Numerical study on the effect of radial inlet chamber on the performance of oblique flow compressor

Abstract

The oblique flow compressor is one of the key components in compressed air energy storage (CAES) system, which has the advantages of high single-stage pressure ratio, wide operating range, high efficiency and large mass flow. In this paper, a numerical method is used to study the first-stage oblique flow compressor in a compressor group with radial inlet chamber (RIC), and the oblique flow compressor performance with axial inlet is compared. The results show that the RIC makes the overall performance curve of compressor shift downward, the stable working range is reduced by 15.75%, and the isentropic efficiency and pressure ratio are reduced by 1.54% and 1.57% respectively under the design conditions. The RIC makes the impeller inlet aerodynamic parameters circumferential distribution non-uniformity, which declines the compressor performance. And the rotation of the impeller also destroys the original symmetrical flow distribution of the RIC.