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Pressure Recovery in a Centrifugal Blower Casing

Article  in  Bulletin of the JSME · August 2006

DOI: 10.1299/jsmeb.49.125

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 125

Pressure Recovery in a Centrifugal Blower Casing∗

Junichiro FUKUTOMI∗∗ , Akiyoshi ITABASHI∗∗∗ and Yasutoshi SENOO∗∗∗

The rate of circulating flow passing through the tongue division and the pressure recovery
in the casing are investigated in a centrifugal blower, which has no diffuser and large tongue
clearance. At the design point, the ratio of circulating flow rate to total flow rate at the scroll
end is about 45 percent, and the pressure recovery in the scroll is about 45 percent. As
the remaining 55 percent of the pressure recovery in the casing is recovered in the section
between the scroll end and exit duct, this section acts as a high-performance diffuser. It
is concluded that the centrifugal force produced by the secondary flow and boundary layer
suction are the main causes of the large pressure recovery. Moreover, it is found that the
flow conditions from the scroll toward the exit duct are closely related to the low flow rate
characteristics of the blower.

Key Words: Blower, Scroll Casing, Pressure Recovery, Circulating Flow, Boundary Layer
Suction, Turbomachinery

Therefore, it is important, in the designing a casing, to in-

1. Introduction
The scroll casing with large width compared with the
impeller exit width is widely used without a diffuser in
the centrifuging blower. The blower of this type is used
to provide forced draft to boilers and in general industry,
because of their simple structure, small size and low pro-
duction cost. As noise is a serious problem in the cen-
trifugal blower, several studies of the tongue shape and
clearance have been carried out(1) – (4) . It has been shown
that noise decreases with increasing tongue clearance but
the blower performance changes little within the limits of
the practical clearance. Moreover, it has been reported
that in a casing with too small a tongue clearance, the exit
flow from the impeller is suppressed and hence the perfor-
mance drops(5) . Therefore, a relatively large tongue clear-
ance is usually adopted.
In a casing without a diffuser, the fluid of the impeller
exit gushes directly out in the scroll and is mixed with sur-
rounding fluid. The fluid in the scroll flows by branching
near the tongue division. Part of the fluid passes through
the tongue clearance, and gaps between the impeller and
casing side walls. The rest, which flows into an exit duct,
is decelerated to discharge velocity and then discharged(6) .
∗ Nomenclature
Received 6th May, 2004 (No. 04-4100)
∗∗
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of
Tokushima, 2–1 Minamijosanjima, Tokushima 770–8506,
Japan. E-mail: fukutomi@me.tokushima-u.ac.jp
∗∗∗
Miura Industrial Co., Ltd., 7 Horie, Matsuyama 799–2651,
Japan
vestigate the conditions of pressure recovery and elucidate
the relationship with flow conditions.
Several studies have been conducted on the effects of
casing shape on performance: such as the cross-sectional
shape and enlargement of the scroll(7) – (13) , tongue posi-
tion, geometry and clearance(4), (5), (12) – (17) , and the cross-
sectional size of the exit duct(14) . The following results
have been obtained. Matching the scroll with the impeller
is important for determining the cross-sectional area of the
scroll(8) – (10), (12), (13) . There is little difference in the max-
imum blower efficiency between a rectangular and trape-
zoidal cross section(11), (13) . Even if the divergence angle of
the exit duct is increased considerably beyond the normal
6◦ – 10◦ , small reductions in blower efficiency occur(14) .
By correlating these effects with internal flow con-
ditions, the flow in each section of the casing has been
examined in several studies on performance improve-
ment(5), (14), (15), (18), (19) . In the present study, the flow in
a blower casing which has no diffuser and large tongue
clearance was investigated. The region where the pressure
rises and the rate of rise were determined by static pres-
sure measurements. Moreover, their relationship to inter-
nal flow was considered.
b2 : blade exit width
be : width of exit duct
Cp : pressure recovery factor
D2 : outer diameter of impeller

JSME International Journal Series B, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2006

