Effect of Pre-Swirling Flow on Performance and Flow Fields in Semi-Opened Axial Fan

In this study, we tried to improve the performance by giving a pre-swirling flow to the radial inflow that occurred in the semi-opened axial fan. In addition, the flow fields of rotor outlet were clarified experimentally, and the effect of pre-swirling flow was considered. The experiment was carried out using a performance test wind tunnel with a square cross section of 880 mm. Three types of casings were prepared, in which the blade tip protruded 0%, 20%, and 40% of the meridional chord length. They were called R25, R15, and R05, respectively, in the casing bellmouth model code. Guide blades for generating a pre-swirling flow were installed on the vertical wall surface of the casing. In addition, a vertical wall was installed 60% upstream of the meridional chord length as an obstacle to prevent axial inflow. The velocity fields of the rotor outlet were measured using a hot-wire anemometer. From the results, the pre-swirling flow did not significantly affect the fan performance. When there was no obstacles wall upstream, there was a partial increase in efficiency, but the difference was not so large. When there was an obstacle wall upstream, the efficiency increased overall in the case of R15, but in the case of R05, the efficiency increased only in the low flow rate region, and conversely decreased in the high flow rate region. By observing the blade outlet flow fields when the performance was improved, it was confirmed that the influence of the tip leakage vortex was weakened.

Comparison of One-Dimensional Analysis with Experiment for CO₂Two-Phase Nozzle Flow

The aim of this study is to investigate CO2 two-phase nozzle flow in terms of both experimental and analytical aspects for the optimum design of two-phase flow nozzle of CO2 two-phase flow ejector. In the experiment, it is measured that the temperature profile in the stream-wise direction of a divergent-convergent nozzle through which CO2 in the supercritical pressure condition is blown down into the atmosphere. In the analysis, a one-dimensional model which assumes steady, adiabatic, frictionless, and equilibrium is proposed. In the convergent part of the nozzle the flow is treated as single-phase flow of liquid, whereas in the divergent part the flow is treated as separated two-phase flow with saturated condition. The analytical results indicate that the temperature and the pressure decrease rapidly in the divergent part, and the void fraction increases immediately near the throat. Although this analysis is quite simple, the analytical results can follow the experimental results well within this study.

Design of Half-Ducted Axial Flow Fan Considering Radial Inflow and Outflow

Half-ducted fan and ducted fan have been designed and numerically analyzed for investigating the radial flow effect on the overall performance and the three dimensional flow field in design. Based on quasi-three dimensional flow theory, the meridional flow was calculated by adopting the radial balance equations, while the calculation of the blade to blade flow was obtained by 2D cascade data with the correction by a potential flow theory. Two types of axial flow fan were designed. One is the full ducted case as if it was in the straight pipe and another is the half-ducted case with the radial inflow and outflow. The previous experimental results of authors were used to decide the inclinations of both the inflow and outflow. And the circular arc blade with equal thickness was adopted. The numerical results indicate that both of the designed fans can reach the specified efficiency and also the efficiency surpasses more than 11%. Furthermore, the static pressure characteristic of half-ducted fan is much better than that of ducted fan. In comparison of the three dimensional internal flow of these two fans, the improvement of the flow angle at inlet and outlet, the distributions of velocity in the flow field and the pressure distributions on the blade surfaces can be achieved more successfully in accordance with the design intension on consideration of flow angle in design. The conclusion that half-ducted design with considering radial inflow and outflow is feasible and valid in comparison with ducted design for axial flow fans has been obtained at the end of the paper.

A Study on the Half-Ducted Axial Flow Fan Designed by a Diagonal Flow Fan Design Method

A study on the half-ducted axial flow fan designed by a diagonal flow fan design method was conducted. The rotor which has NACA65 blades was designed, calculated numerically, manufactured and tested experimentally. As a result of the design and CFD, the meridional streamline and three distributions of the meridional, tangential and radial velocity at inlet and outlet go well as designed values of the half ducted fan. On the other hand, the values of the meridional velocity and the tangential velocity are little smaller than the design values at the hub side of the radial distribution. The improvement of the design is prospected for this point, that is, the approach between the design value and the actual flow is prospected if the tangential velocity is assigned small at hub and is assigned large at the tip so as to accord the actual flow in the vortex design of the rotor blade. Then the designed half-ducted rotor with four NACA65 blades was fabricated by a three-dimensional printer and tested in the wind tunnel in order to validate the half-ducted design method. For the comparison between the design values and the experimental values at the design flow rate coefficient of φ = 0.264, the experimental values of the pressure rise coefficient ψ and the efficiency η are rather small than the design values, while the experimental value of the torque coefficient τ is almost the same as the design value. However, the experimental value of approximately 0.45 of the maximum efficiency is comparably large value considering for the limitation of the situation of half-ducted. For the comparison between the experimental values and the CFD values at φ = 0.264, the CFD values are almost the same values as the experimental values for all the values of ψ, τ and η. In addition, the tendencies of the CFD values when the flow rate coefficient changes are almost similar as the experimental tendencies, though the flow rate coefficient for the CFD values when ψ or η takes the peak value shifts toward larger flow rate. For the case at rotor outlet at φ = 0.264, two values of the meridional velocity and the tangential velocity are larger than the design values at the tip side of the radial distribution.

