The Design and Analysis of Turbomachinery in an Incompressible, Steady Flow Using the Streamline Curvature Method

The design of new and more efficient turbomachinery requires an improved understanding of the fluid flow phenomena associated with the duct and blading required for the operation of such devices. In recent years, the digital computer has made possible the solution of equations of motion pertinent to this field. This study deals with the design and analysis of turbomachinery in an incompressible, steady flow, such as hydraulic pumps and turbines. The basic numerical approach used in the analysis of these devices is the Streamline Curvature Method. Development of a turbomachine design method requires an accurate model of the through-flow describing the spatial variation of the velocity and pressure in the fluid. Equations of motion are developed in a way that allows modeling of the blade row spanwise and chordwise loading distributions on a blade row and determination of their effect on the through- flow. The equations are solved using the Streamline Curvature Method with effects of viscosity and turbulene included in an empirical fashion due to the complexity of the governing equations. Experimental investigations were performed to validate each of the analysis and design methods described. In general, performance of the various test articles was in agreement with predictions. It is apparent, however, that phenomena associated with turbulent and viscous flows require more sophisticated modeling than those used in this study.