Proceedings of ASME 2012 Gas Turbine India Conference December 1, 2012, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

GTIndia2012-9690
EFFECTS OF DISK GEOMETRY ON STRENGTH OF A CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR IMPELLER FOR A HIGH PRESSURE RATIO TURBOCHARGER
ZHENG Xinqian*, JIN Lei, ZHANG Yangjun

State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy Tsinghua University, Beijing, China 100084 zhengxq@tsinghua.edu.cn
QIAN Huihua LIU Fenghu

SinoTurbo Co., Ltd Beijing, China 100084

ABSTRACT High pressure ratio turbocharger technology is widely used to lower fuel consumption, reduce emissions and improve power density of internal combustion engines. The centrifugal compressor is the key component of turbochargers. The reliability of compressor impeller becomes critical with increasing pressure ratio. For extending its maximum rotational speed limits, it is important to improve the impellers disk geometry to decease stress. In order to investigate the effects of disk geometric parameters on the strength of a centrifugal compressor impeller, a 3-D finite element analysis (FEA) with various disk geometric parameters was performed in this paper. Subsequently, the impellers disk geometry was improved to decrease the maximum stress. The results show that the maximum von Mises equivalent stress in the core of the disk of the improved impeller could be decreased by 19%. Further, the maximum stress of another improved impeller without shaft bore decreases by 50%. That means, the improved impeller can bear higher pressure ratios or use cheaper material with lower ultimate tensile strength. 1 INTRODUCTION The worlds increasing energy consumption, accompanied by various environmental problems, has become a focus of public attention. As the main power devices of most transportation vehicles and engineering machinery in industrialized societies, internal combustion engines are responsible for roughly 25% of the global energy consumption and CO2 emissions. While maintaining engine performance, high pressure ratio turbocharger technology can reduce engine

FuYuan Turbochargers Co., Ltd Weifang, Shandong, China 261205

displacement by improving engine power density. Thereby, engine fuel economy is enhanced and CO2 emissions are reduced [1,2]. Additionally, in order to reduce the NOx emissions and meet increasingly stringent emission regulation requirements, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) are used much more widely and the high pressure ratio turbocharger technology is required, too [3-5]. The centrifugal load of high pressure ratio centrifugal compressor disks is increasing significantly as a consequence of the increased impeller tip speed and pressure ratio. Adequate reliability and durability will have to be ensured through geometry design. Hence the study of centrifugal compressor structure reliability is attracting considerable attention. In order to keep the balance between performance and reliability, within the continuously shortening duration of the product development phase, numerical analyses should be carried out during designing a centrifugal compressor impeller [6,7]. Finite element analysis (FEA) is the main method for studying the stresses in a centrifugal impeller numerically [8]. In recent years, several authors [9,10] have reported optimization methods to obtain best performance or lowest stress. Bonaiuti [9] developed a strategy for the parametric analysis and optimization of transonic centrifugal impellers, using a technique of experiment design coupled with a three dimensional fluid-dynamic solver. Valakos [10] used a differential evolution algorithm to optimize the back-face geometry of a centrifugal impeller, with respect to the calculated maximum stress, and extend its speed limits. In these studies, optimization results are presented directly, without showing the effect of each geometry parameters on the stress. It

Copyright 2012 by ASME

is thus difficult for designers to obtain the optimized designs for their individual, application-specific parametric requirements. If general relationships between geometric parameters of an impeller and its strength can be established, it will be helpful to improve the geometry to decrease the strength. In this paper, a detailed investigation of the effects of five impeller disk geometric parameters on maximum stress and stiffness was performed by using 3-D FEA. Subsequently, geometric parameters of an original impeller were improved on the basis of this analysis to decrease the maximum stress. 2 NUMERICAL METHODS

where u , v and w are the deformations along the directions x , y and z , respectively. The primary aim of static stress analysis is to obtain the distribution of stresses and deformations under the stated loads and boundary conditions. The effects and sensitivities of the principal geometric parameters on the strength of the impeller were investigated by means of a linear elastic FEA, which provides a good understanding into the internal responses of the structure.