126

B : casing depth
k : type number
l : distance toward exit duct from scroll end (θ = 0◦ )
L : power
N s : specific speed [rpm, m3 /min, m]
P s : static pressure rise or static pressure on hub-side
wall of casing
Pt : total pressure
∆P : pressure rise
Q : flow rate
Qt : total flow rate passing through scroll end (θ = 0◦ )
R : outer radius of scroll at scroll end (θ = 0◦ )
R2 : outer radius of impeller
r : radius Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the test centrifugal blower
U2 : peripheral velocity of impeller
Vt : circumferential velocity component Table 1 Main parameters of the blower
Z : number of blades (a) Casing (b) Impeller
z : axial distance (Fig. 1)
η : blower efficiency = QP s /L
ηd : diffuser effectiveness
θ : angle (Fig. 1)
θt : angle around tongue
λ : power coefficient = L/(ρU 23 πD2 b2 ) or friction fac-
tor
ρ : density
τw : wall shear stress
φ : flow coefficient = Q/(πD2 b2 U2 )
ψ : pressure coefficient = P s /(ρU 22 )
ω : angular velocity
Subscripts
cas : in the casing its radius to the impeller outer radius R2 are 0.27 and 0.14
d : design point respectively(5) . These values are based on the noise caused
dif : section between the scroll end and exit duct by the interference between the tongue and impeller.
exit : position where flow becomes uniform in the exit The impeller is cast in aluminum. The blade shape is
duct a two-dimensional circular arc, with inlet and outlet angles
out : discharge flow of 30 and 90 degrees respectively. The number of blades
rec : circulating flow is fifteen. The rate of clearance between the impeller and
scr : scroll chamber the hub-side wall of the casing to the impeller outer radius
t : total s/R2 is 0.07. The inlet clearance between the impeller and
the inlet duct (suction pipe) is 1 mm(20) .
2. Experimental Apparatus and Procedures
The experimental rotational speed of the impeller is
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the test centrifu- 3 000 rpm. Static pressures are measured on the hub-side
gal blower. The blower was developed to provide forced wall of the casing using pressure taps. The diameter of
draft to a boiler. Its type number k is 0.45 (N s = 185 [rpm, the static pressure tap is 0.7 mm. Measuring positions are
m3 /min, m]). Main parameters of the blower are shown the outer circumference of the impeller (r = R2 ), 1.25R2 ,
in Table 1. The casing, the length of which is five times the center of the exit flow passage and 10 mm inside the
the exit width of the blade, is made of transparent plas- scroll wall periphery. The flow conditions in the casing
tic plates to enable visualization of the internal flow. The are measured with a five-hole pitot tube. Depth-tuft and
scroll wall is enlarged in proportion to the circumferential oil-film methods are used for flow visualization. For the
angle. The divergence angle of the scroll and the width of depth-tuft method, the outer diameter of the depth pipe is
the exit duct were optimized experimentally. The exit duct 1 mm. Tufts are made of cotton threads less than 20 mm
is a parallel passage twice the length of the impeller outer in length(21) . For the oil-film method, liquid paraffin as the
diameter used to investigate the pattern of pressure recov- oil, titan oxide as the pigment and oleic acid as the additive
ery in the flow passage. The rate of tongue clearance and are used.

Series B, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2006 JSME International Journal


3. Experimental Results and Discussion
3. 1 Static pressure distributions and flow condi-
tions in the casing
Characteristic curves of the test blower are shown in
Fig. 2. Parameters such as flow rate, static pressure and
output power are made dimensionless using the equations
described in the Nomenclature. Flow coefficient φd at the
design point is 0.18. Static pressure distributions on the
hub-side wall of the casing at the design point are shown
in Fig. 3. The abscissa represents the circumferential posi-
tion expressed by the angle θ = 0◦ to 360◦ and the position
toward the exit duct l/be is given by the dimensionless dis-
tance divided by exit duct width. At θ = 0◦ , the drop is per-
pendicular from the center of the impeller on the passage
of the exit duct (see Fig. 1). The location of the tongue cor-
responds to about θ = 52◦ . Pressure rises not only in the
scroll, but also in a section between the scroll end (θ = 0◦ )
and exit duct. In the latter case, a sudden change of pres-
sure occurs within a short distance. Flow conditions in this
section at the center of the scroll depth were visualized by
the depth-tuft method, as shown in Fig. 4. Fluid which
passes through the cross section of the scroll end (θ = 0◦ )
circulates through the tongue clearance. The remaining
fluid flows into the exit duct and is discharged. Therefore,
the discharge suddenly expands within the short distance
Fig. 2 Characteristic curves of the test blower
Fig. 3 Static pressure distributions in the scroll and exit duct
(Q/Qd = 1.00)
JSME International Journal
127
from the scroll end to the exit duct. Hence this section acts
as a diffuser.
3. 2 Estimation of flow conditions at the scroll end
To estimate the circulating flow rate, the conserva-
tion of angular momentum is applied to a control vol-
ume (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5). The curve DE
is a branching streamline between circulating flow and
discharge flow. The flow is dealt with as being two-
dimensional.
On the assumption that friction moments acting on
the side walls of the impeller and on the casing are equal,
the conservation of angular momentum is given as


