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L R.

RENEAU
Aerodynamics Engineer, Senior,
Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.,
Sunnyvale, Calif.

Straight, Two-Dimensional Diffusers


Formerly,
Research Assistant, Stanford University,
Stanford, Calif.

J. P. JOHNSTON Performance data and flow characteristics for subsonic, two-dimensional, straight
Associate Professor, center line diffusers are presented. The four primary flow regimes which can occur are
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
described and presented as functions of overall diffuser geometry. The performance of
Assoc. Mem. ASME
both stalled and unstalled diffusers is mapped for a wide range of geometries and inlet
boundary layer thicknesses. An understanding of the relationships between flow regime
S. J. KLINE and performance leads to a rational basis for diffuser design. The important maxima
Professor, of performance and their location on the performance maps are presented. Both the
Department of Mechanical Engineering. range of data and correlations of optima of performance are extended beyond previous
Mem. ASME
results.
Stanford University,
Stanford, Calif.

Introduction No successful, theoretical performance prediction methods now


exist for diffuser flows that are stalled. Thus careful, systematic
IN INTERNAL flow systems it is often necessary to data on well specified classes of diffusers are required to solve the
decelerate the fluid, that is, to pass the flow through a diffuser. old, but still important diffuser design problems. A long-range,
The primary purpose of a diffuser is to convert as large a fraction diffuser research program has been under way for some years as
as possible of the dynamic pressure (or dynamic head) into static part of the Internal Flow Program in the Mechanical Engineering
pressure (or static head). In many cases it is at least equally Department at Stanford University. This paper is a summary
important to have steady and symmetric flow downstream of the report on one phase of this program: design of two-dimensional,
diffuser. Both the exit flow conditions and performance level of straight-wall diffusers. For this class of diffusers, the results de-
a diffuser are intimately related to the presence or absence of scribed here represent a considerable extension of the work
flow separation (or stall) in the diffuser. Regions of stalled flow originally published by the same group in reference [ 1 ].1 2
in a diffuser block the flow, cause low pressure recovery, and The class of two-dimensional diffusers considered here is shown
usually result in severe flow asymmetry, severe unsteadiness, or in Fig. 1. Geometry is fixed by aspect ratio, b/Wi, and any two
both. of the four dimensionless geometric parameters 26, L/W\, N/Wi,
There are many performance optima in use today by diffuser 1N u m b e r s in brackets designate References at end of paper.
designers. For example, it has been known for many years that 2T h e present p a p e r is taken primarily f r o m the report of R e n e a u ,
the maximum of effectiveness, ?), in simple diffusers is attained et al. [9]. Other aspects of that w o r k , in c o m b i n a t i o n with other
with a total included angle between the diverging walls of the dif- unpublished studies, will be the s u b j e c t of separate later papers dealing
fuser of about seven degrees. In many designs an even more im- with theoretical m e t h o d s of p e r f o r m a n c e prediction, stall prediction,
and units with c o n t o u r e d walls and c u r v e d center lines.
portant optimum condition is that of maximum pressure re-
covery. As will be discussed in the following, one important opti-
mum condition (peak recovery) is obtained when the diffuser is
slightly stalled and hence close to severe stall. Consequently,
accurate knowledge of the geometric limits of both the stalled
flow regimes and performance over a wide range of conditions is
of primary importance in design optimization studies.

Contributed b y the Fluids Engineering Division of THE AMERICAN


S O C I E T Y OF M E C H A N I C A L ENGINEERS, a n d p r e s e n t e d at the ASME-
E I C Fluids Engineering Conference, D e n v e r , C o l o . , April 2 5 - 2 8 , 1 9 6 6 . Corner Detail
M a n u s c r i p t received at A S M E Headquarters, January 6, 1966.
Paper N o . 6 6 F E - 1 0 . Fig. 1 Geometry for t w o - d i m e n s i o n a l , straight-wall diffusers

-Nomenclature-
AR = area ratio = Wi/Wi H = shape factor, ratio of boundary y/u
= rms turbulence intensity
layer displacement thickness U
4 S = aspect ratio = b/Wi to momentum thickness U = mass average velocity
Hl head loss = Cp; Cp W = diffuser width between diverg-
b = distance between parallel walls L diffuser wall length ing walls
of a diffuser V diffuser wall length including the 5* = boundary layer displacement
arc length of fairing at the thickness
Cp = static pressure recovery effectiveness = Cp/Cpi
- P') entrance
=
N half angle of the diffuser
diffuser axial length
p.W/2 kinematic viscosity
P average static pressure
Cp, ideal static pressure recovery Re Reynolds number = UiWi/v Subscripts

for one-dimensional flow t characteristic time for diffuser 1 = diffuser entrance


= 1 - \/AR* flow = N/Ui 2 = diffuser exit

Journal of Basic Engineering MARCH 1 9 67 / 1 4 1


Copyright 1967 by ASME

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i y s t e r e s is Zone
d i i i
eveloped I
Two D i m e n s i o n a l Stal