2.2 FEA Model and Boundary Condition

In this paper, the effects of the geometric parameters of impeller disk were investigated by means of a linear elastic FEA, excluding the effect of non-linear material properties. The studied impeller has 7 main blades and 7 splitter blades. Instead of dealing with the whole structure, 1/7 of the cyclic symmetric structure was analyzed to reduce the numerical solution time. The mechanical model of the impeller is shown in Fig. 1. The corresponding finite element mesh, shown in Fig. 2, was built using 3D 20-nodes solid elements in global cylindrical coordinate system and consists of 36,736 elements. For better comparability, uniform FEA mesh size was used for all the impellers with varies geometric parameters throughout the analysis. It is suggested that the influence of aerodynamic forces is negligible comparing to the centrifugal loads. The following boundary conditions and loads were applied for the structural analysis: 1) Centrifugal loads at design rotational speed with pressure ratio of 4.2:1. 2) The nodes attached to both the front and reverse ends of the impeller (as shown in Fig. 2) are fixed and the deformations along circumferential and axial directions are set to zero. 3) The constraint equations that tie together the low and high edges of the model (cyclic symmetric faces) are generated automatically with a cyclic symmetry analysis.

2.1 Structural Analysis Theory

The FEA is an efficient numerical technique to research the detailed response of structure to all types of loads, including stress, strain, deformation, and so on. The equilibrium equations for linear structural static analysis are:

x xy xz + + + Fbx = 0 x y z yx y yz + + + Fby = 0 x y z zx zy z + + + Fbz = 0 x y z

(1) (2) (3)

where Fbx , Fby and

and are the normal and shear stress components. Subscripts are used to describe their directions. In the case of linear elastic isotropic 3D solid, the stressstrain relations are given as:

Fbz are the body forces per unit volume acting along the directions x , y , and z , respectively.

x =

where E is Youngs modulus, G is shear modulus, and is Poissons ratio of the material. and are normal strain and shear strain components, respectively. Subscripts are used to describe their directions. The strains induced in the body can be expressed in terms of the deformations, as shown below u v u (7) + x = , xy = x y x v w v (8) + y = , yz = z y y w u w , (9) zx = + z = x z z

1 x ( y + z ) , xy = xy E G yz 1 y = y ( z + x ) , yz = E G 1 z = z ( x + y ) , zx = zx E G

(4) (5) (6)

Fig. 1

Mechanical model of the impeller

Copyright 2012 by ASME

simulation results, the impeller structure was improved to decrease the stress.

3.1 Structural Analysis of Original Impeller

The geometric parameters of the original impeller disk are listed in Tab. 1. Figure 4 shows the von Mises stress distribution of the original impeller. Tab. 1 Geometric parameters of the original impeller disk Parameters Value

h1
Fig. 2 FEA model of the impeller

0.040 0.080 0.107 0.160 0.120

h2
h3

The centrifugal compressor impeller is made from aluminum alloy LD7. The Youngs modulus is 74.4 GPa. The Poissons ratio is 0.3 and density is 2760 kg / m , ultimate tensile strength is 412MPa. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS The stress of centrifugal compressor impellers caused by centrifugal force is relative to the rotating speed, disk geometry, and blade geometry. The rotating speed and blade geometry are decisive for the aerodynamic performance and not considered in this paper. The parameters of disk geometry considered in this paper are tip thickness h1 ( h1 / R0 ), rear-disk thickness 3
3

r1 r2

h2 ( h2 / R0 ), rear-disk height h3 ( h3 / R0 ), fillet radius r1 ( r1 / R0 ), and bore radius r2 ( r2 / R0 ). R0 is the radius of the
impeller. The definition of the parameters is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4

