Mean streamline performance analysis of mixed-flow fan impellers covering the low flowrate characteristics

The mean streamline analysis using the empirical loss correlations has been developed for performance prediction of industrial mixed-flow fan impellers in the present study. New simple, but effective, models for the additional Euler input work characteristic and a suction recirculation loss due to internal flow reversal under the low flowrate conditions are proposed in this paper. Comparison of overall performance predictions with six sets of test data of mixed-flow fans is accomplished to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed models. Predicted performance curves by the present set of loss models agree fairly well with experimental data for a variety of mixed-flow fan impellers over the entire operating conditions. The prediction method presented herein can be used efficiently in the conceptual design phase of mixed-flow fan impellers.