Total pressure loss mechanism of centrifugal compressors

This paper describes the construction of the centrifugal compressor model and its validation with the experimental data. The compressor model in this paper uses One-dimensional (1D) thermo-fluid equations to analyse the compressor side of a turbocharger. Under a specified set of turbocharger geometry, atmospheric conditions, rotational speed, and fluid mass flow rate, the model can calculates the static and total temperatures, velocities, static and total pressures, pressure losses, and isentropic efficiencies for each compressor component. Instead of using lumped loss parameters, the compressor model includes established loss models found in the open literature. Not only in the impeller, the losses in the diffuser and the volute are modelled. With the model, it is possible for a parametric study on the effect of each loss mechanism on the performance, and which can aid the designer in justifying design decisions minimising the magnitude of the losses and thus positively influence the overall performance. The compressor model can also be applied to investigate the two stage Turbocharging or Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) in the future.