Large Transitory Stall

ine o f Appreciable Stall

No Appreciable Sta

I 1.5 2 3 4 6 8 10 15 20 30 4 0 SO
I 15 2 3 4 6 8 10 15 20 3 0 4 0 6 0

<Vw,
Fig. 2(a) 28 - N / W i plane Fig. 2(b) AR - N/Wi plane
Fig. 2 Flow regimes in straight-wall, t w o - d i m e n s i o n a l diffusers [ 6 ] . " L i n e of appreciable s t a l l " is called line a ' - a ' for high inlet turbulence in [S],

and area ratio, IFo/IFi. In the work to be reported here, aspect most easily correlated by use of an inlet flow blockage parameter.
ratio is an unimportant parameter; it was greater than eight in In the two-dimensional diffusers this parameter most naturally
all the performance data, and in this range end wall effects can be takes the form of the ratio of the sum of the diverging wall inlet
neglected. displacement thicknesses to the inlet width. For the data pre-
In design and in analysis of performance data both the inlet sented here, the inlet flow was symmetrical so the blockage
and exit conditions must be considered. Diffuser exit conditions parameter is 25i*/Wi. 4 Of the important past summaries of the
are usually classified in terms of the geometry of the downstream diffuser literature [1, 3, 4] only references [1] and [4] recognized
tailpipe, i.e., by its length. If the diffuser discharges directly into the importance of inlet blockage on diffuser performance. In
a stationary atmosphere, as was the case in the data to be pre- fact, the complete specification of diffuser inlet conditions is as
sented, it is said to have a plenum exit condition. This simplifica- important to the designer as is knowledge of the important rela-
tion does not detract from the generality of the results as any tionships between stall flow regime limits and performance.
pressure recovery taking place in a tailpipe due to flow reattach- Many of the data contained in the older literature are of doubtful
ment and/or velocity profile flattening may be considered sepa- utility because inlet and exit conditions have not been reported.
rately. However, even though one may generally neglect down-
stream conditions 3 when considering diffuser flow and per-
formance, inlet conditions are of primary importance and must be Flow Regimes in Two-Dimensional Diffusers
carefully specified. The classical stall pattern which is by and large confirmed in
Specification of all the possible variations of inlet conditions external flows, does not always accurately describe stall in dif-
that may affect diffuser performance and flow is an impossible fusing passages. The spectrum of stall states for internal flow can
task. However, experience and careful study of the diffuser litera- be logically divided into four major patterns or flow regimes.
ture show two important facts. Flow conditions in and per- The dividing lines between regimes are arbitrarily defined in some
formance of unstalled and slightly stalled diffusers, the cases of cases because the flow may pass through a spectrum of different
greatest technical importance, are weakly affected by variations flow patterns by minor changes as one moves from one major
in Macli number and Reynolds number based on mass flow regime to another. The brief descriptions of these regimes, given
average inlet conditions when: (a) inlet Mach number is sub- below, are accordingly typical of the characteristic patterns
sonic and (6) inlet Reynolds number, Re = Z?iTFi/V, is greater found in the center of the regime in Fig. 2. The flow regimes have
than about 5 X 104, R e > 5 X 104 apparently insures that the been determined experimentally by flow visualization as func-
wall boundary layers will be turbulent at inlet. In the data sum- tions of geometry for straight-wall, two-dimensional diffusers.
marized here, inlet Mach numbers were low subsonic, and the Once the flow regime of a geometry of interest is known, one can
Reynolds numbers were usually well above 5 X 10 4 . For these immediately describe the major features of the flow and per-
conditions the most important inlet conditions that affect per- formance in that geometry. Moreover, the effect of a given de-
formance are inlet velocity profile and turbulence level [2]. sign change is often quite different for different flow regimes.
In the absence of pathological inlet conditions such as wakes, The recommended correlations of the flow regimes are shown in
stalled regions, or excessively high free stream turbulence in- Figs. 2(a) and 2(6). The dividing lines were determined by
tensity, it was found [2] that the inlet velocity profile effects are water tables studies [5, 6] using dye injection visualization and
confirmed in air tests [2, 7, 8, 9] using the wall tuft method. In
3 An exception to this rule occurs when an element of high flow re-
order to understand the meaning of this chart the following dis-
sistance, such as a heat exchanger core, is placed at the diffuser exit.
Such an element m a y cause a normally stalled diffuser to operate cussion of flow regimes is needed.
unstalled. H o w e v e r , one m a y usually neglect d o w n s t r e a m c o n d i t i o n s
when the diffuser is the primary loss p r o d u c i n g element in the flow ' Also, t h e aspect ratio was very large so that end wall b o u n d a r y
path. layers are negligible.

