In a previous publication (Guo & Chen et al., 2007), the authors solved the unsteady, 3-D Navier-Stokes equations with the k-ε turbulence model using CFX software to show that there is a volute stall coincided with the stage stall of a turbocharger centrifugal compressor operated at 423m/s tip speed and the stage stall frequency is dictated by a volute standing wave. This paper presents the flow condition at the vaneless diffuser and volute from the same simulation at various mass flow rates from stage peak efficiency to deep stage stall. Time averaged flow conditions show that (1) the influence of exducer blade passing at the volute inlet rapidly diminishes at the compressor peak pressure ratio point and the influence vanishes when the stage is in stall; (2) only at the peak pressure ratio point, circumferentially averaged, spanwise distribution of radial velocity at the volute inlet has an inflection point and the distribution meets the requirement of the FjΦrtoft instability theorem; (3) in the volute discharge section, the flow stalls after the stage stalls and the vortex core at the cross sectional center of the section breaks down; (4) impeller total pressure rise curve has a flat region in the middle before the stage stalls and (5) diffuser stall triggers the stage stall and drives the volute into stall.
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