Abstract
We developed a high performance blower stages to meet the need for reducing total energy-consumption in sewage treatment plants. Each blower stage has a two-dimensional impeller, low solidity vaned diffuser, and return channel. In impeller design, a shape-optimization utilizing an one-dimensional performance prediction tool was conducted. In design of the low solidity vaned diffuser and return channel, sensitivity analyses for the loss in the stage were conducted. Then new diffuser and return channel were designed using results of the sensitivity analyses. Orthogonal arrays were used in the sensitivity analysis. Model tests of both the conventional and optimized blower stages were carried out to compare the stage efficiency and operating range. The optimized blower stage improved in stage efficiency by 3% and in operating range by 5% compared with the conventional blower stage.
