Numerical evaluation of an Oil free Screw Compressor’s Suction Port design using Ansys CFX and SCORG

Quasi one-dimensional chamber models and experimental methods are commonly adopted by researchers to predict and validate the performance of the oil free screw compressors. However, to understand the scope for improvement in performance as impacted by compressor ports, one needs to know the details of physical processes happening in compression chamber. This can be done by understanding flow field such as internal temperature and pressure with the help of CFD model. With this CFD setup, comparison of specific power consumption of oil free screw compressor between the axial and radial suction flange is presented in this paper. A hexahedral numerical mesh is used to represent flow field which is generated by SCORG. Flow solver ANSYS CFX has been used for study with these single domain deforming rotor grids. This paper presents the methods used for setting up the CFD model and analysis of specific power consumption for two different suction port geometries, an axial and the radial suction flange. At the design operating condition, although axial suction flange seems to be more favourable in terms of lower suction pressure drops at high operating speed, the radial suction flange when simulated using CFD model predicts almost the similar performance. However, radial suction flange gives an added advantage for ready adaptability with the suction elements like the suction filter. The results of the simulation show that the radial suction flange can be adopted for better compatibility with the oil free package and the CFD model used for the analysis can be used for optimization of the air-end at various operating conditions.