Design and Performance of Vaneless Volutes for Radial Inflow Turbines: Part 1: Non-Dimensional Conceptual Design Considerations

Abstract

The requirements for the volute of a radial inflow turbine are that it should collect the working fluid, deliver it to the turbine rotor as efficiently as possible and provide the desired rotor inlet conditions. The design requirements of the turbine leads to the rotor design and the identification of the desired flow conditions at rotor inlet in terms of the magnitude and direction of the absolute Mach number. The volute must then be designed to ensure that the desired rotor inlet conditions are attained. A non-dimensional design procedure for a vaneless turbine volute is described. Based on a knowledge of the flow direction and magnitude of the absolute Mach number at rotor inlet the overall dimensions of the volute in terms of the radius ratio and flow area ratio are first established. The overall design is then developed to provide the variation of the volute centroid radius and area ratio with azimuth angle. A trapezoidal cross-sectional shape is then used to establish the outer dimensions of the volute. The non-dimensional procedure assumes a one-dimensional compressible flow and as such relies on the empirical specification of the dissipation of angular momentum, the dissipation of energy and the deviation of the swirling flow from that of a free vortex. The effect of the uncertainties associated with the empirical data on the volute design geometry is assessed. A complementary experimental investigation to develop and substantiate the required empiricism is presented in Part 2, which follows. As the design procedure is essentially one-dimensional it must be interpreted with a knowledge of the actual three-dimensional flow within a volute passage. Supportive experimental studies will be presented in Part 3 in the next issue.