142 / MARCH 1967 Transactions of the AS M E

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Mo A p p r e c i a b l e Stall Regime parameters which can influence the flow regimes and hence pre-
This flow regime is confined to geometries with small angles scribe limitations on the use of Fig. 2 are given next.
and area ratios; it is located below line a-a in Fig. 2. Although It is hazardous to extrapolate the flow regime dividing lines
the wall boundary layers may become thick, at most only small beyond the range given in Fig. 2. Both the flow patterns and
areas of stall are observed. The pressure and velocity profiles are slopes of the dividing lines maj' change outside the experimental
essentially symmetrical about the center plane and are rela- range.
tively constant in time. The stall is generally first seen in a The line a-a is essentially unchanged by inlet Reynolds num-
corner. A t line a-a, by definition, 1 / 5 of the wall height 6 of one ber. The flow patterns were the same both in open water-channel
wall is stalled at times. tests at R e 3 X 103 - 10* and in air diffuser tests at R e 10s.
However, the Reynolds number can sometimes have large effects
on line b-b [9]. A t very low Reynolds number ( R e < 10 3 ) where
Large T r a n s i t o r y Stall Regime
wall boundary layers never become turbulent, the chart may not
This region lies between line a-a and line b-b in Fig. 2. The
give valid results.
flow is very erratic, and gross fluctuations of the whole flow pattern
The throat aspect ratio, / I S = 6/TFi, has little or no effect on
are observed. Stalled regions constantly form in, and then wash
flow regime as long as A S > 1. This result is confirmed by the
out of the diffuser. This causes relatively large pressure fluctua-
fact that the air tests in which A S was greater than 8 gave results
tions throughout the diffuser. The largest pressure fluctuations
in close agreement with the water table studies which in some
found in any flow regime occur in the center of this region.
cases had low A S .
The general location of the transient stalls varies with overall
Inlet flow with a turbulence intensity of less than about 3
geometry. In all cases where Ar/TFi < 12, stall is predominately
percent will not affect the flow pattern. For large scale turbu-
on the two diverging walls, i.e., end or parallel wall stall is insig-
lence and for very high turbulence intensity (greater than 7 to 10
nificant. In very short, wide diffusers (N/W\ < 4) almost all the
percent) the large transitory stall regime extends to higher area
transitory stalls occur on one diverging wall; thus the main flow
ratio (line b-b is higher than shown in Fig. 2) [2, 9]; quantitative
remains relatively fixed near one diverging wall, and stalls build
data on this effect are still scant.
up and are washed out repeatedly on the other diverging wall.
The flow regime chart presented here was developed from ex-
For 4 < N/WI < 12 the transient stalls occur about equally often
periments with turbulent inlet boundary layers which are thin
on each diverging wall. For N/WI > 16 the stall occurs mostly
specifically 28i*/Wi < 0.02. For very thick inlet boundary
on the parallel walls, and the through flow is held away from the
layers, say 25a*/TFi 0.05, line a-a occurs at divergence angles
parallel walls by the blockage effect of these stalls.
1 to 2 deg lower than those shown in Fig. 2. The other flow regime
The characteristic mean time for a fluid particle to pass lines are unaffected by inlet boundary layer thickness.
through the diffuser is given by the ratio of diffuser length to the
The dividing lines between flow regimes are based on overall
inlet velocity, t = N/U\. In all regimes, the changes in flow pat-
geometry. T h e geometry specified by a point on the flow regime
tern are small for times of order lOf. The pressure and large flow
chart cannot be used to determine directly the local geometry at
variations in the transitory stall regime require a mean time of
which separation will occur inside a diffuser with separated flow.
order 100; to complete a cycle. 5 In addition, the time necessary
As an example, line a-a cannot be used to determine the extent
for stall build-up is usually considerably larger than that neces-
(i.e., distance stall extends into the diffuser from exit) of the
sary for stall washout.
transitory stall in a diffuser geometry above line a-a.
There is a line designated as the "line of appreciable stall" on
T w o - D i m e n s i o n a l Stall Regime the chart. This correlation, which was called line a ' - a ' in
For geometries in the region just above line b-b of Fig. 2, a reference [5], is shown because it has been used in previous studies
steady, two-dimensional stall exists. It can exist up to line c-c, dealing with performance and optimum recovery [1, 7, 8]. The
but between lines c-c and d-d jet flow can also exist. The zone difference between this line and the current line a-a is clue to the
between lines c-c and d-d is a hysteresis region. improved visual methods for detecting first stall in the later
In two-dimensional stall, the flow separates near the throat and studies.
follows one diverging wall; a fixed stall with internal velocity low Fig. 3 shows the typical shape of the pressure recovery curve
compared to through-flow velocity covers the other diverging and its relationship to the flow regimes described previously. As
wall. The stall blocks a significant fraction of the available flow expected, large changes in flow pattern are accompanied by large
area, and the blockage accounts for the low performance in this changes in recovery. Line a-a occurs slightly before peak re-
region. The flow is steady except for the intense turbulence in covery. 6 The recovery becomes nearly constant at the onset of
the mixing zone between the stall and the through-flow. Once two-dimensional stall, i.e., at line b-b. A step change in recovery
established, the stall is stable to small internal disturbances, but occurs between lines c-c and d-d (at the condition where the flow
the stall can be switched from one diverging wall to the other pattern changes). For the same area ratio, the recovery is higher
by a large disturbance at the inlet or exit of the diffuser. If in diffusers which contain transitory stall than in diffusers which
undisturbed, the stall will remain on either wall. contain a large, steady stall.

