City Research Online

Abstract

Keynote presentation and paper on using Computational Fluid Dynamics and proprietary grid generation software SCORG for analysis and design opf mutiphase screw machines. In his keynote Professor Kovacevic outlined that according to International Energy Association more than 17% electrical energy produced in developed countries is consumed by compressors. The consumption increases in summer months due to ever growing demands for refrigeration and air-conditioning in both, developed and developing countries. For example in the USA that percentage goes up to 25% in the summer months. It is estimated that 80% of all new industrial compressors are of the screw type and that the number of screw compressors produced per annum is close to 800,000 units. Due to growing demands, it is estimated that the global annual sales of screw compressors in 2021 will reach $11billion USD growing at the rate of 6.62 from the current value of nearly $8billion USD in 2016. It is also expected that the highest growth will be in Asia-pacific region at Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.05%. About 83% of screw compressors are with oil injection into the compressor chamber which demands that a significant proportion of the energy consumed by a compressor is used for transport of the oil in the system and it’s separation from the fluid after the compression. Apart from polluting the environment and limiting the use of oil injected compressors for applications which require clean air, reduction of oil content in the system reduces both investment costs and operational costs therefore reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint. Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics is the most promising technique to allow further improvements in oil injection systems of screw compressors and operation of other multiphase machines such as expanders and pumps. CFD is still rarely used because of the limits of current numerical grid generators to represent complex moving flow domains in screw machines. Furthermore, Professor Kovacevic proposed that the unique software suite SCORGTM developed by his team in the Centre for Compressor Technology at City, University of London, allows full utilisation of potential of CFD solvers such as Ansys CFX, Star-CCM+, Pumplinx or Fluent.

Publication Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Keynote)
Publisher Keywords:	Multiphase flow, Screw compressor, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Grid generation, Conformal grid
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Departments:	School of Science & Technology > Engineering

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