rρVt2 Bdr − R2 ρQVt = M1 + M2
DG
= M11 + M12 + M2 (1)
where M1 is composed of moments M11 and M12 , which
are based on the friction and pressure acting on the scroll
wall, respectively. M2 is a moment based on the pressure
acting on the surface DG.
It is assumed that the velocity distribution at the scroll
end is expressed by the following equation.
Fig. 4 Visualization of flow toward exit duct by depth-tuft
method (Q/Qd = 0.61)
Fig. 5 Control volume shown by dotted lines
Series B, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2006
128
Fig. 6 Velocity distributions at the scroll end (θ = 0◦ )
rn · Vt = K (= constant)
Then, the flow rate passing through the surface DG is
equal to the discharge flow rate Q.


Q= Vt Bdr
DG
= BK(R−n+1 − r−n+1 )/(−n + 1)
Assuming that the magnitude of M12 is equal to that of
M2 , and using the slip factor σ of the impeller,
ρKQ(R−n+1 + r−n+1 )/2 − R2 ρQ(1 − σ)U 2


=2 rτw rdrdθ.
scr
The velocity distribution at the scroll end is obtained using
this equation. The slip factor σ is expressed by Stanitz’s
formula fitted for a radial blade.
σ = 1.98/Z
Both experimental and calculated circumferential ve-
locity components (Vt ) at the scroll end are shown in Fig. 6
for three flow rates. The experimental values are the mean
velocity averaged over scroll width B. The power num-
ber n of velocity distribution in the calculation is taken to
be 0.6 referring to the experimental distribution. More-
over, the wall shear stress is expressed as τw = (λ/8)ρVt2
for simplicity, and the friction factor λ is determined to
correspond to the Reynolds number (Re ) in the scroll with
a smooth wall. The calculated values are in fairly good
agreement with the experimental results for every flow
rate. The circumferential velocity component decreases
with decrease of the discharge flow rate, because the an-
gular momentum brought into the control surface from the
impeller decreases.
3. 3 Rates of circulating flow and pressure recovery
Total flow rate Qt through the scroll end is calculated
using the mean velocity distribution described above. The
flow at the scroll end branches into circulating flow and
discharge flow. Figure 7 shows the total flow rate Qt /Qd
at the scroll end, and the ratio Qrec /Qt of circulating flow
rate Qrec (= Qt − Q) to total flow rate Qt . At the design
point, the total flow rate at the scroll end reaches 1.8 times
the design flow rate and Qrec /Qt becomes about 45 per-
cent. The circulating flow rate increases almost linearly
Series B, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2006
(2) Fig. 7 Rates of flow and pressure recovery
(3)
(4)
(5)
Fig. 8 Static pressure distributions from scroll end to exit duct
with decrease of the discharge flow rate Q. Therefore the
discharge flow rapidly expands within the short distance
from the scroll end to the exit duct. Pressure rise in the
casing, ∆pcas , from the impeller exit to the exit duct is di-
vided into two: the pressure rise in the scroll, ∆Pscr , from
the impeller exit to the scroll end, and that ∆Pdif from the
scroll end to the exit duct. The ratio of ∆Pdif /∆Pcas is
also shown in Fig. 7. The average flow rates are used as
the representative pressure at each cross section. At the
design point, the pressure recovery is about 45 percent in
the scroll. The remaining 55 percent is recovered in the
section between the scroll end and exit duct.
Figure 8 shows the static pressure distributions along
the flow passage in this section, which are measured at
the center of the flow passage on the hub-side wall of the
casing. The pressure rises with decrease of the flow rate.
Near the maximum-efficiency point, pressure rise is maxi-
mized. However, at a very low flow rate, it becomes lower
in spite of a large flow expansion.
3. 4 Pressure recovery factor and diffuser effective-
ness of discharge flow toward exit duct
The pressure recovery factor C p and the diffuser ef-
fectiveness ηd of the discharge flow toward the exit duct
JSME International Journal
 129

