Aerodynamics of air carrying sand particulate flow in centrifugal compressors

.1 rather comprehensive survey ot part1culate flows 18 performed in thepurpose of illustrating the amount ot work which has been done in analyzing theseprobleu. .1 review ot the difterent methods ot attack and highlights on sometreated problems is presented. Nowade;ys special interest is paid tor partic.u.atetlows in turbomachines. This is due to the sign1.ticant, decrease in their o:verat-ing lite time and performanoe whenever they operated in dusty environments.~ full details of the theoretical procedure ot erosion estimation otcentrifugal compressurs are presented. ~ gas flow in the 1mpeller is obtainedas if no particles were suspended using quasi-orthogonal lI.ei;h~.to ;::::~!i p th~ Q.,. __tiole motion is ’obtained through the integration ot their governing equations.The 1Iq>act dynam1cs of particles is defined to complete the analytical treatment,ot particle motion. The resulting particle trajectories are usett to define the:lnte:m 1 ,’mrt9C8s of 1:mpeller which are susceptible to erosion damage. Purthererosion data ~~ ~c~lled to estimate the amount of material removal from thesesurfaces when the compressor operatec in a dusty environment of certain concen-tration. The study reveals that atter ~n17 tew hours seTere undercuts and grooveswill be seen on the portion ot the hub s~tac~ ldjacent to the blade pressure sur-face near the impeller exit. Jurther the b) ~a pressure surtace is subjected tomoderate erosion rates •. While the smalle’_, amount ot material’ loss occurs onthe porti.:.,;n of the shroud surface near”lle impellar inlet.