Stress distribution of the original impeller

Figure 4 shows that the maximum stress under centrifugal load occurs at the core of the disk and the second-maximum stress occurs at the fillet region (marked by A and B in Fig. 4). The maximum stress at the core of the disk (region A) is found to be 360 MPa and the maximum stress at the fillet (region B) is found to be 292 MPa. The impeller has a safety factor of 1.14 (the ratio of the ultimate tensile strength of material 412 Mpa to the maximum stress 360 MPa), which is very small for commercial application. This highlights the requirement of improvement of disk structure. Fig. 3 disk Definition of the geometric parameters of impeller

3.2 Effects of Geometric Parameters of Impeller Disk

3.2.1 Effects of Tip Thickness. Stresses and deformations of

Firstly, Structural analysis was made on the original impeller, which has being used in market for many years. Then the effect of the five disk geometric parameters on the stress was analyzed. Each one of these geometric parameters is modified keeping other parameters unchanged. Based on the

h1 were calculated and compared with the original impeller. Figure 5 shows the effects of h1 on
11 impellers with different the relative maximum von Mises stress in regions A and B. The

Copyright 2012 by ASME

relative maximum stress is the ratio of the maximum stress to the original impellers maximum stress in region A (360 MPa). Figure 6 shows the effects of h1 on the maximum relative deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions of the impeller. The relative maximum deformation is the ratio of the maximum deformation to the radius R0 of the original impeller. The results for the original impeller are marked by hollow squares in Figs. 5 and 6.
relative maximum stress
1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07

Reducing the impeller tip thickness h1 has two advantages. Firstly, it is easier to meet the safety requirements due to a lower level of von Mises stress. In addition, it can prevent blades to scrape the shroud casing, which is caused by deformations of the impeller. Reducing h1 is a feasible and effective approach to improve strength of impellers. However, the impeller should keep a certain tip thickness to meet the requirements of the dynamic balance to remove material. Based on comprehensive considerations of the strength, dynamic balance feasibility and deformations, the tip thickness h1 of the improved impeller is set to 0.013, which is marked by hollow triangles in Figs. 5 and 6.

region A region B

3.2.2 Effects of Rear-Disk Thickness. Stresses and deformations of 13 impellers with various h2 were calculated and compared with the original impeller. Figure 7 shows the effects of

tip thickness

Fig. 5 Effects of impeller

3.0E-03
relative maximum deformation

h1 on the relative maximum stresses of

h2 on the relative maximum von Mises stresses in regions A and B. Figure 8 shows the effects of h2 on the

relative maximum deformations along radial, circumferential and axial directions. The results for the original impeller are marked by hollow squares in Figs. 7 and 8.
1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0 0.04 0.08
rear-disk thickness

2.5E-03 2.0E-03 1.5E-03 1.0E-03 0

relative maximum stress

radial circumferential axial

region A region B

0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07

tip thickness

0.12

0.16

Fig. 6

Effects of

h1 on relative deformation of impeller

relative maximum deformation

Across the 11 simulated cases, the tip thickness h1 ranges from 0.001 to 0.067. Due to the effect of the centrifugal load caused by the additional mass, it is obvious that the maximum stress values in region A and region B severely increase with increasing h1 . Variations of the maximum stresses at these two regions are quite similar over the entire range of h1 . The von Mises equivalent stress in region A is between 0.78 and 1.12 times that of the original impeller. Variations of h1 also lead to large changes in deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. It can be seen that the maximum circumferential deformation decreases but the axial deformation increases with increasing h1 . The effect of deformation is comparably small.