6 Peak recovery is defined as the maximum recovery at a constant


Jet F l o w Regime
A'/H'V
Jet flow is always observed above line c-c and may exist down
to line d-d. In the jet flow pattern, the incoming flow separates
from both diverging walls very near the throat and proceeds
straight clown the diffuser; a large fixed stall covers each diverg-
ing wall. In the jet flow regime, the velocitj' and pressure pro-
files are relatively steady except for the shear layer at the edges
of the jet. Cp

The descriptions of the flow regimes and the dividing lines


given above are valid for a wide range of inlet conditions. Some

6 Regular cyclic variations are not usually observed. Rather, the


flow variation appears to be randomly spread about some mean fre-
quency. T h e values 104, lOOi cited here are only orders of magnitude
and should not be taken as implying 2 figure significance. Fig. 3 Relationship b e t w e e n f l o w regimes and a pressure recovery curve

Journal of Basic Engineering MARCH 1 9 67 / 143

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Fig. 4(a) 2 i * / W i = 0.007

Fig. 4(c) 251*/Wi = 0.03

/'/</ V / J
40 30 20
Pressure Recovery
2 5,'
"yf~= 0.05

Constant Recovery ;
CP = . 5 7 5 /

!20 IS 12 10
8 10 15 20 30 40
15 20 30

/w,
Fig. 4(b) 2 5 i * / W i = 0.015 Fig. 4(d) 2 i * / W i = 0.05

Fig. 4 Pressure r e c o v e r y of t w o - d i m e n s i o n a l diffusers w i t h turbulent inlet b o u n d a r y layers

Basic Performance Data inlet area blocked by boundary layer when A S is large. In order
The performance data presented for two-dimensional diffusers to obtain constant values of 251*/TFi for each map, interpolation
cover a wide range of geometries, 1.5 < N/Wi < 25 and 5 deg between individual performance curves was often necessary. For
< 20 < 30 deg; these ranges are repeated for each of four values reference, note that fully developed turbulent channel flow at inlet
of nondimensional inlet boundary layer thickness 2i*/TFi = with a V9 power velocity profile gives 28{*/Wi = 0.1. The thin-
0.007, 0.015, 0.03, and 0.05. Because inlet conditions play a nest boundary layer, 28i*/W, = 0.007, is equivalent to that
primary role in determining diffuser performance, only data for which would be generated by a straight section of duct about one
which inlet conditions have been reported can be used on the data throat width long upstream of the diffuser inlet. This is of the
maps. This requirement restricted usable data to those of order of the smallest value of 2b1*/Wi that can be obtained in
references [2, 7, 8, 10] and previously unpublished data presented practice since some bellmouth or inlet section is unavoidable.
in the Appendix. All the data used in construction of the maps had turbulent
The boundary layer displacement thickness on the diverging inlet boundary layers with shape factor at inlet Hi 1.4. The
walls is Si*. The ratio 28^/W, represents the fraction of diffuser inlet turbulence intensity outside the boundary layers was below

