Optimized design and performance analysis of a high-pressure radial turbine for energy recovery applications

Nur Syazwani Ahmad; Muhammad Nurehsan Azman; Aman Mohd Ihsan Mamat

doi:10.15282/jmes.19.2.2025.1.0829

Authors

Nur Syazwani Ahmad College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Muhammad Nurehsan Azman College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Aman Mohd Ihsan Mamat College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15282/jmes.19.2.2025.1.0829

Keywords:

Turbomachinery, Radial turbine, Numerical analysis, CFD analysis

Abstract

Single-cylinder direct-injection engines suffer significant exhaust energy losses; however, designing efficient radial turbines for such systems requires a physical characterization of pulsating flows and thermal stresses. This paper investigates the design and performance of a 500W high-pressure radial turbine for waste energy recovery for a single-cylinder engine. The main objective of this study is to optimize the turbine's dimensions and efficiency for capturing exhaust energy upstream of catalytic converters in internal combustion engines. Employing a two-stage computational approach, numerical modeling first established key geometric parameters, including a 19.3 mm inlet radius, 5.1 mm leading-edge length, 72° inlet angle, and 0.7 outlet radius ratio, followed by CFD simulations in ANSYS CFX using a 212,212-element single-passage mesh at 50,000, 70,000 rpm and 90,000 rpm, and 800 K inlet temperature. The optimized turbine demonstrated peak efficiency of 67% at a mass flow rate of 0.005 kg/s, revealing that systematic numerical optimization significantly enhances energy conversion efficiency. These results provide critical insights for developing compact, high-efficiency turbines for exhaust energy recovery systems, advancing waste heat utilization technology.

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