Prediction of Deswirled Radial Inflow in Rotating Cavities With Hysteresis

Abstract

Deswirl nozzles are sometimes used in turbomachinery to reduce the pressure drop when air is drawn radially inwards through a rotating cavity. However, this can lead to nonunique steady state solutions with operating conditions achieved depending on how the steady point is approached. In the present study, a novel transient, 1D model of flow in a rotating cavity has been created. The model was validated for two distinct cases: a smooth rectangular cavity and an engine-representative case. The transient model reproduced experimentally observed hysteresis, discontinuity in operating characteristics, and regions where no steady-state solution could be found. In the case of the engine-representative rig, part of the flow characteristic could not be obtained in testing. This was determined to be due to the interaction of the negative resistance region of the vortex and the flow-modulating valve characteristic. Measures that allow the full capture of the flow characteristic in rig testing are identified. These results show that inclusion of transient rotating flow effects can be important in turbomachinery air systems modeling. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first model to capture these effects.