144 / MARCH 1967 Transactions of the AS M E

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s / u ' ^ / V = 1.3 percent except when the boundary layers begin fore the recovery is always less than 70 percent for N / W i > 48.
to merge at the inlet (\/u' 2 /U = 2.0 percent for this case). The higher recovery curves presumably close at N / W i < 4S, but
Very high inlet turbulence intensity sometimes results in higher there are insufficient data to show how they close.
performance, especially in the large transitory stall regime [2]. Effectiveness maps are given in Figs. 5(a-d); the basic data are
For convenience in design, the pressure recovery, Cp, is based the same as those for the recovery maps. T o correspond with the
on the mass average velocity at the throat, U\. The average pressure recovery discussion, Fig. 5(6) for 25i*/IFi = 0.015 will
static pressure over the inlet plane, Pi, is measured just upstream be discussed. The effectiveness contours are dashed at the
(less than one throat width) of the start of the divergence where smaller area ratios because the uncertainty is too high to warrant
the flow is not curving; P j is the average static pressure over the construction of effectiveness contours based on the available
exit plane. Since the data are for incompressible flow (Macli data.
number <0.2), the ideal, one-dimensional pressure recovery The effectiveness contours and recovery contours have the
Opt = 1 \/AR- has been used in computing effectiveness, same trends except in diffuser geometries below peak recover}'.
v) = CV/CPi. In contrast to the recovery, the effectiveness depends strongly on
The uncertainty in measured performance varies with flow diffuser angle in unstalled diffusers. A t constant area ratio,
regime. The experimental uncertainties 7 on the maps of pressure effectiveness has a maximum in the range of included angle 6 <
recovery and effectiveness are approximately as follows: 2 26 < 8 deg, a well-known result.
percent below peak recovery, 2 - 6 percent between peak re- High effectiveness occurs at low area ratios in unstalled dif-
covery and line b-b, 3 percent above line b-b. In regions where fusers whereas high recovery occurs at high area ratios with some
uncertainty is higher, the contour lines are dashed on the data transitory stall in the diffusers.
maps. The general behavior of the performance curves just discussed
The geometric parameters N/Wi and AR are used as coordi- for thin inlet boundary layers is not altered by increases in inlet
nates of the data maps, and by a suitable choice of scales, lines of boundary layer thickness. As seen in Figs. 4 ( a - d ) , the recovery at
constant divergence angle, 20, are straight lines with a slope of a given geometry decreases when the inlet boundary layer is in-
+ l. s The geometry of the diverging wall is specified on the creased from thin to thick. This decrease in recovery is small for
basis of a sharp corner between the inlet duct and diverging walls. unstalled and badly stalled diffusers but is not small in the transi-
Some wall fairing at the throat should be used to avoid stall at tory stall regime.
the start of the diverging section. All the data presented on Although the effectiveness contours are sparse at low area
the maps were taken with fairing at the throat, see Fig. 1. ratios, it is quite clear that the maximum value of effectiveness
Pressure recovery maps are given in Figs. 4(a) through 4(d). decreases with increased inlet boundary layer thickness. The
Fig. 4(6) for 25i*/IFi = 0.015 will be discussed because it is data maps also strongly suggest that effectiveness above 90 per-
representative of all the data. cent does not exist for any geometry when 28i*/Wi is significantly
Since the recover}' contours are nearly horizontal in the region larger than 0.015. For 25i*/IFi < 0.05, ij > 80 percent can be
of largely unstalled flowi.e., below the peak recover}' at con- obtained for a large range of geometries. When 25i*/IFi > 0.05,
stant N/Wiit is apparent that area ratio is the most impor- 7/ = 80 percent is a practical maximum, and it is attainable only
tant factor determining the pressure recovery in this region. at area ratios below those normally of technical utility.
However, a long, thin diffuser has slightly lower recovery than a
shorter, wide-angle unit of the same area ratio if the flow is un-
stalled in both cases. This occurs because a thicker boundary
Location of Maxima of Performance
layer develops in the longer diffuser, causing, as a result, greater Several important, distinct design optima exist. T o define an
blockage to the core flow. optimum geometry, both the geometrical restrictions and
measure of performance must be given. The three parameters 9
In the basic data used to construct Figs. 4(b-cl), the throat
commonly used to specify geometry are AR, N/Wi, and 26.
Reynolds number decreases slowly with increasing N/Wi in the
Four measures of performance will be considered: (a) pressure
region N / W i > 8, but it was assumed that this change in Reynolds
recovery, Cp, (b) effectiveness, ?), (c) head loss, HL, (d) loss of total
number has no effect over the range of the data since R e > 104
head per unit actual pressure rise.10 Since the minimum value of
for all the data. Supporting evidence for this assumption is given
(d), i.e., its optimum, occurs at maximum effectiveness, we need
in Fig. 4(a). The data for Fig. 4(a) were taken at constant inlet
not consider it separately.
Reynolds number and the recovery contours show the same
trends in Figs. 4(6) and 4(a). The remaining three performance measures are related by the
In contrast to an unstalled diffuser, the recovery of diffusers in definitions i] = Cp/Cpi and HL = CPi Cp. This definition of
the large transitory stall regime (above peak recovery) is pri- head loss charges the diffuser with the excess of exit kinetic
marily dependent on divergence angle 28 and only weakly de- energy above that which would exist with a one-dimensional exit
pendent on area ratio and length. The angle dependence be- velocity profile and should not be confused with the thermody-
comes even more important at large angles approaching the two- namic loss which depends on the decrease in total pressure flux'
dimensional stall limit, line b-b. from inlet to outlet.
In the two-dimensional stall and jet flow regimes, the data The determination of best performance at constant divergence
show an essentially constant, value of recovery (shaded regions). angle is of little practical importance; therefore, it will not be
Neither the area ratio nor the divergence angle is important in considered. Thus for fixed inlet conditions there are at most six
determining the recovery of a fully stalled diffuser. Further- distinct " b e s t " performance geometries to be considered for the
more, for the range of inlet conditions of the data maps, an in- four measures of performance specified.
crease in inlet boundary layer from thin to very thick decreases
recovery by less than 0.10 in the two fixed stall regimes. M a x i m u m P e r f o r m a n c e a} Consfan} A r e a Ratio
The N / W i = 48 data at 2 8 ^ / W i = 0.015 indicate that the 70 Since ?? = Cp/Cpi{AR) and BL = CPi(AR) Cp, maximum
percent recovery contour closes (see vertical clashed line); there- pressure recovery, maximum effectiveness, and minimum head
loss all occur at the same geometry when area ratio is held con-
stant. Utilizing N/Wi as the independent geometrical parame-
7 T h e uncertainty is estimated for 20 to 1 odds using the method of ter, the geometry of best performance occurs where bCp/d(N/Wi)
reference [11]. = 0 (horizontal slope of a recovery contour line). This condition
Since AR = 1 + 2(A r /IFi) tan 0, log (AR - 1) = log (2 tan 0) - f
is not sharply defined, especially at low area ratios. Thus the
log (iV/TFi). For fixed 6, log (Alt 1) is a linear function of log
W F i ) with slope + 1 . Plots of (AR - 1) versus N/Wi on log-log
paper are given, but for convenience, the values of AR are shown 9 Aspect ratio is considered constant throughout this discussion.
directly on the ordinate. 10 This can be shown to be equal to (1 /ri) 1 [1 ].

Journal of Basic Engineering MARCH 1 9 67 / 145

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designer can use a wide range of geometries and still obtain nearly M a x i m u m Performance at Constant Length
optimum pressure recovery. When length is the geometric parameter held constant, it is
Figs, o ( a - d ) show that the maximum effectiveness at constant easily shown that peak recovery, maximum effectiveness, and
area ratio occurs along the line of constant angle 2d = 7 deg. This minimum head loss all occur at different area ratios (and diver-
same line locates the other optima as well; see Fig. 6. The opti- gence angles). For maximum effectiveness either d y / b ^ A R ) or
mum angle may increase 1 or 2 deg at AR < 2, but the data are br//i>(2d) is set equal to zero (depending on whether AR or 26 is the
not complete enough to decide. desired independent parameter). Utilizing these conditions
The optima of performance at constant area ratio usually and the relationships between Cp, '/?, and diffuser geometry,
occur in geometries which have no stall, but in v e i y long dif- bCp/d(AR) = -q2/AR3 and dCp/b(26) = ?;(2iV/lFi) sec26/
fusers, small amounts of transitory stall may be present. AR3 are the gradients of Cp at maximum effectiveness. For the
When the difl'user is credited with the pressure rise which conditions of minimum head loss one finds in a similar manner
occurs in a long tailpipe, the divergence angle at optimum per- that bCp/d(AR) = 2/AR3 and dCp/d(2d) = (2N/Wi) sec'-B/AR3
formance may be increased by 2 or 3 deg. Tailpipe effects are at minimum head loss. Since r\ < 1, these relationships show
discussed in [9]. that minimum head loss occurs at a lower area ratio than maxi-

