Session: 10-01 Numerical Simulations and Fan Noise

Paper Number: 121816

121816 - Predicting Dust Erosion in a Counter-Rotating Fan 

Axial fans and blowers are vital accessories widely used in the industry and energy sectors. The counter-rotating fan (CRF) offers higher aerodynamic performance in terms of pressure rise and aerodynamic efficiency compared with the single-rotor fan. That is an attractive solution for the cooling of mechanical and electrical equipment and in the ventilation of tunnels and mines. Indeed, the addition of a rear rotor (RR) rotating in the opposite direction relative to the front rotor (FR) allows for the reduction of the velocity tangential component and extracts the maximum energy while straightening the flow at discharge. Moreover, energy consumption, size, and weight are significantly reduced.

However, the compressors and fans manipulating particulate flows are exposed to the serious problem of erosion, challenging the manufacturers and users of such equipment. Indeed, the performance of ventilation and industrial extraction systems drops significantly when servicing hostile environments. Because of the difficulty associated with the systematic experimental campaigns, the numerical simulations become a complementary tool when attempting to understand the underlying mechanisms driving the in-service fan blade erosion.

 

The current work aims to provide insights into the dynamics of dust particles ingested into a counter-rotating axial fan stage operating in a dusty environment and the subsequent patterns of erosion development. The computations of particle trajectory and erosion are based on our developed code, which is basically a stochastic Lagrangian tracking algorithm that combines a probabilistic model for particle seeding positions, particle size and shape, and rebound factors. The airflow phase is treated as a continuum and solved separately; thereafter, the equations of particle motion are solved separately in a stepwise manner. The finite element method is used to track sand particles in different computational cells and obtain exactly their impacts and conditions. As a consequence, the semi-empirical correlation for aluminum alloys served to evaluate the local erosion rates and erosion densities, and thus the hourly mass erosion and the geometry could be assessed.

The computations of particle trajectory were carried out at the nominal and high-discharge operating points of the CRF. The number of particles of random size and seeding positions is conformed to the dust particle size distribution and concentration corresponding to the dust-polluted atmosphere encountered in the regions of South Mediterranean, North-Africa, and the Sahara regions, with concentrations ranging from 100 to 500 mg/m³ of particle size distribution in between 0.1 - 100 microns.

As a result, a high frequency of impacts with intense erosion rates is seen over the blade of the front rotor (FR) leading edge (LE), extending to the front of the blade pressure side (PS), over the upper part of PS, and along the blade tip, in addition to a band of erosion seen towards the trailing edge (TE). The suction side (SS) of FR is extremely eroded over a large band extending from the LE. On the other side, the RR exhibits similar patterns of erosion, where the LE and the fore of the SS are more eroded, with erosion rate densities practically double, except the upper of the PS, where the spread of erosion is less, and there are no signs of erosion at the TE. Finally, to simulate the blade interactions, erosion is calculated at different pitch positions and averaged to get the actual erosion patterns.

The present finding may help to monitor the in-service lifetime and select appropriate coatings to mitigate erosion wear.

Presenting Author: Adel Ghenaiet Laboratory of Energy Conversion Systems, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Houari Boumediene

Presenting Author Biography: First name : ADEL
Surname : GHENAIET
Private Address : BP 339 Didouche Mourad 16500 Algiers, Algeria

Email :
Telephone :
ag1964@yahoo.com, aghenaiet2019@gmail.com
00213 (0)771369699
Affiliation: Laboratory of Energy Conversion Systems /Thermal Power Department/ Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, USTHB

Education :
PhD 2001, Turbomachinery, School of Mechanical Engineering, Cranfield University UK
Master of Science 1991
Engineering diploma 1989

Scientific ranking :
Assistant Researcher since 1992
Lecturer & Researcher since 1994
Senior Lecturer since 2004
Professor since 2011

Publications
Book Chapter
2 papers /ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers/ Turbomachinery Journal
2 papers /ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers Journals /Journal of Hydraulic Engineering/ Journal of Aerospace Engineering
7 papers / AIAA American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journals/ Propulsion / Aircraft
14 papers/ IMechE Institution of Mechanical Engineers Journals
16 papers / Elsevier Journals /Energy, Applied Energy, renewable energy, Applied Thermal engineering
2 papers / Emerald publishing
3 papers / Wiley
2 papers / Springer Journals
2 papers/ International Journal of Aerospace Engineering,
2 papers/International Journal of Rotating Machinery
1 paper /AIP American Institute of Physics
2 paper /Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics
1 paper /MECHANIKA
1 paper /International Journal of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
1 paper /International Journal of Environmental and Ecological Engineering
2 papers/Modelling, Measurement & Control C: Energetics
17 papers/ ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers conference Proceedings
14 papers/ IMechE Institution of Mechanical Engineers Conference Proceedings
7 papers/ETC Turbomachinery Fluid Dynamics
3 Papers/ Proceeding of ISABE
2 Papers/ Proceedings of GPP
1 Paper /Proceedings IAHR
12 papers / international Conferences Proceedings
48 papers / National Conferences
Expertise
287 papers /International expertise in different top international scientific journals
22 papers /International expertise in international conferences
2 papers /International expertise in national scientific journals
several papers / expertise in national conferences
Supervision
14 Doctorate Theses supervised
18 Magister theses supervised
31 Masters supervised
Academic Activities
Master Courses (Since 2012)
-Thermal power installations
-Gas dynamics
-Applied thermodynamics
-Aerodynamics & Turbomachinery
-Numerical Methods
Graduate courses (1992/2011)
-Numerical methods in fluid mechanics
-Thermodynamics
-Heat transfer
-Theory of turbomachinery
-Propulsion Systems
Doctoral courses
-Energetic of machines 1(2007/2009)
-Energetic of machines 2(2007/2009)
-Turbomachinery advanced (since 2017)
Short course (2002/2011):
-Principles and operation of gas turbines plants

Authors:

Adel Ghenaiet Laboratory of Energy Conversion Systems, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Houari Boumediene