Review on Stress Corrosion and Corrosion Fatigue Failure of Centrifugal Compressor Impeller

Corrosion failure,especially stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue,is the main cause of centrifugal compressor impeller failure.And it is concealed and destructive.This paper summarizes the main theories of stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue and its latest developments,and it also points out that existing stress corrosion cracking theories can be reduced to the anodic dissolution（AD）,the hydrogen-induced cracking（HIC）,and the combined AD and HIC mechanisms.The corrosion behavior and the mechanism of corrosion fatigue in the crack propagation stage are similar to stress corrosion cracking.The effects of stress ratio,loading frequency,and corrosive medium on the corrosion fatigue crack propagation rate are analyzed and summarized.The corrosion behavior and the mechanism of stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue in corrosive environments,which contain sulfide,chlorides,and carbonate,are analyzed.The working environments of the centrifugal compressor impeller show the behavior and the mechanism of stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue in different corrosive environments.The current research methods for centrifugal compressor impeller corrosion failure are analyzed.Physical analysis,numerical simulation,and the fluid-structure interaction method play an increasingly important role in the research on impeller deformation and stress distribution caused by the joint action of aerodynamic load and centrifugal load.

Fluid-structure Interaction Analysis and Lifetime Estimation of a Natural Gas Pipeline Centrifugal Compressor under Near-choke and Near-surge Conditions

Up to present, there have been no studies concerning the application of fluid-structure interaction（FSI） analysis to the lifetime estimation of multi-stage centrifugal compressors under dangerous unsteady aerodynamic excitations. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics（CFD） simulations of a three-stage natural gas pipeline centrifugal compressor are performed under near-choke and near-surge conditions, and the unsteady aerodynamic pressure acting on impeller blades are obtained. Then computational structural dynamics（CSD） analysis is conducted through a one-way coupling FSI model to predict alternating stresses in impeller blades. Finally, the compressor lifetime is estimated using the nominal stress approach. The FSI results show that the impellers of latter stages suffer larger fluctuation stresses but smaller mean stresses than those at preceding stages under near-choke and near-surge conditions. The most dangerous position in the compressor is found to be located near the leading edge of the last-stage impeller blade. Compressor lifetime estimation shows that the investigated compressor can run up to 102.7 h under the near-choke condition and 200.2 h under the near-surge condition. This study is expected to provide a scientific guidance for the operation safety of natural gas pipeline centrifugal compressors.

Simulation of volute tongue of small-size centrifugal compressor

A high speed and small mass-flow-rate centrifugal compressor with original and modified volute tongue shape was simulated by 3D viscous Navier-Stokes equations.A sharp and a round tongue of volute were modeled to compare their pressure ratios and efficiency characteristics.The flow fields around volute tongues were investigated;the velocity and pressure distributions of volute inlet were studied by unsteady simulation.Static pressure fluctuation near volute tongue was monitored and transformed into amplitude spectrum to identify blade passing frequency influence.The results show that the tongue simplification can cause certain difference on pressure ratio and efficiency.The pressure and velocity distribution of volute inlet indicate obvious circumferential distortion due to volute tongue especially at low mass flow rate.In addition,the static pressure pulsation of volute inlet and the noise level in diffuser and volute increase significantly under low mass flow operating condition.

Investigation into the Interaction of Centrifugal Compressor Impeller and Vaneless Diffuser

Centrifugal compressors with parallel-wall and contracting wall vaneless diffuser are designed by using centrifugal compressor computer-aided integrated design system. The internal flow fields of the compressor are calculated by solving three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation. Four aspects are investigated and calculation results show that the total efficiencies and total pressure ratios of the compressor with contracting wall vandess diffuser is higher than that of the compressor with parallel-wall. The jet and wake don＇t mix rapidly inside vandess diffuser. The outlet blade lean angle doesn＇t affect the compressor performance. The greater the mass flow rate through impeller, the more uneven the velocity distribution at impeller outlet is.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF ROTATING STALL FOR A LOW-SPEED CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR

Unsteady flows and rotating stall of a low-speed centrifugal compressor are investigated by measuring vaneless diffuser wall static pressure fluctuation and internal flow fields at different small flow fluxes. During the experiment, firstly the real time static pressure fluctuations on the vaneless diffuser shroud at different circumferential and radial position were acquired by high-frequency dynamic pressure transducers. Discrete Fourier transformation analysis and cross-correlation analysis were applied to the experimental results to ascertain the rotating stall beginning operation conditions and stall cells numbers and rotating speed. Secondly, the vaneless diffuser inlet flow angle distribution along diffuser width direction was acquired by single hotwire, which was compared with SENOO＇s analysis results. At last, the internal flow fields of the centrifugal compressor were investigated with a particle image velocimetry （PIV） system at different small flow fluxes. The flow field development of vaneless diffuser and blade flow passage are given at rotating stall conditions. The experiments enrich the understanding of rotating stall flow phenomenon of the low-speed centrifugal compressor and provide full experiment data for designing high performance centrifugal compressor.

Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Unstable Flow Structure in a Centrifugal Compressor with a Vaneless Diffuse

The unstable flow phenomena in compressors, such as stall and surge, are closely related to the e ciency and the operating region. It is indispensable to capture the unstable flow structure in compressors and understand the mechanism of flow instability at low flow rates. Cooperated with the manufacturer, an industrial centrifugal compressor with a vaneless di user is tested by its performance test rig and our multi-phase dynamic measurement system. Many dynamic pressure transducers are circumferentially mounted on the casing surface at seven radial locations, spanning the impeller region and the di user inlet region. The pressure fields from the design condition to surge are measured in details. Based on the multi-phase dynamic signals, the original location of stall occurring can be determined. Meanwhile, the information of the unstable flow structure is obtained, such as the circumferential mode and the propagating speed of stall cells. To get more details of the vortex structure, an unsteady simulation of this tested compressor is carried out. The computational result is well matched with the experimental result and further illustrates how the unstable flow structure in the impeller region gradually a ects the stability of the total machine at low flow rates. The dynamic mode decomposition(DMD) method is applied to get the specific flow pattern corresponding to the stall frequency. Both experimental and computational analysis show that the flow structure at a particular radial location in the impeller region has a great impact on the stall and surge. Some di erences between the computational and experimental result are also discussed. Through these two main analytical methods, an insight into the unstable flow structure in an industrial compressor is gained. The result also plays a crucial role in the guidance of the compressor stabilization techniques.

Investigation on Surge in Centrifugal Compressors

A test bench for conducting compressor surge experiments is set up, and different system configurations formed by changing the length of compressor outlet pipeline are tested for surge. Dynamic pressure signals relating to surges are acquired at different locations of the configurations using unsteady measurement ＆ data acquisition system. The sliding window method is adopted to set up quantitative criterion on the surge. Parameters included in the criterion, such as location of data collection, size and step of sliding window, a mathematical quantity surge-judging and its threshold, etc., are given. Flow chart of surge evaluation is shown, and surge frequency was evaluated based on system configurations. With all these, the problem of judging the existence of surge by human experiences in compressor performance experiments can be solved. Hence this new approach may help to achieve intelligent operations on automatic compressor performance testrig.

Dynamic Analysis of a Centrifugal Compressor by Finite Element Method

This paper mainly deals with dynamic analysis of rotor-bearing system in a centrifugal compressor. A finite element model of the rotor-bearing system has been developed. The considered factors of the model include the rotary inertia of solid elements, stiffness and damping of hydrodynamic bearing. In the calculating, ANSYS software was used. Both calculated and measured results are in good agreement.

Study on seal improvement and rotor thrust control of centrifugal compressor

Fluid pressure variations due to process fluctuations or balance drum seal degradation can result in rotor thrust increasing that may jeopardize thrust bearing and compressor’s reliability. Also, the leakage flow through balance drum seal can seriously affect the efficiency of compressor. A method that can improve both the efficiency and reliability of centrifugal compressor is presented. The method focused on rotor thrust control and balance drum seal upgrading. The low leakage feature of Dry-Gas-Seal（DGS）, high reliability of labyrinth, and the feasibility of upgrading existing structure are taken into account at the same time to design a combined labyrinth-dry gas seal system on the balancing drum. Based on the combined seal system, a Fault Self-Recovering（FSR） system for the fault of rotor shaft displacement is introduced to assure the safety and reliability of centrifugal compressor. The modern Computational Fluid Dynamics（CFD） is used to validate this envision. The numerical result and relevant information indicate that the combined sealing system could improve the efficiency of the centrifugal compressor by about 4%.