3 4 6 8 10 15 20 30

Fig. 5(a) 25i*/Wi = 0.007 W,


Fig. 5(c) 25i*/Wi = 0.03

Effectiveness

w,- = 0 . 0 5

3 4 6 8 10 15 2 0 30 40 60

W,

Fig. 5(b) 2 6 1 * / % ! = 0.01 5 Fig. 5(d) 2Si*/Wi = 0.05

Fig. 5 Effectiveness of t w o - d i m e n s i o n a l diffusers w i t h turbulent inlet b o u n d a r y layers

146 / MARCH 1967 Transactions of the AS M E

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mum effectiveness, and peak recovery occurs at a larger area ratio tion of peak recovery (maximum recovery at constant N/Wi) is
than either of the other optima of performance; see Fig. 7. at significantly higher area ratios than maximum recovery at
On the AR versus N/Wi plane, peak recovery occurs where the constant, area ratio.
tangent to a recovery contour is vertical; see Fig. 6. Maximum The stall pattern changes between the various optima of
effectiveness at constant length seems to occur at 26 ~ 7 deg; performance at constant N/Wi. Maximum effectiveness and
this maximum can Lie found from the data maps only for AR > 2. minimum head loss occur in unstalled diffusers. Only for very
Minimum head loss occurs at area ratios below those of maximum long diffusers does maximum effectiveness occur above line a-a.
effectiveness and cannot be obtained from the maps. It is of Peak recovery occurs after the onset of transitory stall.
little technical interest since it occurs at such small recovery A calculating method for prediction of pressure recovery in
values. For any given inlet boundary layer thickness, the loca- unstalled diffusers with thin inlet boundary layers is developed
in reference [9], It is shown, for two-dimensional diffusers, that
peak pressure recovery cannot be attained in the unstalled flow
regime as a result of simple thickening of the wall boundary
layers. It seems necessary that some excess thickening of the re-
tarded wall layers by transitory stall occur before a recovery peak
at constant N / W i can be identified.
The peak recoveries for the contours in the data maps are cor-
related in Fig. 8. For the data points the absolute uncertainty
in AR is about 0 . 0 5 , and the relative uncertainty is about 7
percent in N / W i . T o this accuracy, Fig. S shows a single band
of geometric locations for peak recovery independent of inlet
boundary layer thicknesses.
N/W,
However, two cautionary remarks must be made regarding the
Fig. 6 Location of o p t i m a of p e r f o r m a n c e at constant length (square
s y m b o l s ) a n d at constant area ratio (round s y m b o l s )
interpretation of this common geometric location of peak recovery
for all inlet, conditions. First, along this correlating curve the
actual value of peak recover}- observed is decreased at a given
geometry by increases in boundary layer thickness. For example,
M nimum head loss, H L
see the solid data points in Fig. S which show the maximum
Maximum effectiveness, r]
value of recovery found for each of the four values of 25 1 */IFi on
the data maps.
Cp IPeak recovery, Cp Second, an increase in inlet boundary layer thickness results in
a decrease in the maximum usable value of N/Wi along the
recommended correlation line of Fig. 8. These points are brought
out in Fig. 9 where both the value and range over which peak re-

/ AR
N/W,

or 2 0
constant

Fig. 7 Representative locations of several o p t i m a of p e r f o r m a n c e at


covery occurs are shown. The use of larger N/W\ than shown by
the horizontal lines in Fig. 9 will normally result in serious stall
and reduced recovery.
This new correlation of peak recovery supersedes that given in
Fig. 4 of reference [1] which was based on limited data, many of
constant N / W i which were for conical diffusers with tailpipes. There appears to
be a slightly different optimum correlation for two-dimensional
diffusers than for conical diffusers with tailpipes.

M a x i m u m Performance Without Geometrical Limitations


(T) Reco-iaenaed c o r r e l a t i o n
f o r peak r e c o v e r y . The absolute best performance without geometrical limitations
Flow regime c o r r e l a t i o n s has meaning only in terms of a given measure of performance.
from r e f e r e n c e [ 6 ] .
The absolute maximum of effectiveness occurs at rather low area
ratio; although effectiveness is high, very little diffusion actually
takes place. The absolute maximum of effectiveness apparently

