The Effect of The Splitter Leading Edge Location of the Steam Centrifugal Compressor in the MVR System

초록

Compressors in the Mechanical Vapor Recompression require a high aerodynamic efficiency because it is strongly related to the practical utility in terms of energy saving. Also, a wide operating range is needed because the amount of working flui d with waste heat to be processed can change intermittently during operation. The splitter blade is one of the main geometric features that improve the aerodynamic performance and operational range of centrifugal compressors. These advantages can be achieved through r educed blade blockage compared to the full-blade design. In this study, to extend understanding of the aerodynamic characteristics of splitter blades beyond air compressors, a parametric study of the splitter leading edge location was conducted for the steam centrifugal compressor in the MVR system. The aerodynamic performance and internal flow phenomena were analysed by testing compressors with different meridional locations of the splitter blade leading edge. The aerodynamic performance was obtained using a commercial solver for the compressible 3D steady-state RANS equations. As a result, the optimal location of the splitter leading edge was determined, maximizing aerodynamic performance and the choke flow rate. Also, the transition in the internal momentum distribution due to the secondary flow is the main reason for the performance variation. This phenomenon can be quantified as the mass flow division at each impeller channel, which can be usefully applied to the splitter blade design.

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