Influence of Different Equations of State on Simulation Results of Supercritical CO_(2) Centrifugal Compressor

Supercritical CO_(2)(SCO_(2))Brayton cycle has received more and more attention in the field of power generation due to its high cycle efficiency and compact structure.SCO_(2) compressor is the core component of the cycle,and the improvement of its performance is the key to improving the efficiency of the entire cycle.However,the operation of the SCO_(2) compressor near the critical point has brought many design and operation problems.Based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS)model,the performance and flow field of SCO_(2) centrifugal compressors based on different CO_(2) working fluid models are numerically investigated in this paper.The stability and convergence of the compressor steady-state simulation are also discussed.The results show that the fluid based on the Span-Wanger(SW)equation can obtain a more ideal compressor performance curve and capture a more accurate flow field structure,while the CO_(2) ideal gas is not suitable for the calculation of SCO_(2) centrifugal compressors.But its flow field can be used as the initial flow field for numerical calculation of centrifugal compressor based on CO_(2) real gas.

Intelligent Identification of Rotating Stall for Centrifugal Compressor Based on Pressure Pulsation Signals and SDKAE Network

Most accidents of centrifugal compressors are caused by fluid pulsation or unsteady fluid excitation.Rotating stall,as an unstable flow phenomenon in the compressor,is a difficult point in the field of fluid machinery research.In this paper,a stack denoising kernel autoencoder neural network method is proposed to study the early warning of rotating stall in a centrifugal compressor.By collecting the pressure pulsation signals of the centrifugal compressor under different flow rates in engineering practice,a double hidden layer sparse denoising autoencoder neural network is constructed.According to the output labels of the network,it can be judged whether the rotation stall occurs.At the same time,the Gaussian kernel is used to optimize the loss function of the whole neural network to improve the signal feature learning ability of the network.From the experimental results,it can be seen that the flow state of the centrifugal compressor is accurately judged,and the rotation stall early warning of the centrifugal compressor at different speeds is realized,which lays a foundation for the research of intelligent operation and maintenance of the centrifugal compressor.

Design of Process Centrifugal Compressor： an Adapted Algorithm

Considering the essential and influential role of centrifugal compressors in a wide range of industries makes most of engineers research and study on design and optimization of centrifugal compressors. Centrifugal compressors are the key to part ofoil, gas and petrochemical industries as well as gas pipeline transports. Since complete 3D design of the compressor consumes a considerable amount of time, most of active companies in the field, are profoundly interested in obtaining a design outline before taking any further steps in designing the entire machine. In this paper, a numerical algorithm, named ACDA （adapted compressor design algorithm） for fast and accurate preliminary design of centrifugal compressor is presented. The design procedure is obtained under real gas behavior, using an appropriate equation of state. Starting from impeller inlet, the procedure is continued on by resulting in numerical calculation for other sections including impeller exit, volute and exit diffuser. Clearly, in any step suitable correction factors are employed in order to conclude in precise numerical results. Finally, the achieved design result is compared with available reference data.

Flow Loss Mechanism in a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Centrifugal Compressor at Low Flow Rate Conditions

With the advantages of high efficiency and compact structure,supercritical carbon dioxide(sC02)Brayton cycles have bright prospects for development in energy conversion field.As one of the core components of the power cycle,the centrifugal compressor tends to operate near the critical point(304.13 K,7.3773 MPa).Normally,the compressor efficiency increases as the inlet temperature decreases.When the inlet temperature is close to the critical point,the density increases sharply as the temperature decreases,which results in quickly decreasing of volume flow rate and efficiency reducing.The flow loss mechanism of the sCO_(2) compressor operating at low flow rate is studied in this paper.Computational fluid dynamics(CFD) simulations for sCO_(2)compressor were carried out at various inlet temperatures and various mass flow rates.When the sCO_(2)compressor operates at low volume flow rate,the flow loss is generated mainly on the suction side near the trailing edge of the blade.The flow loss is related to the counterclockwise vortexes generated on the suction side of the main blade.The vortexes are caused by the flow separation in the downstream region of the impeller passage,which is different from air compressors operating at low flow rates.The reason for this flow separation is that the effect of Coriolis force is especially severe for the sCO_(2) fluid,compared to the viscous force and inertial force.At lower flow rates,with the stronger effect of Coriolis force,the direction of relative flow velocity deviates from the direction of radius,resulting in its lower radial component.The lower radial relative flow velocity leads to severe flow separation on the suction side near the trailing edge of the main blade.

