20 - Development and Testing

Summary

The essential aspects of the modern design and development process for radial flow turbocompressors are described. The different phases of the design process are described, including the conceptual design of the compressor type, the preliminary design of the components, the geometry specification of the ducts and blade rows, the blade-to-blade design, the throughflow design, 3D CFD performance analysis and FEM mechanical analysis. The final decision about the quality of a design is made through compressor testing. The chapter concludes with a section on the testing of compressors; this includes a discussion of the different types of tests, testing methods, standards, guidelines and procedures. Information about suitable instrumentation is also provided. Finally, there is a short review of recent experimental studies from some of the most active research groups with experimental rigs.