Internal Flow and Limiting Streamlines Observations of Contra-Rotating Axial Flow Pump at Partial Flow Rate

Abstract

An application of contra-rotating rotors, in which a rear rotor is in tandem with a front one and these rotors rotate in the opposite direction each other, has been proposed against a demand for developing higher specific speed axial flow pump. One prototype rotors, which we have designed with a conventional method, has given the positive slope of head characteristic curve especially in the rear rotor. It is necessary to understand the internal flow behavior in the rear rotor to establish the design guideline for achieving higher and more reliable performance. In the present study, we carried out the experimental investigations of the internal flow field of the rear rotor, especially at the partial flow rate, by Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) for the main flow and the limiting streamlines observation on rotor surfaces for the boundary layer flows.