Topology optimization design and performance analysis of the low resistance rectifier for uniform air supply

The uniformity of supply airflow is crucial in efficiently transporting fresh air to the target area and establishing a healthy indoor environment. However, connectors such as reducers in front of the air supply terminal disrupt airflow. Adding a rectifier device between the air supply terminal and connector is an effective approach to address this issue within limited installation space. Nevertheless, conventional rectifiers suffer from excessive resistance. This paper innovatively proposes a rectifier topology optimization method utilizing a dual-objective function, and optimally designs a novel low-resistance rectifier to enhance the uniformity of supply air. An experimental comparison between the topology optimization rectifier and traditional rectifier is conducted to validate the effectiveness. Numerical analysis elucidates the mechanism of driving performance enhancement in the topology optimization rectifier. The findings suggest that the topology optimization result is influenced by the number of outlets in the physical model and the weight factor of the dual-objective function. The topology-optimized rectifier improves supply airflow uniformity while reducing resistance, unlike traditional rectifiers that increase resistance. It reduces pressure drop at the inlet and outlet by 23%, enhances outlet uniformity by 59%, and mitigates the axial velocity decay rate compared to the case without a rectifier. Moreover, the rectification mechanism results from the tree-shaped bending structure of the topology-optimized rectifier, which evenly distributes airflow and minimizes reversion zones, thus decreasing energy dissipation. This study provides guidance for designing low-resistance rectifiers to achieve a uniform air supply.