An axisymmetric characteristic model for enhancing prediction of centrifugal compressor characteristics

Rapid and accurate determination of compressor characteristic maps is essential for the initial design of centrifugal compressors in aircraft power systems. The accuracy of existing methodologies, which rely on combinations of loss models, varies significantly depending on the compressor's geometry and operational range. This variance necessitates substantial experimental or Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) data for coefficient calibration. To address this challenge, this study presents an axisymmetric characteristic model for compressor performance assessment. This model incorporates the factors of blade angle, meridional passage area, and the radial deflection angle of meridional streamlines of the compressor. These factors are derived from fundamental aerodynamic equations encompassing mass, momentum, and energy conservation of the compressor. In contrast to conventional one-dimensional approaches, the proposed method reduces the number of loss coefficients and more effectively accounts for the impact of geometric alterations on centrifugal compressor properties. Furthermore, the model reduces dependence on experimental and CFD data. Efficacy of the model is validated using experimental data from four distinct types of centrifugal compressors. Correlation analysis reveals that the model's coefficients can be expressed as functions of the ratio of the Reynolds number to the impeller tip speed. This ratio serves as a characteristic parameter for the design and optimization of centrifugal compressors. Consequently, the proposed method offers an efficient and accurate means for the quick computation of centrifugal compressor characteristics. This is of great significance for improving the efficiency of centrifugal compressors and reducing energy consumption.

Comparative Analysis of Diagonal and Centrifugal Compressors with Synergy Theory in Compressed Air Energy Storage System

Energy storage technology is an essential part of the efficient energy system.Compressed air energy storage(CAES)is considered to be one of the most promising large-scale physical energy storage technologies.It is favored because of its low-cost,long-life,environmentally friendly and low-carbon characteristics.The compressor is the core component of CAES,and the performance is critical to the overall system efficiency.That importance is not only reflected in the design point,but also in the continuous efficient operation under variable working conditions.The diagonal compressor is currently the focus of the developing large-scale CAES because of its stronger flow capacity compared with traditional centrifugal compressors.And the diagonal compressor has the higher single stage pressure ratio compared with axial compressors.In this paper,the full three dimensional numerical simulation technologies with synergy theory are used to compare and analyze the internal flow characteristics.The performance of the centrifugal and diagonal impellers that are optimized under the same requirements for large-scale CAES has been analyzed.The relationship between the internal flow characteristics and performance of the centrifugal and diagonal impellers with the change of mass flow rates and total inlet temperature is given qualitatively and quantitatively.Where the cosine value of the synergy angle is high,the local flow loss is large.The smaller proportion of the positive area is the pursuit of design.Through comparative analysis,it is concluded that the internal flow and performance changes of centrifugal and diagonal impellers are different.The results confirm the superiority and feasibility of the off-design performance of the diagonal compressor applied to the developing large-scale CAES.

Stall Evolution Mechanism of a Centrifugal Compressor with a Wide-Long Vaneless Diffuser

The rotating stall mechanism is of high importance for the stability of centrifugal compressors and thermal power cycles.The majority of research concerning this topic has concentrated on the initial stall phase.However,the evolution of stall cells in wide-long diffusers has not been comprehensively studied.In this paper,the causes of rotating stall in the wide-long diffuser and the three-dimensional evolution mechanism of stall cells during the stall process were thoroughly analyzed.During the stall induction phase,an annulus vortex structure was found in the reverse-flow zone near the hub side of the diffuser outlet,which was the initial form of stall cells.The whole evolution process of stall cells was divided into three phases as the flow rate decreased.During the initial stall phase,the dynamic equilibrium was built under effects of the impeller wake and the adverse pressure gradient.As a result,the number of stall cells was kept at seven and the size of stall cells remained constant.During the transition phase,the flow in the diffuser became unstable.Stall cells extended to the impeller outlet,and the effect of the wake flow was strengthened significantly.Stall cells started integrating and separating regularly.As a result,the number and propagation speed of stall cells varied periodically at a constant mass flow rate.During the deep stall phase,the size of stall cells remained unchanged,and the number of stall cells kept at one.This study has important practical guidance and engineering value for the high-efficiency design and safe operation of centrifugal compressors.

