Modelling and Predictions of Isothermal Flow Inside the Closed Rotor-Stator System

This paper describes the numerical predictions of isothermal closed rotor-stator flows. Steady-state finite-difference solutions are sought for two gap ratios and two rotational Reynolds number in the axisymmetric cylindrical polar coordinate frame of reference. Low Reynolds number models, low Reynolds number k-epsilon and second moment closure models have been used to compute the necessary description of the flow inside the rotor-stator system without superpose flow. The most important dissimilarities among the computational calculations of both the turbulence models obtain at the lower radial locations, where k-epsilon model predicted the premature transitional predictions from laminar to turbulent flow. The major feature of this computational work is the emergence of four regions of the flow i.e. source, sink and two boundary layers. Computed velocity components of both models are compared against the experimental measurements. Low Reynolds number second moment closure shows the improved level of matching with data, particularly on apex of the boundary layers and recirculating core in the middle of the rotor-stator cavity.