An Optimization Technique for Radial Compressor Impellers

Abstract

A software tool has been created to aid in automated impeller design within an integrated design system for radial flow impellers. The design tool takes the results from the 1D preliminary design process and uses these to define a parameterized blade geometry, which incorporates features that are required for low mechanical stresses and simple manufacturing. This geometry is then adjusted to minimize a global objective function using a throughflow computation. The adjustment is based on selection with a breeder genetic algorithm. The initial population includes "elite" designs from a database of earlier well-proven experience, and the final design is honed to perfection with a hill-climbing method.With the help of a suitable global objective function incorporating mechanical and aerodynamic criteria, and taking into account wide experience with the design of impellers, the tool provides a fast screening of various design possibilities to produce a geometrical input for more advanced computational fluid dynamic and mechanical analysis. This is demonstrated through the redesign of an impeller previously designed by conventional methods. Comparisons of the results of the CFD analysis of the new impeller with that of the earlier design demonstrate that the tool can rapidly produce nearly optimal designs as an excellent basis for further refinement by the more complex analysis methods.

The Design of a Family of Process Compressor Stages

“…The stage components including the impeller, diffuser, cross-over bend and return channel were set up in PCA's geometry definition code, VistaGEO, and designed using PCA's throughflow code, VistaTF, see Casey and Robinson (2010) and Casey et al (2008). The geometry definition is based on a series of parameters, so that each member of a single family has many parameters in common, except for the channel width.…”

A New Streamline Curvature Throughflow Method for Radial Turbomachinery

“…Owing to its speed (seconds rather than hours), and ease of use, it is eminently suitable for preliminary design calculations. Clearly the code cannot replace more modern 3D methods in the later detailed design, but it has an important role in an integrated turbomachinery design process (see Robinson and Casey (2007)) and in automated preliminary design optimization (Casey et al (2008)).…”

Feasibility of mini combined cycles for naval applications

“…In this first design step the main dimensions and blade angles have been found applying 1D equations, starting from statistical relationships and literature data to set the ranges for the main unknown design parameters. Among others, the literature source was constituted for compressor 1D design mainly by [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] and for the turbine 1D design by [19][20][21][22]. For the 1D design, in house developed codes have been utilized.…”