The one-dimensional design approaches of radial inflow turbine volutes can be catalogued into incompressible and compressible. This paper investigates the degree to which they differ from each other in terms of design parameters, such as the distribution of ratio of area to radius A/ r and radius r, and in terms of flow deviation from the free vortex pattern. Theoretical analysis proves that the incompressible approaches failed to provide free vortex and uniform flow for the wheel in compressible flow regimes. A numerical simulation on a previously designed and tested volute shows that the wake flow of the tongue and the boundary layer on the wall cause the tangential velocity of the volute flow to deflect from the free vortex design downstream and upsteam respectively of the tongue. The radial velocity component is higher at first, then lower than the free vortex design, owing to the significant pressure gradient around the tongue.
Experiments were performed using a five-port cobra probe to survey the flow field at the rotor inlet of a 110-mm-dia turbocharger radial inflow turbine wheel. The turbine housing was modified to accommodate a probe insert to position the probe tip 4.1 mm above the rotor tip while preserving the internal contour of the production turbine housing. The cobra probe was traversed axially and circumferentially to determine the rotor inlet flow properties while the turbine was operated at design flow conditions with a reduced turbine inlet temperature. Measurements were made with the probe tip in the near-nulled position to determine the local values of total pressure, static pressure, velocity, and flow angle as functions of Z and θ. Results are presented showing the distribution of the housing total pressure loss coefficient, the rotor inlet mass flux, and the rotor inlet tangential velocity. In addition, values for rotor inlet mass average properties are given.
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