Numerical and experimental examination of performance curve instabilities of a centrifugal fan

Abstract This paper investigates the performance curve instability of centrifugal fans used in industrial applications such as sintering or pelletizing plants. The study focuses on experimental and numerical analyses of the fan’s performance curve during operation. Model measurements of an optimized fan reveal instabilities in the characteristic curve around 73 % and 42 % of the volume flow at best efficiency point (Q/Q ref ) resulting in a sudden drop in pressure coefficient and the onset of low-frequency noise emission. Numerical investigations using ANSYS CFX predict the flow pattern accurately. Excellent agreement is observed between measured and calculated data for flow conditions, with deviations below 1 % in pressure coefficient. Notably, the calculated instability range occurs earlier at lower flow rates, leading to a 6 % shift in the data. The flow exhibits a detachment zone on the blade suction side and a complete blockage of a single impeller passage, corresponding to the pressure drop in the performance curve. Further investigations reveal that rotor-stator interaction causes the abrupt impeller rotating stall phenomena, significantly impacting pressure generation at lower flow rates. A FFT analysis confirms the presence of rotating stall, with its dominant frequency observed and multiple harmonics. The comparison of separation frequency with existing literature supports the assumption that rotating stall is the cause of the instability.