Fig. 7 Effects of impeller

3.0E-03 2.5E-03 2.0E-03 1.5E-03 1.0E-03 0

h2 on relative maximum stresses of

radial circumferential axial

0.04

0.08
rear-disk thickness

0.12

0.16

h1 on radial

Fig. 8

Effects of h2 on relative deformations of impeller

Copyright 2012 by ASME

relative maximum deformation

The parameter range for the rear-disk thickness h2 is 0 0.160. Due to the centrifugal load being shared by the rear-disk, the maximum stress in region A decreases severely with increasing

3.0E-03 2.5E-03 2.0E-03 1.5E-03 1.0E-03 0 0.1 0.2

rear-disk height

h2 when h2 0.080 . However, h2 has little

radial circumferential axial

influence on maximum stress when h2 0.080 . The von Mises equivalent stress in region A is between 1.44 to 0.94 times that of the original impeller. In region B,

h2 has a negligible influence on the maximum stress over the entire range of h2 . Variations of h2 also lead to some changes in deformations h2 . The

0.3

0.4

along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. It can be seen that the maximum circumferential deformation increases, while the axial deformation decreases with increasing effect of

Fig. 10

Effects of h3 on relative deformations of impeller

Across the 16 cases, the rear-disk height

h2 on radial deformation is relatively not significant. Mass and inertia increase with increasing h2 , while the
stress decreases. Based on comprehensive

h3 ranges from

0.027 to 0.33. It can be observed that the maximum stress in region B decreases with increasing h3 . It should be noted that the maximum stress in region A decreases with increasing when

maximum

considerations of strength and mass, the rear-disk thickness h2 is set to 0.080 for the improved impeller, which is same as that of the original impeller. 3.2.3 Effects of Rear-Disk Height. Stresses and

h3

h3 is small, increases slightly when h3 0.160 , and

deformations for 16 impeller designs with varying shows the effects of

h3 were

then increases strongly when h3 0.267 due to the additional centrifugal load caused by additional material. The von Mises equivalent stress in region A is between 0.98 and 1.12 times that of the original impeller. However, the minimum stress was obtained when h3 = 0.160 .Variations in

calculated and compared with the original impeller. Figure 9

h3 also lead to some

h3 on the relative maximum von Mises h3 on

stress in regions A and B. Figure 10 shows the effects of

changes in deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. It can be seen that the maximum circumferential deformation increases while the axial deformation decreases with increasing h3 . The effect of radial deformation is comparably small. Considering the effect of increasing

the relative maximum deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. The results for the original impeller are marked by hollow squares in Figs. 9 and 10.
1.2
relative maximum stress

h3 on

h3 on the maximum h3 of the improved

1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0 0.1

region A region B

stress in region A, the rear-disk height

impeller is selected to be 0.160, which is marked by hollow triangles in Figs. 9 and 10. 3.2.4 Effects of Fillet Radius. Stresses and deformations for 9 values of r1 were calculated and compared with the original
0.2
rear-disk height

0.3

0.4

Fig. 9

Effects of

h3 on relative maximum stresses of

impeller

impeller. Figure 11 shows the effects of r1 on the relative maximum von Mises stresses in regions A and B. Figure 12 shows the effects of r1 on the relative maximum deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. The results for the original impeller are marked by hollow squares in Figs. 11 and 12.

Copyright 2012 by ASME

relative maximum stress

1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0 0.1 0.2 0.3
fillet radius

the relative maximum von Mises stresses in regions A and B. Figure 14 shows the effects of r2 on the relative maximum deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. The results for the original impeller are marked by hollow squares in Figs. 13 and 14.
1.1
relative maximum stress

