An experimental study on rotating stall in vaneless diffuser of a centrifugal compressor

This study describes the results of the analysis of measured rotating stall signal in a centrifugal compressor with vaneless diffuser. Unsteady flow and rotating stall in vaneless diffuser were investigated by measuring of unsteady velocity fluctuation using hot-wire anemometer. Experiments were carried out in several impeller rotating speeds, at different radius ratios. Single hot -wire was used to study the characteristics of rotating stall. As a result, the abrupt rotating stall was detected at all measured impeller rotating speeds and the several flow coefficients which are less than 0.16. The number of the stall cell was one at all measured rotational speeds, and the rotating direction was the same as that of the impeller. As the flow rate decreased, the profile of the phase averaged radial velocity component with time changed from a sawtooth to a sine wave.