Design optimization of a high-speed twin-stage compressor for next-gen aircraft environmental control system

Andrea Giuffre, Piero Colonna, Matteo Pini*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

The environmental control system (ECS) is the largest auxiliary power consumer, i.e, around 75% of non-propulsive power, among the aircraft subsystems. The adoption of a novel ECS architecture, based on an electrically-driven vapor compression cycle system, can enable a twofold increase of coefficient of performance (COP), as compared to the conventional air cycle machine (ACM). The core of this technology is a high-speed, miniature centrifugal compressor, consisting of two impellers mounted in back-to-back configuration, and running on gas bearings operating with refrigerant. The fluid dynamic design optimization of the twin-stage compressor, to be installed in the vapor compression cycle test rig under realization at Delft University of Technology, is documented in this paper. First, the scaling analysis for centrifugal compressor is extended to provide guidelines for the design of twin-stage machines. Then, a multi-objective conceptual design optimization is performed by resorting to an in-house reduced-order model (ROM), coupled to a genetic algorithm. The fluid dynamic performance and the structural integrity of the optimal design are assessed by means of a hybrid framework, encompassing CFD and ROMs, and by FEA. The results show that it is possible to design a twin-stage compressor for the target application, featuring an average efficiency higher than 70%, a maximum compression ratio exceeding 9, and an operating range of 0.27 at the design rotational speed, despite the detrimental effects of motor cooling and miniature size.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTurbomachinery - Design Methods and CFD Modeling for Turbomachinery; Ducts, Noise, and Component Interactions
PublisherThe American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Number of pages14
ISBN (Electronic)9780791886113
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
EventASME Turbo Expo 2022: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, GT 2022 - Rotterdam, Netherlands
Duration: 13 Jun 202217 Jun 2022

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo
Volume10-C

Conference

ConferenceASME Turbo Expo 2022: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, GT 2022
Country/TerritoryNetherlands
CityRotterdam
Period13/06/2217/06/22

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care
Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

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