Affiliations: Institute of Industrial Science, The University of
Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan. | Tsuruoka Higashi Plant, 3-4-10 Takarada, Tsuruoka-shi,
Yamagata 997-0011, Japan.
Abstract: To analyze the complex three-dimensional flow structure of an axial
flow fan and determine the validity of its application, PIV is used to provide
detailed space and time resolved experimental data for understanding and
control of flow field. The high resolution stereoscopic PIV system was
successfully employed in this study for the investigation of flow structure
around the axial flow fan. Using the once-per-revolution signal from the rotor,
image fields were captured at a fixed position of the blades and hence provides
the ability to do phase-averaging. The three-dimensional instantaneous velocity
fields, phase-averaged velocity fields, instantaneous and mean vorticity
distributions of the stereoscopic PIV measurement results were represented at
typical planes of the flow field. Phase-averaged velocity fields were
calculated based on 200 frames of the instantaneous stereoscopic PIV
measurement results. From the velocity distribution, the vorticity and
turbulent intensity distribution, which are known to be major factors of fan
noise, were calculated and its diffusion was discussed as they travel
downstream. From the reconstructed three-dimensional velocity iso-surface at 8
cross planes of the outlet flow fields, the three-dimensional features can be
seen clearly.