Influence of Real Gas Properties on Aerodynamic Losses in a Supercritical CO_(2) Centrifugal Compressor

Supercritical carbon dioxide(SCO_(2))centrifugal compressor is a key component of a closed Brayton cycle system based on SCO_(2).A comprehensive understanding of the loss mechanism within the compressor is vital for its optimized design.However,the physical properties of SCO_(2) are highly nonlinear near the critical point,and the internal flow of the compressor is closely related to its properties,which inevitably influences the generation of aerodynamic losses within the compressor.This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the compressor's loss mechanism with an experimentally validated numerical method.The real gas model of CO_(2) embodied in the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS)model was used for the study.Firstly,the numerical simulation method was validated against the experimental results of Sandia SCO_(2) compressor.Secondly,performance and loss distribution of the compressor were compared among three fluids including SCO_(2),ideal CO_(2)(ICO_(2))and ideal air(IAir).The results showed that the performance of SCO_(2) was comparable to IAir under low flow coefficient,however markedly inferior to the other two fluids at near choke condition.Loss distribution among the three fluids was distinctive.In the impeller,SCO_(2) was the most inefficient,followed by ICO_(2) and IAir.The discrepancies were magnified as the flow coefficient increased.This is due to a stronger Blade-to-Blade pressure gradient that intensifies boundary layer accumulation on walls of the shroud/hub.Furthermore,owing to the reduced sonic speed of SCO_(2),a shock wave appears earlier at the throat region and SCO_(2) encounters more intenseboundarylayerseparation.

Experimental investigation of characteristics of instability evolution in a centrifugal compressor

The stable range of operation for the centrifugal compressor significantly influences the dynamic,economic,and environment-friendly characteristics of power systems.A deep understand-ing of the characteristics of instability evolution is necessary to improve the compressor stability.A centrifugal compressor equipped with a vaneless diffuser is experimentally investigated using high-response static-pressure measurements.The results obtained indicate that three typical rotational-speed ranges exist based on the different instability evolution characteristics,which reveals the var-ious impeller–diffuser matching behaviors over the entire speed range.At low-speed ranges((40%–75%)N_(max),N_(max)is the maximum rotational speed),the compressor exhibits stable,Rotating Insta-bility(RI),impeller stall(diffuser stall),and surge modes.The impeller stall mode is induced by RI and propagates downstream,resulting in the diffuser stall and compressor surge modes.In the medium-speed range((75%–85%)N_(max)),the compressor exhibits stable,diffuser stall,RI,and surge modes.In the high-speed range((85%–100%)N_(max)),the compressor exhibits stable,diffuser stall,and surge modes.The dominant instability position is shifted from the impeller to the diffuser as the rotational speed increases.Both the impeller and diffuser stall present an irregular sawtooth static-pressure wave and exhibit broadband frequency spectrum patterns.

Real-Time Instability Detection of Centrifugal Compressors Based on Motor Speed Measurements

Flow instability in the centrifugal compressor should be detected and avoided for stable and safe operation.Due to the popularity of electric centrifugal compressors,instability detection could be achieved by measuring motor signals instead of traditional aerodynamic signals.In this paper,the feasibility of instability detection by motor signals(i.e.rotating speed and phase current)was studied experimentally.The physical structure and control method of the electric centrifugal compressor were discussed to reveal the potential of instability detection by motor signals.Dynamic pressure signals and motor signals measured during unsteady experiments were analyzed in the time domain and frequency domain.Characteristics of these signals were then compared under different operating conditions to indicate the feasibility of instability detection by motor signals.Finally,the ability of Short-Time Fourier Transform(STFT)of rotating speed signals in real-time instability detection was discussed.Results showed that the rotating speed signal is a good alternate for instability detection in spite of signal distortion,while the phase current signal can only detect surge due to the low resolution of the controller.Based on the variations of the amplitude and frequency of rotating speed signals,the real-time instability can be captured accurately by STFT with a window size of 0.5 s.Besides,the interference caused by the controller can be removed by STFT.

Mechanism of stall and surge in a centrifugal compressor with a variable vaned diffuser

To expand the stable operating range of compressors, understanding the mechanism of flow instability at low flow rates is necessary. In this paper, the mechanism of stall and surge in a centrifugal compressor with a variable vaned diffuser is experimentally investigated, where the diffuser blade setting angle can be adjusted. Many dynamic pressure transducers are mounted on the casing surface of the compressor. From the design condition to surge, dynamic pressure data is recorded throughout the gradual process. According to the signal developing status, the typical modes of compressor instability are defined in detail, such as stall, mild surge, and deep surge. A relatively high-frequency stall wave originates in the impeller and propagates to the diffuser, and finally stimulates a deep surge in the compressor. The compressor behavior during surge differs at different diffuser vane angles. When the diffuser vane angle is adjusted, both the unstable form and the core factor affecting the overall machine stability change. A specific indicator is proposed to measure the instability of each component in a compressor, which can be used to determine the best region for stability extension technologies, such as a holed casing treatment, in different compressor applications.