2020 9th International Conference on Power Science and Engineering
Influence of the Number of Blades of Miniature Centrifugal Impeller on
Compressor Performance
2020 9th International Conference on Power Science and Engineering (ICPSE) | 978-1-7281-8453-1/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICPSE51196.2020.9354377
Yudong Xu 1,2
1 1
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Changchun University of Science and Technology
Changchun, China
2
Engineering training centre
Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, Jilin, China
Qiongying Lv1
1 1
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Changchun University of Science and Technology
Changchun, China
e-mail: lvqiongyingjilin@163.com
Abstract—In order to study the influence of the number of
centrifugal impeller blades on the aerodynamic performance of
the centrifugal compressor, the influence of the number of
blades with and without splitter on the pressure ratio,
isentropic efficiency, mass flow, shaft power and outlet airflow
angle of the compressor is analysed. The research results show
that for transonic miniature centrifugal compressors,
increasing the number of blades can improve the compressor’s
isentropic efficiency and pressure ratio. The compressor’s
pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency first increase and then
decrease with the increase in the number of blades. When the
number of blades with splitter blades is 12, the pressure ratio
of the centrifugal compressor reaches the maximum of 1.69,
and the isentropic efficiency is 68.8%; increasing the splitter
blade compressor has little change in pressure ratio, but can
improve the compressor Isentropic efficiency and mass flow.
The number of blades is an effective method to improve its
isentropic efficiency and pressure ratio. This analysis method
provides a reference for the judicious selection of the number
of blades and provides a reference for the design of miniature
centrifugal compressors under high Reynolds number.
Keywords-component; Centrifugal compressor; Backbend
angle; Tilt angle; Pressure ratio; Isentropic efficiency
I. INTRODUCTION
Centrifugal compressors are widely used in high-
performance, low-flow gas turbines, turbochargers, turbojet
engines and other fields [1-2]. High pressure ratio, wide
working range and high efficiency are the objectives of
centrifugal compressor design [3-4]. Research on centrifugal
compressors includes the influence of changes in geometric
parameters such as the blade inlet bending angle, the number
of blades, and the blade outlet bending angle on the
compressor performance [5-6]. Therefore, the number of
centrifugal impeller blades is an important size parameter
that determines the performance of the compressor. Studying
978-1-7281-8453-1/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE
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Xinming Zhang1*
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering,
Changchun University of Science and Technology
Changchun, China
e-mail: zhangxinmingjilin@163.com
Guozhen Mu1
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Changchun University of Science and Technology
Changchun, China
e-mail: muguozhenjilin@163.com
the relationship between the number of blades and the
performance of the centrifugal compressor is of huge
significance to the design of the centrifugal compressor [7-8].
Colin Rodgers [9] studied the optimal number of blades
of a centrifugal compressor impeller based on a simplified
one-dimensional friction model, and tested the impeller
within a specific range. The research results showed that the
optimal number of blades is the blade sweep angle, specific
speed, and As a function of the Laval number, and at a
sweep angle of 45°, the optimal number of blades at high
speed is about 15 and the optimal number of blades at low
speed is about 30. Dian Kui et al. [10] studied three the
splitter blades of different lengths have an impact on the
performance of the centrifugal compressor. The results
demonstrate that the length of the splitter blades should be
determined based on theoretical analysis and test results, and
the appropriate blades can improve the compressor
performance. Lu Guangchao [11] studied the effects of
different blade numbers and different blade thicknesses on
the performance of centrifugal compressor impellers. The
results show that the decrease in the number of blades will
increase the flow passages of the impeller, but the secondary
flow vortex collision area will expand, causing the efficiency
loss will increase, but because the friction loss is reduced, the
compressor efficiency is improved. Luo Sheng [12] and
others took ghost impeller as the research object, and
considered the influence of the number of blades and the
structure of the length of the blade on the internal flow field
of the centrifugal impeller. The results showed that the
reduction of the number of blades aggravated the secondary
flow phenomenon in the flow channel, and the blade
increasing the number will appropriately improve the
secondary flow phenomenon in the flow channel, and also
alleviate the jet-wake phenomenon at the impeller outlet.
This paper takes the impeller of a miniature centrifugal
compressor as the research object, studies the influence of
the change of the form and number of impeller blades of the
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performance of the compressor, analyzes the internal flow TABLE I. BASIC PARAMETERS OF IMPELLER
characteristics of different impellers, and finally designs a Parameter
high-performance miniature centrifugal compressor. The Number name Numerical value
symbol
centrifugal compressor is analyzed by changing the number 1
Number of main
Zb1 5
of blades and the presence or absence of splitter blades, and blades of impeller
the optimal performance parameters of the compressor are Impeller splitter
2 Zb2 5
blade number
obtained, which provides a reference for the selection of 3 hub diameter d1h 8
blade number and blade form in actual production, which has 4 Rim diameter d1s 20mm
great practical significance. Impeller outlet
5 d2 25mm
diameter
II. RESEARCH OBJECT 6 Blade thickness s 0.6mm
The maximum outer diameter of the miniature centrifugal 7 Impeller exit width b 2.8mm
compressor impeller studied in this paper is not more than 8 Blade root inlet angle 1 30°
one inch, and the compressor structure is shown in figure 1 9 Blade tip inlet angle 2 60°
and 2. The number of centrifugal impeller blades is a key Inclination angle of
parameter in the design of centrifugal compressor blades, 10 blade trailing edge 1 30°
which directly determine the shape of the compressor flow exit
Bending angle of
channel and the final aerodynamic performance. In order to 11 blade trailing edge 2 45°
facilitate the analysis, only the impeller components of the exit
compressor are analysed, and a vaneless diffuser is used.
The design parameters of the impeller are shown in Table 1. III. FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
In order to explore the influence of the number of blades
and the presence or absence of splitter blades on compressor
performance, centrifugal compressors without splitter blades
and splitter blades were analyzed respectively. The three-
dimensional model of the centrifugal compressor is
established and imported into the CFX software for solution.
The structured hexahedral meshing method is used to refine
the mesh at the leading and trailing edges of the blade, as
shown in figure 3 and 4.

