This post covers one of the fundamental issues that makes rotordynamics a unique subject: The Gyroscopic Effect. The gyroscopic effect can be observed in the behavior of spinning tops, fidget...
This post covers one of the fundamental issues that makes rotordynamics a unique subject: The Gyroscopic Effect. The gyroscopic effect can be observed in the behavior of spinning tops, fidget...
Why supercritical CO2? Super critical carbon dioxide (sCO2) is one of the hottest topics in the turbomachinery world right now. From my own experience, I remember when the subject occupied a few...
I recently got back from my favorite annual conference: ASME’s Turbo Expo. This year, someone thought it would be a good idea to hold it in Phoenix, Arizona…in the summertime. While that’s not the...
In this blog series, I covered a lot of thermo-fluid options in engineering analysis, from the simplest perfect gas (When Perfect is Good Enough – Perfect Gas Models) and ideal liquid, (Fluid...
Continuing on the topic from my previous blog, Getting Real – Advanced Real Gas Models, the counterpart to the perfect gas model for liquids is the “ideal liquid” model. The ideal liquid model is...
The Refprop program The calculations in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Refprop program are generally considered the most accurate thermo-fluid models available. The...
When fluids undergo a phase change (see Phase Change - Make Mine a Double), it typically has a very significant effect of the flow behavior and energy level of the system. Some examples of this are:...
Our CTO, Mark Anderson, takes a fundamental look at simple stall and its impact on turbochargers stability and range. This is the second video in this 2-part series. Be sure to watch Part 1 first!
Our CTO, Mark Anderson, takes a fundamental look at simple stall and its impact on turbochargers stability and range. This is the first video in this 2-part series.
Turbomachinery performance is almost always analyzed and tested with a fixed inflow condition. In other words, the assumption is that the inflow fluid temperature and pressure is defined and...
In a previous blog, Fluid Phenomena Primer: Energy Versus Temperature, Specific Heat, I explained the behavior for gas phase fluids and how the temperature is affected at high energy levels. In...
As I’ve always said, there’s as much thermodynamics in a glass of beer, as there is in a power plant. Don't believe me? Read on. Phase change is common phenomena that we see all the time. We’re most...
What is a perfect gas? A perfect gas is one that has a linear variation in energy with respect to temperature and a linear variation in pressure with respect to temperature at constant volume. The...
As one might expect, the temperature of a substance typically increases as energy is added to it. This is the case with most substances in all phases. The exception is when a substance crosses to a...
In my last blog, Specific Speed Demystified, I covered the mathematical definition of specific speed and how it relates to flow and work coefficient. The concept of specific speed has been a guiding...
In my blog Flow Coefficient and Work Coefficient, I outlined the basic concept behind the flow and work coefficient. These nondimensional parameters are widely used to characterize axial and radial...
Below is a 4 minute video blog from Mark Anderson, Concepts NREC's Chief Technology Officer, on the geometry of radial compressors. In it, he details the various parts of the compressor wheel,...
Below is 3 minute video blog from Mark Anderson, Concepts NREC's Chief Technology Officer, on splitter design for radial compressors. Click on the small thumbnail image below to launch the full-size...
I am fascinated by ancient cultures. After my recent visits to Roman ruins in Central Europe (see A Turbomachinery Engineer's Summer Vacation), I began to wonder how far back mankind’s mastery of air...
Computational fluid dynamic analysis (CFD) has become a standard part of the turbomachinery design process. Within Concepts NREC’s Agile Engineering Design System, FINE/Turbo, from our Partner NUMECA...
This year's ASME Turbo Expo in Norway inspired me to tack on a vacation to explore European cities on my bucket list. Being an engineer, and student of ancient cultures, part of my trip included...
In my last blog, I explored the concept of the flow and work coefficient. In this blog, I will explore the practical application of the two parameters in machine selection and optimization.
Two often used quantities to characterize turbomachinery are flow coefficient and work coefficient. The two are generally represented as Φ for flow coefficient and φ for work coefficient. The...
The universe of turbomachinery consists of many different design concepts that are radically different from one another. Each class of machine has a particular flow and power range that is best...
Beyond being a fun tongue twister, visualizing the velocity vectors is probably the most useful and intuitive information available in turbomachinery design. Many fundamental parameters can be...
I was a firefighter (we never call ourselves firemen) for more than ten years. While this was only a part time, volunteer gig, I was a turbomachinery developer and modeler as my full-time job....
Aerodynamic blockage is a comparatively simple parameter to measure and reveals important aerodynamic performance data. Aerodynamic blockage is directly related to the displacement thickness concept...
Three-dimensional flow fields typically have some degree of distortion in the flow properties and flow profiles across a given cross section. These distortions can be quite significant in regions...
Some of my other blogs have touched on how important it is to consider manufacturing methods during the design phase. This one will show exactly how manufacturing methods impact performance. We will...
The primary options for laying out an impeller (i.e. flank milled versus point milled, open versus covered impellers, integral versus welded shrouds) determine the basic manufacturing process (see ...
There are two dominant manufacturing methods used to produce turbomachinery parts – Casting and 5-axis machining. This blog will explore some of the applications and restrictions of these two methods.
Supercritical CO2 cycles have the potential to significantly improve efficiency and reduce emissions in power generation. However, the unique fluid dynamic properties of supercritical CO2 that enable...
The turbomachinery and software industries have evolved, in tandem, to high levels of maturity. On the engineering side, improved modeling capability and access to more powerful computational...