Abstract
The unsteadiness of the flow at the leading edge of a vaned diffuser represents a source of low efficiency and instability in a centrifugal pump. Furthermore, the internal flow of the impeller can be affected by asymmetric downstream conditions, which results in extra flow unsteadiness and instabilities. The improvement of machine performances can only be achieved if there is a progress in the comprehension of the nature of the complex flow that develops at the gap between the rotor and the stator.
This paper presents the results of LDA investigation of the internal flow of a centrifugal pump equipped with a backswept impeller and a vaned diffuser. The data taken in phase with the impeller rotation are presented as animated frames reconstituting a temporal evolution of the flow in radial planes at the diffuser inlet.
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Abdul-Rahman Akhras: He studied Mechanical Engineering and received his Dipl.-Ing from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria, 1990. He is a teaching and research assistant in the Department of Power Mechanical Engineering at the Laboratory of Turbomachinery. In 1996, he started to prepare a doctor thesis in France, at the Laboratory of Fluids Mechanics, at INSA-Lyon. His main research interests are interaction rotor-stator, visualization, and optical measurements.
Mahmoud El Hajem : He received Dipl.-Ing in 1990 from the “École Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Monastir,” Tunisia. In 1996, he got his doctor thesis of the INSA-Lyon, France where he integrated the Laboratory of Fluids Mechanics as post-doctoral until 1998. Since, he was nominated as a professor assistant. His principal activities are concerned with turbomachinery, internal flow, cavitation, optical measurements, and CFD.
Robert Morel : He is the Director of the Fluids Mechanics Laboratory at INSA-Lyon since 1992, where he received his Dipl.-Ing in Mechanics in 1961 and joined the teaching staff. In 1972 he joined the Laboratory of Fluids Mechanics and Acoustic UMR CNRS, “École Centrale de Lyon.” In 1979, he obtained the tittle of Doctor-es-Sciences, and in 1988 he was nominated as a Professor at INSA-Lyon. His research areas are turbulence, atmospheric boundary layers and cavitation in turbomachinery.
Jean-Yves Champagne : He received his thesis in Mathematics, option Fluid Mechanics from the Fluids Mechanics Institute, University of Aix Marseille, France, 1979. He started teaching and research at the Faculty of Science and Technology of Monastir, Tunisia. In 1990 he joined the Fluids Mechanics Laboratory of the INSA-Lyon. His research interests are hydraulics, environment, cavitation, CFD and laser applications.
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Akhras, A.R., El Hajem, M., Morel, R. et al. Internal flow investigation of a centrifugal pump at the design point. J Vis 4, 91–98 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182459
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182459