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.

Effects of Four Types of Pre-swirls on the Leakage, Flow Field, and Fluid-Induced Force of the Rotary Straight-through Labyrinth Gas Seal

The labyrinth seal in turbomachinery is a key element that restricts leakage flow among rotor-stator clearances from high-pressure regions to low-pressure regions. The fluid-induced forces on the rotor from seals during machine operation must be accurately quantified to predict their dynamic behavior effectively. To understand the fluid-induced force characteristics of the labyrinth seal more fully, the effects of four types of pre-swirls on the leakage, flow field, and fluid-induced force of a rotary straight-through labyrinth gas seal (RSTLGS) were numerically investigated using the proposed steady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method based on the three-dimensional models of the RSTLGS. The leakage, flow field, and fluid-induced force of the RSTLGS for six axial pre-swirl velocities, four radial preswirl angles, four circumferential positive pre-swirl angles, and four circumferential negative pre-swirl angles were computed under the same geometrical parameters and operational conditions. Mesh analysis ensures the accuracy of the present steady CFD method. The numerical results show that the four types of pre-swirls influence the leakage, flow field, and fluid-induced force of the RSTLGS. The axial pre-swirl velocity remarkably inhibits the fluid-induced force, and the circumferential positive pre-swirl angle and circumferential negative pre-swirl angle remarkably promote the fluid-induced force. The effects of the radial pre-swirl angle on the fluid-induced force are complicated, and the pressure forces and viscous forces show the maximum or minimum values at a specific radial pre-swirl angle. The pre-swirl has a negligible impact on the leakage. The four types of pre-swirls affect the leakage, flow field, and fluidinduced force of the RSTLGS to varying degrees. The pre-swirl is the influence factor affecting the leakage, flow field, and fluid-induced force of the RSTLGS. The conclusions will help to understand the fluid-induced force of labyrinth seals more fully, by providing helpful suggestions for engineering practices and a theoretical basis to analyze the fluid–structure interaction of the seal-rotor system in future research.

前置预旋定子泵喷推进器辐射噪声数值预报

The requirement of low radiated noise is increasing for underwater propulsors as the noise significantly affecting the comfort and quietness of ships,submarines,and vessels.To broaden the view of noise characteristics of pump-jet propulsors(PJPs),this paper considers the radiated noise of a pre-swirl stator PJP with the effects of the advance coefficient and rotor rotational speed.Radiated noise is obtained by the“hybrid method”approach,which combines a hydrodynamic solver with a hydroacoustic solver.The turbulence flow is obtained through improved delayed detached eddy simulation(IDDES),which show good agreement with the experiment,including the performance and flow field.The solver precision,permeable surface size,and sampling frequency notably affect the noise calculation.The spectra of thrust fluctuation and radiated noise are characterized by the tonal phenomenon around the blade passing frequency and its harmonics.The spectrum of radiated noise and overall sound pressure level(OSPL)are considerably affected by both the advance coefficient and the rotor rotational speed.Overall,the numerical results and analysis given in this paper should be partly helpful in deepening the understanding of the radiated noise characteristics of PJPs.

Development of Energy-Saving Devices for a 20,000DWT River–Sea Bulk Carrier

A reduction of fuel consumption and an increase in efficiency are currently required for river–sea bulk carriers.Pre-swirl and ducted stators are widely used devices in the industry and efficiency gains can be obtained for single-screw and twin-screw vessels.Based on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the 20,000DWT river–sea bulk carrier,in this study,we proposed,designed,and tested a series of pre-swirl energy-saving devices(ESDs).The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ESDs improved the propulsive efficiency and reduced the delivered power.The results confirm the success of our ESD for the 20,000DWT river–sea bulk carrier.We validated the role of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes(RANS)computational fluid dynamics(CFD)in the twin-skeg river–sea vessel ESD design and found the circumferential arrangement and number of stators to be important factors in the design process.