Resumo

ACOSTA ROJAS, Jairo Andrés; DUQUE DAZA, Carlos Alberto; GALEANO URUENA, Carlos Humberto  e  MANTILLA GONZALEZ, Juan Miguel. 3D-DIGITIZING OF A CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR'S IMPELLER: AN ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE. Ingeniare. Rev. chil. ing. [online]. 2007, vol.15, n.3, pp. 236-244. ISSN 0718-3305.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-33052007000300004.

In the 3D digitizing of an HT3B turbocharger's centrifugal compressor's impeller, several methodologies were evaluated, reproducing its shape in such a way, that the obtained virtual model could be used to perform a computational flow simulation in the whole centrifugal compressor. After analyzing these methodologies, computerized axial tomographies were chosen as the most suitable methodology, despite requiring the previous construction of an impeller's acrylic-made model. Once the impeller's computerized axial tomographies had been taken, the generation of the virtual model was performed by software CAD 3D, by integrating an analytic methodology for the impeller's vanes' geometrical shape generation, with the metrological information extracted from the tomographies. The virtual model generated presented characteristics which made it appropriate for the intended flow simulation, showing that the procedure used for this purpose constitutes a feasible alternative for the 3D digitizing of complex mechanical parts.

Palavras-chave : Centrifugal compressor; 3D digitizing; computerized axial tomography; reverse engineering.