Fig. 8(a) AR N/W, plane Fig. 8(b) 2d - N / W i plan

Fig. 8 Correlation of the peak pressure recovery at constant N/Wi

Journal of Basic Engineering MARCH 1 9 67 / 1 4 7

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Conclusions
1 Performance depends on more factors than flow pattern and
is dominated by different geometrical parameters in different
regimes. For example, pressure recovery is dominated by area
ratio in the unstalled regime, by divergence angle in the large
transitory stall regime, and by no geometric parameter in the two-
dimensional stall and jet flow regimes. Only when the relation-
ship between flow regime and performance is known is it possible
to evaluate the effects of proposed design changes.
2 The value of performance is affected much more by inlet
conditions than is flow regime. Performance decreases for in-
creases in inlet boundary layer thickness.
3 High recovery occurs at high area ratios (up to 5) where
some transitory stall is present, but high effectiveness occurs at
lower area ratio in essentially stall free diffusers.
4 Both the measure of performance and geometrical restric-
tions of the application must be sj^ecified before an optimum
geometry can be determined.
5 At constant area ratio, maximum effectiveness, maximum
pressure recovery, and minimum head loss occur at 26 7 deg,
but nearly optimum recovery exists over a wide range of geome-
tries.
n/w-i
6 At constant N / W i , maximum recovery occurs at larger area
Fig. 9 Peak recovery as a function of inlet b o u n d a r y layer thickness
ratios than maximum effectiveness. Minimum head loss occurs at
lower area ratios than either maximum effectiveness or recovery.
Large transitory stall There is a distinct best area ratio to obtain maximum recovery
for each length diffuser.
7 The value and geometry at the absolute maximum of re-
Maximum r e c o v e r y covery depend on inlet boundary layer thickness. Even for the
AR
geometries thinnest inlet boundary layers, recovery greater than 0.85 to 0.90
is not observed.

Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge General Motors Corpora-
tion, General Electric Company, and Worthington Corporation,
Fig. 10 Geometries of o p t i m u m recovery for the range of geometric
whose financial support made possible the research in preparation
parameters in Table 1
for this paper under the Internal Flow Program of the Mechani-
cal Engineering Department, Stanford University.
Table 1 Value and range of the absolute l a x i m a of peak recovery
(see Fig. 10)
25I* N
AR
References
I7I Cp T-7,
1 S. J. Kline, D . E . A b b o t t , and R . W . F o x , " O p t i m u m Design
0.007 0.85 3 . 8 - 5 . 0 17-25
of Straight-Walled Diffusers," JOURNAL OF BASIC ENGINEERING,
0.015 O.SO 3 . 7 - 5 . 0 20-28
TRANS. A S M E , Series D , vol. 81, 1959, p p . 3 2 1 - 3 2 9 .
0.03 0.70 2 . 5 - 4 . 0 11-20
0.05 0.65 2 . 2 - 2 . 5 6.5-11 2 B . A . W a i t m a n , L . R . R e n e a u , and S. J. K l i n e , " E f f e c t s of
Inlet C o n d i t i o n s on P e r f o r m a n c e of T w o - D i m e n s i o n a l D i f f u s e r s , "
J O U R N A L OF B A S I C E N G I N E E R I N G , T R A N S . A S M E , Series D , vol. 83,
occurs at AR < 2 below the range of data on the effectiveness 1961, p p . 3 4 9 - 3 6 0 .
maps. The absolute minimum of head loss occurs at even lower 3 G . N . Patterson, " M o d e r n Diffuser D e s i g n , " Aircraft Engi-
area ratios than maximum effectiveness. Thus maximum re- neering, v o l . 10, 193S, p p . 2 6 7 - 2 7 3 .
covery becomes the most significant parameter in design when no 4 II. R . H e n r y , C . C . W o o d , and S. W . W i l b u r , " S u m m a r y of
limits are placed on the geometiy. Subsonic-Diffuser D a t a , " N A C A R M L 5 6 F 0 5 , O c t o b e r , 1956.
The absolute maximum of recovery occurs at high area ratio 5 C. A . M o o r e and S. J. Kline, " S o m e E f f e c t s of V a n e s and of
T u r b u l e n c e on T w o - D i m e n s i o n a l W i d e - A n g l e Subsonic D i f f u s e r s , "
and in long diffusers. The value and location of absolute maxi-
N A C A T N 4080, June, 195S.
mum recovery depends on inlet boundary layer thickness. The
6 R . W . F o x and S. J. Kline, " F l o w R e g i m e D a t a and Design
absolute maxima of recovery are shown as the horizontal line on M e t h o d s f o r C u r v e d Subsonic D i f f u s e r s , " JOURNAL OF BASIC ENGI-
each peak recovery curve in Fig. 9. Table 1 gives the value of NEERING, TRANS. A S M E , Series D , vol. 84, 1962, pp. 3 0 3 - 3 1 2 .
absolute maximum of recovery along with the range of geometries 7 D . L. Cochran and S. J. Kline, " T h e Use of Short Flat V a n e s
over which it is likely to extend; the upper limits are not well de- for P r o d u c i n g Efficient W i d e - A n g l e T w o - D i m e n s i o n a l Subsonic D i f -
fined by available data. When the geometries in the table are fusers," N A C A T N 4309, September, 195S.
plotted as shown in Fig. 10, only the shaded half of the enclosed 8 O. G . Feil, " V a n e Systems f o r V e r y - W i d e - A n g l e Subsonic D i f -
f u s e r s , " J O U R N A L OF B A S I C E N G I N E E R I N G , T R A N S . A S M E , Series D,
geometries have high recovery.
v o l . 8 6 , 1964, p p . 7 5 9 - 7 6 4 .
It is clear that for very thick inlet boundary layers, high area 9 L. E . R e n e a u , J. P. Johnston, and S. J. K l i n e , " P e r f o r m a n c e
ratios and very long diffusers do not give high recovery. At the and Design of Straight, T w o - D i m e n s i o n a l D i f f u s e r s , " R e p o r t P D - 8 ,
absolute maximum recovery there is transitory stall in the dif- T h e n n o s c i e n c e s Division, D e p a r t m e n t of M e c h a n i c a l Engineering,
fuser. Diffusers with N/Wi or AR larger than those in the Stanford University, S e p t e m b e r , 1964.

