Flow control structure for improving performance and turbomachinery incorporating said flow control structure

Abstract

Flow control devices and structures for turbomachines. In certain examples, the flow control devices and structures include various configurations of flow directing channels, partial height vanes, and other treatments located on one or both of the shroud side and hub side of the turbomachine to redirect, direct, or otherwise influence a portion of the turbomachine flow field, thereby improving machine performance.

Claims

1. A turbomachinery comprising a hub surface, a shroud surface, and a plurality of concave channels disposed on the hub surface or the shroud surface, wherein each of the concave channels extends in the flow direction and has an angular profile α(M) with respect to a meridian reference plane that passes through the corresponding concave channel at a meridian position M along the length of the concave channel. A turbomachinery in which the angle of at least a first portion of each of the concave channels is less than or equal to the calculated minimum flow angle of the working fluid at the maximum mass flow rate operating point, thereby improving the coupling of the concave channels to the working fluid at the maximum mass flow rate operating point.

2. The turbomachinery according to claim 1, wherein the maximum mass flow rate operating point is a point where the mass flow rate is at least 80% of the mass flow rate of the stage choke point, or the maximum mass flow rate operating point is the stage choke point.

3. The turbomachinery according to claim 1, wherein the maximum mass flow rate operating point is a mass flow rate operating point corresponding to any of the following: (1) a mass flow rate of + / - 15% of the mass flow rate at the point of maximum efficiency, (2) a mass flow rate of + / - 15% of the mass flow rate at the choke point, (3) a mass flow rate of 20% to 80% of the mass flow rate at the point of maximum efficiency, (4) a mass flow rate of 20% to 80% of the mass flow rate at the choke point, or (5) a mass flow rate between the point of maximum efficiency and the choke point.

4. The turbomachinery according to claim 1, comprising an impeller and a diffuser, wherein the diffuser has an inlet at a meridional distance M of 0%M and an outlet at 100%M, and the plurality of concave channels are at least partially arranged in the diffuser, and the first portion of the concave channels is located at least 20%M downstream of the inlet of the diffuser.

5. The turbomachinery according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of concave channels include a plurality of first concave channels and a plurality of second concave channels, the angle α1(M) of the first concave channel with respect to a meridian position along the concave channel is different from the angle α2(M) of the second concave channel with respect to a meridian position along the concave channel, and the angles α1(M) and α2(M) are corresponding angles of the first concave channel or the second concave channel with respect to a meridian reference plane passing through the concave channel at a meridian position M along the length of the concave channel.

6. The turbomachinery according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first concave channels is in direct fluid communication with a corresponding one of the second concave channels.

7. The turbomachinery according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first concave channels intersects with one of the corresponding second concave channels.

8. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the turbomachinery includes a diffuser having an inlet and an outlet, and the first concave channel and the second concave channel each extend from the inlet of the diffuser to the outlet of the diffuser.

9. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the turbomachinery includes a diffuser having an inlet and an outlet, each of the first concave channels extending from the inlet of the diffuser to the outlet of the diffuser, and each of the second concave channels having a starting position adjacent to the inlet of the diffuser and an ending position at an intersection where a corresponding second concave channel intersects one of the corresponding first concave channels.

10. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the turbomachinery includes a diffuser having an inlet and an outlet, each of the first concave channels extending from the inlet of the diffuser to the outlet of the diffuser, and each of the second concave channels having a starting position located downstream of the inlet of the diffuser and an ending position at the outlet of the diffuser.

11. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the angle α1(M) of the first concave channel is greater than the angle α2(M) of the second concave channel for all values ​​of M.

12. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the angle α1(M) of the first concave channel is smaller than the angle α2(M) of the second concave channel for all values ​​of M.

13. Each of the concave channels has a first edge on the convex side of the hub surface or shroud surface of the concave channel, and a second edge on the concave side of the hub surface or shroud surface of the concave channel. The turbomachinery according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first edge and at least one of the second edge of the plurality of concave channels includes a cusp that forms a scoop for capturing flow and changing the direction of flow within the concave channel.

14. The turbomachinery according to claim 13, wherein the cusp extends laterally from the side wall of the concave channel.

15. The turbomachinery according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the cusp extends perpendicularly from the hub surface or the shroud surface.

16. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the cusp is arranged along at least a portion of the first edge of at least one of the concave channels.

17. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the cusp is arranged along at least a portion of the second edge of at least one of the concave channels.

18. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the cusp is arranged along at least one upstream portion of the concave channel.

19. The turbomachinery according to claim 18, wherein the concave channel extends from a starting position at meridian position 0%M to an ending position at meridian position 100%M, and the upstream portion extends from 0%M to 50%M.

20. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the cusp is arranged along at least one downstream portion of the concave channel.

21. The turbomachinery according to claim 20, wherein the concave channel extends from a starting position at meridian position 0%M to an ending position at meridian position 100%M, and the downstream portion extends from 50%M to 100%M.

22. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the upstream portion of at least one second edge of the concave channel includes a cusp that captures flow and forms a scoop for reversing the direction of the flow within the concave channel, and the downstream portion of at least one first edge of the concave channel includes a cusp that captures flow and forms a scoop for reversing the direction of the flow within the concave channel.

23. The turbomachinery according to claim 22, wherein the downstream portion of the second edge of the at least one concave channel does not include a cusp, and the upstream portion of the first edge of the at least one concave channel does not include a cusp.

24. The turbomachinery according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the downstream portion of the second edge of the at least one concave channel includes a chamfer or fillet, and the upstream portion of the first edge of the at least one concave channel includes a chamfer or fillet.

25. The turbomachinery according to any one of claims 13 to 23, wherein at least one of the first edges of the plurality of concave channels or at least a portion of at least one of the second edges includes a chamfer or fillet to facilitate the flow of fluid into the concave channel.

26. A method for forming a flow control structure for a turbomachinery having an impeller, shroud, hub and downstream elements, the method being: The steps include: estimating the variation in the flow angle of the working fluid adjacent to the hub or shroud as a function of mass flow rate in the flow field distribution of the turbomachinery; A step of identifying the minimum flow angle estimated at the point of maximum mass flow rate operation, A method for forming a flow control structure for a turbomachinery, comprising defining at least one channel located on the surface of the hub or the shroud to change the direction of at least a portion of the working fluid, the defining step of selecting a channel angle of the at least one channel that is less than or equal to an estimated minimum flow angle, thereby improving the coupling of the at least one channel to the working fluid at the maximum mass flow rate operating point.

27. The further step includes identifying the maximum flow angle estimated at the minimum mass flow rate operating point, The step of defining the at least one channel is: The steps include defining a plurality of first channels arranged on the surface of the hub or the shroud using a channel angle that is less than or equal to the estimated minimum flow angle, The method according to claim 26, comprising the step of defining a plurality of second channels disposed on the surface of the hub or the shroud using a channel angle which is greater than or equal to the estimated maximum flow angle.

28. A method for defining a flow control structure for a turbomachinery having an impeller having an inlet and an outlet, a shroud, a hub, and a downstream element, wherein the hub and the shroud define an impeller passage, and the method The steps include: constructing a numerical fluid model of the turbomachinery using a computer; The steps include: calculating the flow field distribution in the impeller passage at the point of maximum mass flow rate using the aforementioned numerical fluid model; A step of determining the flow angle variation of the flow field distribution in proximity to the hub or the shroud, A method for defining a flow control structure for a turbomachinery, comprising the step of defining at least one channel extending in the flow direction in at least one of the hub and the shroud, the step of defining a channel angle of the at least one channel which is less than or equal to the flow angle determined at the maximum mass flow rate operating point.

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