Modelling of a Turbocharger Turbine Under Pulsating Inlet Conditions

Abstract

This paper describes the results of the simulation of a mixed flow turbine under pulsating inlet conditions. The volute casing of the turbine is simulated as a tapered duct with one-dimensional unsteady flow analysis applied to this duct, while one-dimensional steady flow analysis is used in a quasi-steady manner to simulate the flow through the rotor of the turbine. The physical model of the turbine is an improved version of that described by Chen and Winterbone (1), and its predictive capability is evaluated against experimental data of the turbine performance obtained in the Imperial College's unsteady flow turbocharger rig.