Abstract
The turbulent flow characteristics around a small-size axial fan(SSAF) for a refrigerator are strongly dependent upon the operating points. Four operating points such as $\phi$ =0.1, 0.18, 0.25 and 0.32 were adopted in this study to investigate three-dimensional turbulent flow characteristics around the SSAF by using a fiber-optic type Laser Doppler Anemometer(LDA) system. Downstream mean velocity profiles of the SSAF along the radial distance show that axial and tangential velocity components exist predominantly, except $\phi$ = 0.1, and have a maximum value at $r/R{\fallingdotseq}0.8$, but radial velocity component having a relatively small value only turns flow direction to the outside or the central part of the SSAF. The turbulent intensity shows that the radial component exists most greatly after $r/R{\fallingdotseq}0.5$. Downstream turbulent kinetic energy at $\phi$ = 0.25 and 0.32 together has the largest peak value at $r/R{\fallingdotseq}0.9$.