Figure 1. 3D structure diagram of centrifugal compressor without splitter

blades

Figure 3. Schematic diagram of the front edges of the centrifugal impeller

Boundary condition setting: The inlet of the centrifugal

compressor is given a total temperature of 288.15k and a
total pressure of 101325Pa, and the speed is set to
300000rpm. The interface is set between the lower end of the
inlet of the centrifugal compressor and the rotor, and
between the rotor and the stator. Regarded as an adiabatic
and non-slip boundary wall. The turbulence model is set to
Figure 2. 3D structure diagram of centrifugal compressor With splitter k-Epsilon mode. The schematic diagram after setting the
blades boundary conditions of the impeller of the centrifugal

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compressor is shown in Figure 5. Set the solution controller:
set the number of iteration steps to a maximum of 1000 steps
and the residual error to a maximum of 0.00001.

Figure 5. Schematic diagram of the setting of the boundary conditions of

the centrifugal compressor

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

According to the above calculation process, the 6 groups
of centrifugal compressors without splitter blades and splitter
Figure 4. Schematic diagram of the trailing edges of the centrifugal blades are analyzed and solved. The calculation results are
impeller
shown in table 2 and table 3.

TABLE II. SIMULATION RESULTS OF CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR WITHOUT SPLITTER BLADES

Serial number of Mass Flow Relative airflow

Pressure ratio Isentropic efficiency Required power/w
number blades /kg/s angle of outlet /°
1 8 1.59 60.8 0.086 6176 -67.7
2 10 1.7 64.2 0.082 6278 -65.6
3 12 1.74 65.1 0.078 6049 -65.4
4 14 1.73 64 0.073 5716 -65.4
5 16 1.68 61.2 0.069 5327 -65.6
6 18 1.63 57.1 0.065 5019 -65.8

TABLE III. SIMULATION RESULTS OF CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR WITH SPLITTER BLADES

Serial number of Mass Flow Relative airflow

Pressure ratio Isentropic efficiency Required power/w
number blades /kg/s angle of outlet /°
1 8 1.69 65.85 0.09 6646 -67.2
2 10 1.68 67.6 0.088 6271 -64.8
3 12 1.69 68.8 0.085 6044 -63.8
4 14 1.69 68.2 0.082 5858 -63.3
5 16 1.69 67.1 0.079 5645 -63.2
6 18 1.68 66.1 0.076 5431 -63.5

The number of blades has an important effect on the
performance of the compressor. With the increase in the
number of blades without splitter, the pressure ratio and
isentropic efficiency of the compressor first increase and
then decrease. The pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency
changes with the number of blades. As shown in figure 6.
This is because if the number of blades is too small, the load
on the blades will increase, and the secondary flow loss will
be serious, which will reduce the compressor pressure ratio
and isentropic efficiency. If there are too many blades, the
flow loss and friction loss of the impeller will increase, and
the pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency will decrease. It
can be seen from tables 2 and 3 that when the number of
blades increases, the mass flow gradually decreases, the
required shaft power gradually decreases, and the relative
airflow angle of the outlet first decreases and then increases.
When the number of blades without splitter is 12, the overall
performance of the compressor is the best, with a pressure
ratio of 1.74 and an isentropic efficiency of 65.1%. When the
number of splitter blades is 12, the overall performance of
the compressor is the best, with a pressure ratio of 1.69 and
an isentropic efficiency of 68.8%.
It can be seen from Table 3 and Figure 6 that as the
number of splitter blades increases, the pressure ratio of the
centrifugal compressor has almost no effect. The isentropic
efficiency first increases and then decreases, the mass flow
gradually decreases, and the required shaft power gradually
decrease, the relative airflow angle of the outlet decreases

