Numerical simulation of positive and negative curved impellers on the performance of transonic centrifugal compressor

Using centrifugal compressor computer-aided integrated design system, three transonic centrifugal compressors with normal straight, positive and negative curved impellers respectively are designed. The flow fields are simulated by solving Navier-Stokes equations. The results show that positive curved impeller can restrain the vortex near the suction side and the tip leakage vortex while the negative curved impeller can decrease the vortex near the pressure side. There is no quite difference in the performances of the compressors.