Analysis and Optimization of the Performances of the Tandem Blade Radial Compressor Using the CFD

Abstract

Centrifugal compressors are frequently used in both military and commercial areas because they can be easily manufactured and reach high-pressure compression ratios. The factor that limits the performance and operating range of compressors is flow instability. Many ideas have been put forward for performance improvement, but tandem blade radial compressors, which do not require an extra air system, have attracted the most interest. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses were carried out on various parameters of the tandem blade (TB) radial compressor, and an optimization study was carried out to find the best design using a genetic algorithm on a whole operating curve. It was investigated how these parameters affected the efficiency and total pressure ratio between the determined lower and upper limits. The numerical analyses of the optimum design obtained as a result of the iterations were carried out. As a result of the iterations, three optimum designs were obtained and numerical analysis was carried out according to one of them, and then they were compared with the results in the literature. The general agreement of computational fluid dynamics and the literature data served as a validation for the computational approach. The error rates between the numerical analysis results and the experimental results in the literature were calculated for different flow rates and were found to be 1.98% as the highest and 0.35 as the lowest. The work carried out in this article will provide a valuable reference for future advanced tandem blade compressor designs.