Effect of Nozzle Inlet Shape on Annular Swirling Flow with Non-Equilibrium Condensation

Recently,by combining a swirl flow with non-equilibrium condensation phenomena of condensate gas generated in a supersonic flow,a separating and extracting techniques of condensate gas have been developed.This technique can reduce the size of the device and don't use chemicals.In the present study,by using a non-equilibrium condensation phenomenon of moist air occurred in the supersonic flow in the annular nozzle composed of an inher body and an outer nozzle with a swirl,the possibility of separation of the condensable gas and the effect of shape of nozzle inlet on the flow field were examined numerically.

Flow Fields with Tip Leakage Vortex in a Small Axial Cooling Fan

In order to improve the fan characteristics, especially efficiency and noise level of a small axial cooling fan with a large tip clearance, the internal flow measurements with tip leakage vortex were carried out at fan rotor outlet us- ing an I-type hot-wire probe. The probe was set toward two directions, parallel and normal to the meridional plane of test fan, and the two directional velocity components were measured. From the result of fan test it was found that the test fan didn＇t have the unstable characteristic with a positive gradient on its pressure - flow-rate curve. From the results of velocity measurement it was observed that the tip leakage vortex exited at maximum efficiency flow-rate and large flow-rate conditions. However, at small flow-rate conditions the tip leakage vortex was not observed and it was found that the flow field were enlarged toward radial outwards

Corner Separations around a NACA65 Blade in a Decelerating Flow (Experimental Investigations by Five-Hole Probe and PIV)

In order to examine the fundamental characteristics of corner separation in a decelerating cascade flow,the experimental apparatus was made and separations around a NACA65 blade in a decelerating channel flow were examined.Two-dimensional calculations show that the NACA65 cascade flow that has 45 deg.of turning,1.24 of solidity and 17 deg.of stagger angle is equivalent to the channel flow that has 14 deg.of stagger angle in terms of pitchwise blade force.Experimental investigation by five-hole probe shows that the accumulations of low energy fluid can be seen around the corner part and the overturning flow due to the secondary flow exists.And,as the periodicity of the blade wake in a pitchwise direction is comparably good,the wake of this channel flow is similar to the wake of the cascade flow for two pitch portion.PIV measurement results shows that a vortex pattern can be seen in the momentary streamline on the suction surface of the blade and in the averaged streamline on the perpendicular to both the suction surface and the endwall.

Annular Supersonic Swirling Flows with Heterogeneous Condensation

In recent years,separating and extracting technologies of condensate gas have been developed by combining a swirl flow with non-equilibrium condensation phenomena of condensate gas generated in a supersonic flow.The technology can reduce the size of the device and does not use chemicals.However,there are many unresolved problems for performance of the separation,extraction and operating principle.Therefore it is necessary to research further in order to improve the performance of the equipment.In the present study,the numerical study was carried out to clarify the effect of the heterogeneous condensation on the characteristics of the swirling flow field in a supersonic annular nozzle,and the differences between homogeneous condensation and heterogeneous condensation in the flow field.As the results,it is found that the condensation flow with a swirl affects the position of sonic line,the generating position of condensate and the radial distribution ratio of liquid phase.

Experimental Investigation of Stator Flow in Diagonal Flow Fan

Experimental investigations were conducted for the internal flow of the stator of the diagonal flow fan. Comer separation near the hub surface and the suction surface of the stator blade are focused on. At the design flow rate, the values of the axial velocity and the total pressure at stator outlet decrease near the suction surface at around the hub surface by the influence of the comer wall. At low flow rate of 80-90 % of the design flow rate, the comer separation between the suction surface and the hub surface can be found, which become widely spread at 80 % of the design flow rate.

Vortices within the Separation Region in a Decelerating Channel Flow (Effect of Inlet Velocity Gradient)

An experimental investigation was made into three-dimensional separated flow and the vortices within the flow separation in a decelerating channel flow generated by the suction from a porous side wall. The flows along the side and bottom walls were visualized by the surface tuft method. The turbulent internal flow was measured by the split-film probe to investigate the turbulent flow including the reverse flow. In the flow visualization for the strong decelerating flow （the suction flow ratio：0.8）, two typical flow patterns appear alternatively. One is that the flow near the bottom wall separates more upstream than the flow near the top wall and a clockwise vortex can be seen in the separation region. Another is the reversal flow pattern with a counterclockwise vortex. By the turbulent flow measurement using the split-film probe, two peaks of turbulence level are observed for the strong decelerating flow case. These peaks can be related with two flow patterns mentioned above.

Unsteady Flow at Low Flow-rate Region in a Semi-open Propeller Fan (Velocity Fluctuation outside of Blade Tip)

In order to clarify the unsteady flow fields at low flow-rate region with positive gradient on pressure-flow-rate curve,the experimental investigation was carried out at rotor inlet and outside of rotor blade tip without casing in a semi-opened propeller fan using a hot-wire anemometer.A single I-type hot-wire probe was used,and the data obtained were processed by the use of phase-locked averaging,ensemble averaging and FFT analyzing.The flow fields at rotor inlet and outside of rotor blade tip were discussed mainly using the results from distributions of velocity fluctuations and power spectrum density.It was found from these results that there are the two types of different periodical fluctuations and both of those frequencies were not the same of rotor rotating frequency(RRF;15Hz).One was observed at relatively high flow-rate region at relatively downstream area in measurement and its frequency was approximately 7Hz(47% of RRF).The other was observed at relatively low flow-rate region at relatively upstream area in measurement and its frequency was approximately 10Hz(67% of RRF)".As the velocity fluctuations with the flow fields are rapidly increased by the former fluctuation,it is thought that its fluctuation is the trigger of blade stall.