Several Examples of Turbomachinery

Design and CFD-Simulation using

CFturbo® and STAR CCM+®

Dipl.-Ing. Ralph Peter Mueller

CFturbo Software & Engineering GmbH
Munich, Germany

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Company
CFturbo® Software & Engineering GmbH

CFturbo® Software Engineering CAD & Prototyping

• Turbomachinery • Turbomachinery • 3D-CAD Modeling

Design Software Conceptual Design • Prototyping
• Automated • CFD/FEA Simulation • Testing, Validation
Workflows • Optimization

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Turbomachinery Design Process

Meshing, CFD-Simulation, Post-Processing

STAR CCM+

Conceptual
Computation, optimization:
Design Production
interactively or automated
CFturbo®

3D-CAD Experiments
CATIA, Creo, UG NX, Prototyping, Testing,
SolidWorks, SpaceClaim, … Validation, …

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Manual „Optimization“ Workflow

Transsonic Radial Compressor
Traditional common workflow: 5 … 25 model variations, 1 to 4 weeks,

Design point (BEP)

Total pressure ratio: ∏tt = 4
Mass flow rate: ṁ = 0.11 kg/s
Speed: n = 90.000 min-1
Power (limitation): Pm < 30 kW
20 Designs 20 Performance Curves 1 Prototype

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Automated Optimization Workflow Available

Centrifugal Pump Impeller Optimization
300 automated model variations, time & cost depending on available resources

CFturbo CCM+

Design goals Performance

Optimization

HEEDS

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

CFturbo Model Overview

 Pumps

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

CFturbo Model Overview

 Compressors, Turbines

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

CFturbo Model Overview

 Fans, Blowers

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 1. Radial Pump with Inducer

Comments
- Generic CFturbo design, 5 design variations
- Q=600 m³/h, P=120 bar, n=12000 rpm
- Compare CFD-simulation
• Steady State, no cavitation
• Transient flow, no cavitation
• Transient flow, with cavitation
- No experimental are data available

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 1. Radial Pump with Inducer

1.4
Head / Head Design Point

1.2

0.8

0.6
steady state w/o cavitation
transient w/o cavitation
0.4 transient w/ cavitation
Design Point
0.2
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6
Flow Rate / Flow Rate Design Point

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 1. Radial Pump with Inducer

,
Head Pressure

• Rising vapor fraction determines lower pressure

• Transient flow simuation with cavitation modeling is
essential for NPSH calculations
Volume Flow, Vapor Fraction
,

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 2. Initial Design Axial Pump

- Typical design point for axial pump defined
- First initial conceptual design by CFturbo
- No diffuser or inlet guide vane. Rotor in pipe.
• n = 780 rpm
• H = 15.6 feet
• Q = 23,400 gpm
• NPSHr = 27 feet
• Tip diameter = 23 inches
• Shroud diameter = 23.25 inches
• 0.3 hub/tip ratio
- Steady state & transient Simulation,
- Cavitation

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 2. Initial Design Axial Pump

Leading edge blade tip cavitation

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

90000
Dp total [Pa]

Steep performance curve with saddle point,

80000 that is typical for axial pumps
70000

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

0
400 900 1400 1900 2400
Massflow [kg/s]
steady state transient transient with Cavitation model

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

0.8
efficiency [-]

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1 Very first initial design >> hydraulic efficiency

should be significantly improved
0
400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400
MassFlow [kg/s]
transient stady state transient with Cavitation model

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

Comments
- Customer design
- CFD-Solver-Benchmark
- Steady state (MFR) and transient flow
- Coarse mesh (approx. 1 Mio. nodes)
- Experimental data available

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

Comments
- Customer design
- CFD-Solver-Benchmark
- Steady state (MFR) and transient flow
- Coarse mesh (approx. 1 Mio. nodes)
- Experimental data available

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

3500
Static Pressure Difference [Pa]

3000

2500

2000

1500
dp_InOut CCM+

1000 dp_InOut CCM+ (transient)

dp_InOut Solver I

500 dp_InOut Solver II

dp_InOut Messung
0
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20

Q [m^3/s]

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

3500
Static Pressure Difference [Pa]

3000

2500

2000

1500

dp_InOut Solver Mean

1000
dp_InOut Solver Max

dp_InOut Solver Min

500
dp_InOut Messung

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2
Q [m^3/s]

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

600
Power PI [W]

500

400

300
PI CCM+

200 PI CCM+ (transient)

PI Solver I

100 PI Solver II

P Messung

0
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20

Q [m^3/s]

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

600
Power PI [W]

500

400

300

200 PI Mean Solver

PI Max Solver

100 PI Min Solver

P Messung

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2

Q [m^3/s]

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Radial Blower

0.7000
Efficiency [-]

0.6000

0.5000

0.4000

0.3000 eta_InOut CCM+

eta_InOut CCM+ (transient)

0.2000
eta_InOut Solver I

eta_InOut Solver II
0.1000
eta_InOut Messung

0.0000
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20

Q [m^3/s]

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 3. Reasons of discrepancy between simulation and measurement

Radial Blower should be investigated - mesh, time step, turbulence models,…
- check experimental set-up
0.700
Efficiency [-]

0.600

0.500

0.400

0.300

0.200 eta_InOut Solver Mean

eta_InOut Solver Max
0.100 eta_InOut Solver Min
eta_InOut Messung
0.000
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2

Q [m^3/s]

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 4. Virtual Automotive Cooling Fan Test Rig

- Customers supplier design
- CFturbo impeller re-design
- Performance curve simulations, Steady state
(MFR) + transient flow on a virtual testbench
Impeller - Scientific investigation on downstream flow
patterns and performance curves
Stator - A challenge: PACKAGING

Heat
Exchanger

Downstream channel
with or w/o blockage
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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 4. Virtual Automotive Cooling Fan Test Rig

Frozen Rotor Mixing Plane (Stage Inteface)

1:1 direct transfer of all physical values Mean values of pressure and momentum
to the other side of the interface are used to provide radial distribution

 Are these steady state models a good alternatives compared to transient

simulation of axial automotive cooling fans?

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 4. Virtual Automotive Cooling Fan Test Rig

Downstream flow patterns

Frozen Rotor Mixing Plane Transient

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 4. Virtual Automotive Cooling Fan Test Rig

Static Pressure Difference [Pa]

Steady state CFD-solutions are

Performance Curves dependent on the position of
the Rotor-Stator-Interfaces!

>> Computation of energy

transmission within the
impeller is affected!

Transient
Mixing Plane (MP)
Frozen Rotor (FR)
Volume flow Q/Qref

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Example 4. Virtual Automotive Cooling Fan Test Rig

Frozen Rotor

Mixing Plane

Transient

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 Several Examples of Turbomachinery Design and CFD-Simulation
using CFturbo® and STAR CCM+

Summary

 CFturbo® and STAR CCM+ is a powerful combination for conceptual Turbomachinery

design and 3D-CFD-simulation

 For different Turbomachinery applications different methodologies may be necessary

 Transient simulations do provide more accurate results im most cases

 Automated workflows and multi-objective optimization processes are available by

additional application of OPTIMATETM and HEEDSTM

 Various types of Turbomachinery can be designed and investigated effectively

• pumps, blowers, compressors, turbines
• radial, mixed-flow and axial type
• incompressible and compressible flow
• without and with cavitation

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