Changes in Conical Diffuser Performance by Swirl Addition

Abstract

SummaryIt has been found that the addition of a whirl velocity component to an otherwise axial flow in a conical diffuser can lead to improvements in static pressure recovery and in efficiency, according to a restricted definition. Diffusers of total conical angle 10, 20 and 30 deg. were tested in detail; improvements were evident only in the last two, which would otherwise have suffered from flow separation problems caused by their relatively large divergence angles. The agency for improvement seems to be a beneficial redistribution of axial velocities.