Abstract
Several pre rotation mechanisms were studied to increase the stable operating of a turbocharger centrifugal compressor without sacrificing its efficiency. This paper presents an experimental study of the effect on the overall compressor performance of three of these mechanisms: the axial variable inlet guide vanes (AGVs), radial one blade variable guide vane (RGV), and flexible guide vanes (FGVs). The experimental studies have showed that imparting positive swirl using the three mechanisms improves the line of surge, with the advantages of AGVs in significantly extending the stable operating range while increasing efficiency at different points of compressor operation.