were calculated. The diffuser performance of this section the oil-film method are shown in Fig. 11. On the hub-side
was then evaluated using these values. The pressure re- wall of the casing, inward flow patterns resemble those
covery factor of the discharge flow is defined by of free vortex flow sinking into the center. This means
2 that low-speed fluid in the boundary layer near the wall
C p = (P s, exit − P s )/(ρV t /2), (6)
is drawn into the space between the impeller and casing.
where V t is the mean velocity and P s is the mean static Moreover, in the section between the scroll and exit duct,
pressure of the discharge flow at the scroll end, and P s, exit a wall branching streamline separates the inward and out-
is the static pressure at the exit duct. Moreover, using ideal ward flows. Thus the boundary layer of the discharge flow
pressure recovery C pi without loss, the diffuser effective- is drawn into the scroll inside before entering the exit duct,
ness is defined as and is therefore thin where flow is decelerated. It is con-
ηd = C p /C pi . (7) cluded that the centrifugal force produced by secondary
flow and boundary layer suction is the main cause of the
Figure 9 shows the change of the pressure recovery
large pressure recovery. The inward flow oil-film patterns
factor and diffuser effectiveness with the change of dis-
depicted on the hub- and shroud-side walls of the casing
charge flow rate. Both pressure recovery factors C p and
basically do not change over the whole range of flow rate.
C pi increase with sudden expansion of the discharge flow.
At the inlet of the exit duct, where sudden pres-
The maximum pressure recovery factor and diffuser effec-
sure rise occurred, a local separation zone formed on the
tiveness reach 0.83 and 0.90, respectively. These are the
shroud-side wall of the casing at flow ratio φ/φd = 0.61
maximum values achievable in a conventional diffuser of
as shown by the oil film pattern in Fig. 12. At the lower
optimal design. It is found that the section between the
flow ratio φ/φd = 0.29, the flow occasionally fluctuated.
scroll end and exit duct acts as a high-performance dif-
This flow condition coincides qualitatively with the exper-
fuser.
imental results of the two-dimensional diffuser, in which
The causes of the good pressure recovery in the dis-
the flow locally separates and irregularly fluctuates under a
charge flow from the scroll end to the exit duct were inves-
tigated by flow measurement and visualization. Figure 10
shows the velocity vectors in the cross section at the scroll
end (θ = 0◦ ). In the main flow, swirling secondary flow
produces centrifugal force that presses the flow against the
wall. The results of visualization of the wall streamline by

Fig. 11 Oil film pattern on casing hub-side wall

Fig. 9 Pressure recovery factor and diffuser effectiveness (Q/Qd = 1.00)

Fig. 10 Velocity vectors in the cross section at scroll end Fig. 12 Oil-film pattern on casing shroud-side wall
(θ = 0◦ ) (Q/Qd = 1.00) (Q/Qd = 0.61)

JSME International Journal Series B, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2006

 130
large pressure recovery condition(22) . When the flow ratio
is lowered further, both the pressure recovery factor and
effectiveness decrease, as shown in Fig. 9. It is suggested
that the conditions of flow from the scroll end toward the
exit duct are closely related to the low flow rate character-
istics of the blower.
4. Conclusions
In a centrifugal blower casing which has no diffuser
and large tongue clearance, the rate of circulating flow
passing through the tongue division and the pressure re-
covery in the casing were investigated. The following con-
clusions were obtained.
( 1 ) By applying the angular momentum theory to the
flow in the scroll of the test blower, it is possible to esti-
mate the circulating flow rate and the total flow rate at the
scroll end.
( 2 ) In the test blower, the ratio of circulating flow
rate to the total flow rate at the scroll end (Qrec /Qt ) is about
45 percent at the design point. The circulating flow rate
increases linearly with decrease of the discharge flow rate
Q.
( 3 ) Large pressure recovery is generated in the sec-
tion from the scroll end to exit duct. In the test blower,
pressure recovery in the casing was 45 percent in the scroll
at the design point. The remaining 55 percent was recov-
ered in the section between the scroll end and exit duct.
( 4 ) Centrifugal force produced by secondary flow
and boundary layer suction are the main causes of this
large pressure recovery.
( 5 ) Flow conditions in the section from the scroll end
to the exit duct are closely related to the low flow rate char-
acteristics of the blower.
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JSME International Journal