Abstract
The estimation of pressure waves generated in the cells or rotor passages is a crucial factor in wave rotor design. However, it is difficult to estimate the pressure wave analytically, for example, by the method of characteristics, because the mechanism of pressure wave generation and propagation in the cells is extremely complicated as compared with that in a shock tube. In this study, a simple numerical modeling scheme was developed to facilitate the design procedure. This scheme considers three dominant factors in the loss mechanism (gradual passage opening, wall friction, and leakage) for simulating the pressure waves precisely. The numerical scheme itself is based on the one-dimensional Euler equations with appropriate source terms to reduce the calculation time. The modeling of these factors was verified by comparing the results with those of a two-dimensional numerical simulation; the results were validated by the experimental data in our previous study. With regard to wave rotor miniaturization, the leakage flow effect that involves the interaction between adjacent cells was investigated extensively. A port configuration principle was also examined and analyzed in detail to verify the applicability of the present numerical modeling scheme to the wave rotor design.