Mixed flow turbines have reached a level of maturity where iterative performance improvements are small, with real performance benefits coming from better matching to a given application as opposed to improvements in technology. One design feature of mixed flow turbines used to control rotor stress is the radial fibre constraint, wherein blade material is stacked radially outward along the blade. While this constraint yields a mechanical benefit, it constrains the aerodynamic design significantly, with the blade shape defined by one camberline.
One potential means of realizing a performance improvement is the use of 3D blading, where the blade is not constrained to a radially fibred structure. In such a design, the blade shape could be freely modified to better control blade loading and secondary flows. This study investigated the viability of such 3D blading through optimization of a state of the art mixed flow turbine. An equivalent design was ensured by maintaining the meridional shape and operating conditions of the baseline wheel, facilitating a fair comparison between the radial and 3D wheels.
The paper details the optimization including an innovative constraint-driven geometry modification tool, experimental validation of performance predictions, and an investigation into why 3D blading facilitated a performance improvement.
The optimization process identified a performance improvement across the turbocharger operating line. With improvements facilitated through a reduction in tip leakage loss, and improved pressure recovery within the diffuser. Importantly, the optimized design met targets for mass flow, stress levels and modal behaviour, through the novel geometry modification process.