region A region B 0.4 0.5 0.6

1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0 0.05

bore radius

Fig. 11 Effects of impeller

r1 on relative maximum stresses of

region A region B 0.1 0.15

relative maximum deformation

3.0E-03 2.5E-03 2.0E-03 1.5E-03 1.0E-03 0 0.1 0.2 0.3

fillet radius

radial circumferential axial

Fig. 13 Effects of impeller

3.0E-03 2.5E-03 2.0E-03 1.5E-03 1.0E-03 0

r2 on relative maximum stresses of

relative maximum deformation

0.4

0.5

0.6

radial circumferential axial

Fig. 12

Effects of

r1 on relative deformations of impeller

The fillet radius r1 ranges from 0.07 to 0.53. Due to the effect of a larger fillet radius, the maximum stress in region B decreases significantly with increasing r1 . On the other hand, variations in the maximum stress in region A are quite slight over the entire range of r1 / R0 .The minimum stress can be obtained when r1 = 0.267 . Variations in r1 also lead to little changes in deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. It can be seen that the maximum circumferential deformation increases with increasing r1 while the axial deformation decreases. The effect of r1 on radial deformation is relatively insignificant. Generally speaking, the maximum stress in region A is higher than that in region B, so the increase of r1 is insignificant for the overall strength of impellers. The fillet radius of the improved impeller is selected to be r1 = 0.267 , which is marked by hollow triangles in Figs. 11 and 12. 3.2.5 Effects of Bore Radius. The stresses and deformations of 12 impellers with varying r2 were calculated and compared with the original impeller. Figure 13 shows the effects of

0.05 bore radius

0.1

0.15

Fig. 14

Effects of

r2 on relative deformations of impeller

r2 is varied from 0 to 0.150. It can be noted that r2 decreases with decreasing r2 . However, the
The bore radius maximum stress in region A decreases significantly with decreasing r2 when r2 0.040 . The von Mises equivalent stress in region A is 0.53 to 1.03 times that of the original impeller. That is, the von Mises equivalent stress in region A is found to be 0.53 times the original impeller when r2 = 0 (with no bore). The maximum stress in region A is smaller than that in region B for r2 0.030 . It should also be noted that r2 has little influence upon the maximum stress in region B over the entire range of r2 . Variations of r2 also lead to some changes in deformations along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. It can be seen that the axial deformation decreases obviously with increasing r2 . The effect of r2 on radial and circumferential deformation is not significant.

r2 on

Copyright 2012 by ASME

Although the maximum stress in region A decreases with decreasing r2 , a small r2 means a slim shaft. Furthermore, it is difficult to redesign a new shaft system to adapt to the changes of the bore radius. The bore radius r2 of the improved impeller is selected to be 0.120, which is same as the original impeller that has been used for many years.

3.3 Structural Analysis of Improved Impellers

After finishing the above analysis of effects of geometric parameters of impeller disk, the improved impeller (impeller I) is designed using the improved parameters to reduce the stress. The geometric parameters of the impeller I are summarized in Tab. 2. As discussed earlier, due to the fact that the maximum stress in region A is reduced by the factor 0.53 compared to the original impeller, a solid impeller is a further promising method to reduce stress. Therefore, a second improved impeller (impeller II) is designed on the basis of impeller I. Impeller II features the same geometric parameters as impeller I except for r2 . The geometric parameters of the impeller II are listed in Tab. 2. Figures.15 and 16 show the stress distributions of the improved impellers under the same centrifugal load and the same boundary conditions with the original impeller. Tab. 2 Geometric parameters of the improved impellers impeller I impeller II

