New Testing Bench for Centrifugal Compressor
One of the most powerful pieces of research equipment in Europe will come into operation at RWTH Aachen. It was developed by research institutions and the turbomachinery industry.
With a driving power of two megawatts and outstanding technical properties, the new testing bench is one of the most powerful research facilities for centrifugal compressors in Europe. It is now in operation at the RWTH Aachen Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery. "The testing bench is an outstanding example of successful collaboration between industry and science," explained the head of the institute and professor Peter Jeschke. Under the umbrella of the Research Association for Combustion Engines, FVV for short, RWTH experts and FVV member companies from the turbomachinery industry developed and built the bench together in five years. The German Research Foundation signficantly contributed to financing for the work.
"We are now optimally prepared for intensive research for the next 20 years," emphasized Dr. Karl-Heinz Rohne, ABB Turbo Systems AG and coordinator of the FVV Centrifugal Compressor Working Group. The testing bench is capable of covering the entire breadth of industrial applications. The currently obstructed transsonic compressor stage enables a sevenfold increase of the inlet pressure, whereby the testing bench is flexible and can be expanded.
"The pre-competitive joint research distinguishes itself through the efficient transfer of research results to the band of interested companies," reports FVV managing director Dietmar Goericke. "Its practical orientation offers a unique training environment for junior researchers." Four Aachen scientists are currently working on testing bench projects as part of their doctoral studies.
The fields of application of centrifugal compressors are extremely diverse. Their most well-known application is turbochargers in private vehicles. They ensure that the energy of the engine exhaust is used to compress the combustion air, thus increasing motor performance. Due to this efficiency-increasing effect turbochargers have become indispensable for many other combustion machines such as container ships.
Source: Press and Communications