Erosion Optimized Radial Fan Impellers and Volutes for Particle Flows

Abstract

Fans in industrial plants can be exposed to a strong erosion load due to particle flows. In the present work, the erosion behavior for large radial fans with spiral casings is investigated using the Finnie erosion model, see [1] [2]. Theoretical approaches concerning particle velocity and particle impact angle are validated by numerical methods. For this purpose, a baseline impeller and a parameterized baseline spiral casing have been designed and simulated using computational fluid dynamics. Than different geometrical variations of the spiral casing shape and the blade shapes of the impellers have been designed and simulated in order to determine their respective influence on the erosion behavior as well as on the performance characteristics. Finally, recommendations for an optimal design are presented and explained in detail.