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Experimental study of unsteady hydrodynamic force matrices on whirling centrifugal pump impellersAn experimental facility was constructed and instrumented. A set of centrifugal flow pumps whose impellers were made to follow a controlled circular whirl motion were studied. The aim was to characterize the steady and unsteady fluid forces measured on the impeller under various pump operating conditions. The postulation was that the unsteady lateral forces result from interactions between the impeller and the surrounding diffuser and/or volute (via the working fluid), and that under certain flow regimes these forces can drive unstable lateral motions of the pump rotor. The lateral hydrodynamic forces were decomposed into their steady and unsteady parts, the latter being further expressed in terms of a generalized fluid stiffness matrix. Conclusions regarding the effect of impeller geometry could not be reached given the similarity of the tested designs. However, other results on phenomena such as skin friction and leakage flow are presented. Some of the findings are compared to experimental and theoretical data from other sources. Finally, the rotordynamic consequences of the results are discussed as the present data were applied to the case of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (HPOTP).
Document ID
19870012806
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Thesis/Dissertation
Authors
Belgacem, Jery
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 5, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1986
Subject Category
Mechanical Engineering
Report/Patent Number
REPT-200.22
NAS 1.26:179084
NASA-CR-179084
Accession Number
87N22239
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-33108
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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