Passive Control of Rotating Stall in a Parallel-Wall Vaneless Diffuser by Radial Grooves

Abstract

In order to control and suppress rotating stall in the diffuser of a centrifugal turbomachine, a passive method of utilizing radial shallow grooves is proposed and its effect is studied theoretically and experimentally. The results show that radial grooves of 3 mm depth on one wall or of only 1 mm depth on both walls can suppress rotating stall in a vaneless diffuser for the entire flow range. Theoretical considerations have revealed that this remarkable effect of radial grooves is caused by two mechanisms; one is a significant decrease in tangential velocity at the diffuser inlet due to mixing between the main flow and the groove flow, and the other is a remarkable increase in radial velocity due to the groove reverse flow. Both effects have the same contribution to increase the flow angle. [S0098-2202(00)02901-1]