Effect of Gurney Flap on the Performance of a Radial Fan

Abstract

In this research, Gurney flap is applied to rotating radial fan and the mechanisms it improves the fan performance will be explained by numerical study. The CFD results were validated with experimental results and it shows good agreement. With the Gurney flap, the fan produces more diffusion with larger change of relative velocity than the reference case. It results in higher static pressure rise and this can be explained with stagnation effect by Gurney flap and the flow deflection due to the flap angle and the force driven by the pressure gradient between the pressure side and the suction side. Total pressure loss increased with Gurney flap. However, this was not significant compared to the increment of static pressure rise with Gurney flap.