Session: 31-05 Compressor Design

Paper Number: 128129

128129 - Meanline Design and Aerodynamic 3D RANS Investigations of a Multistage Helium Axial Compressor 

A meanline aerodynamic design and analysis of a multistage helium gas axial flow compressor is presented for a High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) application. The multistage axial flow compressor design geometry from meanline design is based on a free vortex design method and targeted for achieving high loading, high polytropic efficiency, and is further tuned and investigated for optimum performance by performing three dimensional Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (3D RANS) CFD studies. Performance of the axial compressor and key design quantities are compared with similar previous designs to highlight robustness of presented design methodology. The design studies also discuss impact of selecting optimum parameters like thickness to chord length of rotor blades in spanwise direction from hub of the blades to shroud of the blades. Key loss causing phenomenon are identified through 3D RANS CFD analysis, with the intent to improve final design.

Further, The presented designs are verified by 3D RANS CFD analysis for achieving high aerodynamic polytropic efficiency, targeted pressure ratio while maintaining high blade loading, and negligible flow separation at design point. Such design can also reduce the number of stages for typical HTGR applications, thereby lowering the overall weight of the large multistage axial flow compressor.

Presenting Author: Arvind Prabhakar Siemens DISW

Presenting Author Biography: Arvind Prabhakar is a Sr. Applications engineer for gas turbines and turbomachinery at Siemens Digital Industries Software Inc. Arvind has a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. His areas of research interests include - turbomachinery aerodynamics, axial and centrifugal flow turbomachinery design methods and analysis, numerical modeling for fluid flow and heat transfer, tribology, fluid film and gas bearing design and analysis.

Authors:

Arvind Prabhakar Siemens DISW