Fig. 16

Stress distribution of improved impeller II

parameters

h1 h2
h3

0.013 0.080 0.160 0.267 0.120

0.013 0.080 0.160 0.267 0

r1
r2

Figure 15 shows that the stress distribution in the improved impeller I is similar to that of the original impeller, with the same stress concentration regions, but the maximum stress level is reduced significantly. The calculations show encouraging results: the maximum von Mises equivalent stress in region A is 293MPa, a decrease of 19% compared to the original impeller. The von Mises equivalent stress in region B is 215MPa, a decrease of 26%. Figure 16 shows that the maximum von Mises equivalent stress in region A in the improved impeller II is 180MPa, a decrease of 50% compared to the original impeller. The von Mises equivalent stress in region B in the improved impeller II is higher than that in region A, with a value of 231MPa. This represents a decrease by 21% compared to the original impeller. That is, the solid impeller greatly reduces the maximum stress. However, a new shaft system needs to be developed to match the solid impeller. When the stress level of the impeller is in the elastic region, speed scaling of elastic results is straight forward. The relationship is that the stress increases with the square of the speed. Thus, the results of the improved designs can be used to extend the maximum speed and then obtain a higher pressure ratio for a specific impeller. On the other hand, it can be used to decrease the cost of an impeller by replacing titanium with aluminum. Titanium has a higher ultimate tensile strength, but it is much more expensive than aluminum. This matters for designers because the cost of the turbocharger is a key factor for commercial market. CONCLUSIONS AND REMARKS In this paper, finite element analysis has been used to model the effects of disk geometric parameters on the strength and deformation of a high pressure ratio centrifugal compressors impeller. For the high pressure ratio centrifugal compressors, high stress will restrict its design and application. The geometric parameters of the impeller disk are important for its stress and deformation. As the results of the investigation the following findings could be established. 4

Fig. 15

Stress distribution of improved impeller I

Copyright 2012 by ASME

The Tip thickness h1 , the rear-disk thickness h 2 and the bore radius

r2 are important parameters for both stress and

deformation of the impeller. Relatively, the rear-disk height h3 and fillet radius r1 are not important. After finishing the above analysis of effects of geometric parameters of impeller disk, the improved impeller is designed using the improved parameters to reduce the stress. The stress distribution in the improved impellers and that of the original impeller are similar with the same stress concentration regions, but the maximum stress for the improved impellers could be reduced significantly. Comparing to the original impeller, the maximum von Mises equivalent stress of the improved impeller I in region A could be decreased by 19% and the maximum von Mises equivalent stress of the improved impeller II in region A could be decreased by 50%. The improved impeller can bear higher pressure ratios or use cheaper material with lower ultimate tensile strength. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51176087). REFERENCES [1] Zheng X Q, Huenteler J, Yang M Y, et al. Influence of the volute on the flow in a centrifugal compressor of a highpressure ratio turbocharger. Proc. IMechE Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 2011, 224, pp. 1157-1169. Ricardo M B, Apostolos P, Yang M Y. Overview of boosting options for future downsized engine. Sci China Tech Sci, 2011, 54 (2), pp. 318-331.

[2]

Clenci A C, Descombes G, Podevin P, et al. Some aspects concerning the combination of downsizing with turbocharging, variable compression ratio, and variable intake valve lift. Proc. IMechE Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering, 2007, 221 (10), pp. 1287-1294. [4] Maiboom A, Tauzia X, Hteta J F. Experimental study of various effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on combustion and emissions of an automotive direct injection diesel engine. Energy, 2008, 33 (1), pp. 22-34. [5] Zheng X Q, Zhang Y J, Yang M Y, et al. Stability improvement of high-pressure-ratio turbocharger centrifugal compressor by asymmetric flow control part II: non-axisymmetric self recirculation casing treatment. ASME Paper No. GT2010-22582, 2010. [6] Raya G S, Sinhaa B K. Computation of centrifugal stresses in a radial-flow impeller. Comput. Struct., 1991, 40, pp. 731-740. [7] Subramani D A, Ramamurti V, Sridhara K, .Numerical analysis and experimental verification of the radial growth of a turbocharger centrifugal compressor impeller. J. Strain Anal. Eng. Des., 1997, 32, pp. 119-128. [8] Bhope D V, Padole M P. Experimental and theoretical analysis of stresses, noise and flow in centrifugal fan impeller. Mech. Mach. Theory. 2004, 39, pp. 1257-1271. [9] Bonaiuti D, Arnone A, Ermini M, Baldassarre L L. Analysis and optimization of transonic centrifugal compressor impellers using the design of experiments technique. J. Turbomach., 2006, 128, pp. 786-797. [10] Valakos I M, Ntipteni M S, Nikolos I. K. Structural optimization of a centrifugal impeller using differential evolution in CATIA environment. Operational Research, 2007, 7, pp. 185-211.

[3]

Copyright 2012 by ASME