A Numerical Investigation on the Volute/Diffuser Interaction due to the Axial Distortion at Impeller Exit

A numerical simulation is performed on a single stage centrifugal compressor using the commercially available CFD software, CFX-TASCflow. The steady flow is obtained by circumferentially averaging the exit fluxes of the impeller. Three runs are made at design condition and off-design conditions. The predicted performance is in agreement with experimental data. The flow details inside the stationary components are investigated, resulting in a flow model describing the volute/diffuser interaction at design and off-design conditions. The recirculation and twin vortex structure are found to explain the volute loss increase at lower and higher mass flows, respectively.