, increase the number of Surface Monitors to 3.
(b) Activate Plot, Print and Write for the three surface monitors.
(c) Define surface monitor to monitor mass flow rate through inlet.
i. For monitor-1, select Mass Flow Rate for Report Type and inlet for Surfaces.
ii. Retain the default values for the other parameters.
(d) Define surface monitor to monitor mass flow rate through outlet.
i. For monitor-2, select Mass Flow Rate for Report Type and outlet for Surfaces.
ii. Retain the default values for the other parameters.
(e) Define surface monitor to monitor total pressure on the outlet.
i. Select Mass-Weighted Average for Report Type and outlet for Surfaces.
ii. For monitor-3, select Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Report Of drop-
down lists.
iii. Retain the default values for the other parameters.
(f) Start by requesting 1000 iterations.

c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002 5

Centrifugal Air Compressor

Residuals
continuity
x-velocity 1e+00
y-velocity
z-velocity
energy
nut
1e-01

1e-02

1e-03

1e-04

1e-05
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Y
Z X
Iterations

Scaled Residuals May 15, 2002

FLUENT 6.0 (3d, coupled imp, S-A)

Figure 4: Scaled Residuals

0.5000

0.4000

0.3000

0.2000

0.1000

Mass 0.0000
Flow
-0.1000
Rate
(kg/s) -0.2000

-0.3000

-0.4000

-0.5000
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Y
Z X
Iteration

Convergence history of Mass Flow Rate on inlet May 15, 2002

FLUENT 6.0 (3d, coupled imp, S-A)

Figure 5: Convergence History of Mass Flow Rate on Inlet

6 c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002

 Centrifugal Air Compressor

0.5000

0.4000

0.3000

0.2000

0.1000

Mass 0.0000
Flow
-0.1000
Rate
(kg/s) -0.2000

-0.3000

-0.4000

-0.5000
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Y
Z X
Iteration

Convergence history of Mass Flow Rate on outlet May 15, 2002

FLUENT 6.0 (3d, coupled imp, S-A)

Figure 6: Convergence History of Mass Flow Rate on Outlet

2.6000

2.4000

2.2000

2.0000

Mass
Weighted 1.8000
Average
(atm)
1.6000

1.4000

1.2000
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Y
Z X
Iteration

Convergence history of Total Pressure on outlet May 15, 2002

FLUENT 6.0 (3d, coupled imp, S-A)

Figure 7: Convergence History of Total Pressure on Outlet

Step 7: Postprocessing

1. Create iso-surfaces of constant meridional coordinate.

Surface −→Iso-Surface...
(a) In the Surface of Constant drop-down lists, select Grid... and Meridional Coordi-
nate.
(b) Enter 0.2 for Iso-Values and meridional-0.2 for New Surface Name. Click Create.

c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002 7

Centrifugal Air Compressor

(c) Repeat the procedure to define surfaces of meridional coordinates equal to 0.2,
0.4, 0.6 and 0.8.
Similarly, you can also create surfaces of constant spanwise coordinate.

2. Display filled contours of static pressure.

(a) Under Options, activate Draw Grid.
i. In the Grid Display panel, deselect all the surfaces under Surfaces.
ii. Click Outline and then click Close.
(b) Select inlet, meridional-0.2, meridional-0.4, meridional-0.6, meridional-0.8 and outlet
from the Surfaces list.
(c) Click Display.

1.59e+00

1.52e+00

1.46e+00

1.39e+00

1.32e+00

1.25e+00

1.19e+00

1.12e+00

1.05e+00

9.85e-01
Z
9.18e-01 Y
X

Contours of Static Pressure (atm) May 23, 2002

FLUENT 6.0 (3d, coupled imp, S-A)

Figure 8: Contours of Static Pressure

(d) If the contours are not visible, access the Display Options panel.
Display −→Options...
i. Deselect Hidden Line Removal and Hidden Surface Removal and click Apply.
The contours on the meridional surfaces will be visible now.

8 c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002

 Centrifugal Air Compressor

3. Display filled contours of mach number.

(a) Select Velocity... and Mach Number from the Contours Of drop-down lists and
click Display.

8.77e-01

7.93e-01

7.09e-01

6.25e-01

5.41e-01

4.57e-01

3.73e-01

2.88e-01

2.04e-01

1.20e-01
Z
3.60e-02 Y
X

Contours of Mach Number May 23, 2002

FLUENT 6.0 (3d, coupled imp, S-A)

Figure 9: Contours of Mach Number

References
[1] D. Eckardt, “Flow field analysis of radial and backswept centrifugal compressor impellers,
Part I : Flow measurements using a laser velocimeter,” ASME 25th Annual International
Gas Turbine Conference, March 9-13, 1988.

c Fluent Inc. May 24, 2002 9