table will have lower recovery and will contain appreciable 10 E . Ct. R e i d , " P e r f o r m a n c e Characteristics of P l a n e - W a l l T w o -
D i m e n s i o n a l D i f f u s e r s , " N A C A T N 2S88, F e b r u a r y , 1953.
amounts of transitory or fixed stall unless boundary layer con-
11 S. J. Kline and F . A . Mc.Clintock, " D e s c r i b i n g Uncertainties
trol, vanes, augmented mixing, or other special devices are in Single Sample E x p e r i m e n t s , " Mechanical Engineering, January,
employed. 1953, v o l . 75, p p . 3 - S .

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- Degrees

f i g . 12 Effects of inlet b o u n d a r y layer thickness on pressure r e c o v e r y at /L'/Wi = 2.0

K, - 1.50" , = 1.2 x 105


APPENDIX Re

26 *
New Performance Data for Two-Dimensional Diffusers
Curve 3, n - i = .022
The data in this Appendix were taken for the purpose of ex-
tending the range of N /W\ at which pressure recovery is known Curve *!, T26*
T~ = .057
as a function of inlet boundary layer thickness. The experi-
mental apparatus and techniques are largely the same as those Curve 5, TT-^- = .109
used in previous diliuser studies [2, 5, 7]. The inlet velocity pro- "1
files for the data are given in Fig. 11.
I ' / W i = 2, Fig. 12. Since no data bej'ond the two-dimensional
stall regime had been previously taken, for L'/Wi = 2 the entire
range of the apparatus was utilized.
The sudden drop in recovery for 20 > 60 deg is a direct result
of the change in flow pattern from two-dimensional stall to jet
flow. As shown by the flow regime chart, Fig. 2, a hysteresis zone
exists as the border of the jet flow and two-dimensional stall flow
regimes.
By exploring the exit flows it was found that in some cases of jet
flow the flow was skewed to one side, but there was still a fixed
two-dimensional stall on each diverging wall. The small charges
from the truly symmetric to a skewed jet flow are hard to repro-
duce consistently and cause increased scatter in the pressure re-
c o v e r ; see for example curve 1, Fig. 12, at 26 = 70 deg.
L'/Wl = 4, Fig. 13. At L'/Wi = 4 data were taken only at 26 - Degrees
angles near peak recovery. Flow visualization revealed that the Fig. 13 Effects of inlet b o u n d a r y layer thickness on pressure recovery at
curves for 28 1 */IF 1 = 0.022 and 0.067 have the transitory stall L'/Wi = 4.0

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mostly on one diverging wall as indicated in the (low regime dis- Wj - 1.03" , Re - 0.5-. x 10 ;
cussion. Diffusers with 2Si*/Wi = 0.109 had transitory stall on
26*
both diverging walls for 20 > 10 cleg. Thus, at this very thick
Curve 6, ^ ^ - .014
inlet boundary layer the transitory stall pattern not only occurs "1
at much lower angle but also shows a different pattern from that 25 '
for diffusers with thin to moderately thick inlet boundary
layersi.e., 2Si*/Wi < 0.06. It is believed that with the thickest
inlet boundary layer (Fig. 13, curve 5) there was a large turbu-
lent mixing level which allowed the flow to reach a higher exit-
pressure than would ordinarily be obtained.
/ cpi

L'/Wi = 24, Fig. 14. The data for thin inlet boundary layer, /
25i*/IFi = 0.014, exhibit the usual recovery and flow regime
characteristics. The data for thick inlet boundary layer, 2d1*/Wl
= 0.052 indicate that the effects of changes in flow pattern were
// I
k

amplified even though the usual spectrum of stall states was ob-
J/ti
served as the divergence angle was increased. The following flow
E 9
patterns were observed for recovery curve 7, Fig. 14. For 28 <
' 1
2.5 cleg there was essentially no stall. At 20 = 3.5 deg there is
1 '
large transitory stall, but in this particular test diffuser the B H
:.s i - : SU11
changes in stall size were so slow and large that two values of re-
covery and associated flow pattern were easily discernible.
Corresponding to the lower recovery there was an end wall stall; Sty i-n5i :r.= l Stalls
and when this stall was washed out the higher recovery was ob-
tained until the stall started to build up again. At 20 = 5 deg
the flow was relatively steady and showed the usual pattern for o

transitory stall in a diffuser with N/Wi > 16. The flow at 28 =


20 deg was a very violent transitory stall, and at 28 = 27 deg 5 1/ 20 25 30
2-} _ Degrees
there was a surprisingly steady, nearly two-dimensional stall
Fig, 14 Effects of inlet b o u n d a r y layer thickness on pressure recovery at
pattern. L'/Wi = 24.0

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