An average-passage empirical closure model for centrifugal compressors

Applying the novel time-and passage-averaging operators, a reduced average-passage equation system is derived to remove the bodyforce and the blockage factor in Adamczyk's average-passage equations. Like the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations the average-passage flow model does not contain sufficient information to determine its solution. Based on the rich throughflow analysis for axial-flow turbomachinery and numerous studies for centrifugal compressors, a semi-empirical model of the deterministic stress is developed for centrifugal compressors in the present study. Finally, the empirical model coupled with the interface approach is applied to predict the time-averaged flow field in a tested centrifugal compressor stage and the results are compared with experimental data. Using the same computational grids, the computational cost with the empirical model is slightly more than that with the mixing plane model, and a good agreement was obtained between the numerical results and experimental data.