| This master thesis presents a study seeking to evaluate the aerodynamic performances of centrifugal fans. It is the starting point of a larger project aimed at integrating a robust methodology of multi-disciplinary analysis and optimization (MDAO) in the design process of Venmar's products. The project, performed in collaboration with Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, will touch the fields of the aerodynamics and acoustics of centrifugal fans.; The design and optimization of the aerodynamics of the centrifugal fans has reached the stage where improvements can only be achieved through a detailed understanding of the internal flow. Low fidelity numerical methods for turbomachinery, like the Euler's equations or potential flows, were deemed inadequate for performance predictions. Even boundary layer models, which are proven techniques in several fields of study, were invalidated for these types of flow. These observations thus leaded to the use of high fidelity numerical methods using the Navier-Stokes equations with a k - epsilon turbulence model and wall functions.; The Poly-Venmar project also seeks to evaluate the potential of using commercial software by modelling the 2-D flow inside a blade passage with CFX-TASCflow. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