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first, and then changes little. The pressure ratio of splitter
blades is slightly lower than that of non-split blades, but the
isentropic efficiency is higher.
Without splitter blades
1.76 With splitter blades

1.74

1.72

1.70
Pressure ratio

1.68

1.66

1.64

1.62

1.60

1.58

8 10 12 14 16 18
Number of blades

Without splitter blades

70 With splitter blades

68
Total Isentropic Efficiency

66

64

62

60

58

56
8 10 12 14 16 18
Number of blades

Figure 6. Curves of pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency with the

number of blades

Figures 7 and 8 show that as the number of blades

increases, the flow area of the flow passage inside the
impeller decreases, and the air flow velocity in the flow Figure 7. Relative mach number distribution of compressors with 8, 12, and
18 number of the blades without splitter at 50% span
passage of the impeller increases, the unevenness of the flow
field inside the impeller is greatly reduced, and the friction
loss of the air flow also increases. The impeller inlet and
outlet are prone to blockage. The mass flows at the inlet and
outlet decreases, and the isentropic efficiency of the
compressor decreases. As the number of blades decreases,
the gas velocity in the space between the two blades inside
the impeller is no longer uniform, and the boundary layer
becomes thicker. Irregular flow phenomena such as vortex,
separated flow and secondary flow will occur, and the
isentropic efficiency will decrease. Low-speed fluid
accumulates most on the wheel cover, and the accumulation
of low-velocity fluid is improved after the number of blades
increases.

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 Figure 9. Relative mach number distribution of compressors with 8, 12,
and 18 number of the blades with splitter at 50% span

Figure 8. The distribution of the relative mach number of compressors with

8, 12, and 18 number of the blades without splitter on Meridional Surface

Figure 10. The distribution of the relative mach number of compressors

with 8, 12, and 18 number of the blades with splitter on Meridional Surface

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 Figure 9-10 shows that a moderate increase in the splitter
blade can enhance its suppression of the low-velocity fluid at
the tail end of the suction surface of the large blade, reduce
the area of the low-velocity zone, weaken the phenomenon
of fluid separation, increase the area of the main flow zone,
and make the flow field distribution in the blade channel is
more uniform, which improves the flow field in the impeller
channel. When the number of blades increases, the isentropic
efficiency of the compressor gradually decreases. This is
because the increase in the number of blades can improve the
unevenness of the flow field inside the compressor impeller,
but it will also increase the friction between the flow gas and
the impeller. The area increases the friction loss, which in
turn reduces the isentropic efficiency. When the number of
blades is too small, although the friction loss is reduced, it
will increase the equivalent angle of the impeller channel,
which will increase the pressure gradient and the thickness of
the boundary layer, which will lead to a decrease in its
isentropic efficiency.
V. CONCLUSION
In this paper, by numerically simulating the impeller of a
miniature centrifugal compressor with different numbers of
blades and with or without splitter blades, and analyzing the
calculation results, the following conclusions can be obtained:
(1) In the analysis of the number of blades of a transonic
centrifugal compressor, an appropriate number of blades can
improve the pressure and isentropic efficiency of the
compressor, and adding splitter blades can improve the
isentropic efficiency of the compressor. Therefore, when
designing impeller blades, select the appropriate number of
blades and blade form.
(2) When there are splitter blades and the number of
blades is 12, the pressure ratio of the impeller is 1.69, the
isentropic efficiency is 68.8%, and the effect is the best. Too
many or too few blades will reduce the isentropic efficiency
of the impeller. When the number of blades is small, the
internal flow unevenness of the impeller will increase and
the isentropic efficiency of the impeller will decrease; when
the number of blades is large, the internal flow area will
decrease and the internal friction loss of the blade will
increase. It will also reduce the isentropic efficiency of the
impeller.
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(3) The appropriate number of blades and blade form can
improve the internal flow field and secondary flow
phenomenon of the impeller, so that the uniformity of the
flow field of the impeller is improved, and the flow friction
loss is less. This analysis method provides a reference for the
reasonable selection of the number of blades, and provides a
reference for the design of a miniature centrifugal
compressor at transonic speed.
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