Turbomachinery

Outline
• Introduction
• Pumps
– Pump Performance Curves and Matching a Pump to a Piping System
– Pump Cavitation and Net Positive Suction Head
– Pumps in Series and Parallel
– Positive-Displacement Pumps
– Dynamic Pumps
– Centrifugal Pumps
– Axial Pumps
• Pump Scaling Laws
– Dimensional Analysis
– Pump Specific Speed
– Affinity Laws
 Outline
• Turbines
– Positive-Displacement Turbines
– Dynamic Turbines
– Impulse Turbines
– Reaction Turbines
– Gas and Steam Turbines
– Wind Turbines
• Turbine Scaling Laws
– Dimensionless Turbine Parameters
– Turbine Specific Speed
Turbomachinery
Turbomachinery
 Classification
Pumps: Energy absorbing devices since
energy is supplied to them, and they
transfer most of that energy to the
fluid, usually via a rotating shaft. The
increase in fluid energy is usually felt
as an increase in the pressure of the
fluid.
Turbines: Energy producing devices they
extract energy from the fluid and
transfer most of that energy to some
form of mechanical energy output,
typically in the form of a rotating
shaft. The fluid at the outlet of a
turbine suffers an energy loss,
typically in the form of a loss of
pressure. (a) A pump supplies energy to a fluid,
while (b) a turbine extracts energy from
a fluid.
 Classification
• The purpose of a pump is to add
energy to a fluid, resulting in an
increase in fluid pressure, not
necessarily an increase of fluid
speed across the pump.
• The purpose of a turbine is to For the case of steady flow,
extract energy from a fluid, conservation of mass requires that
the mass flow rate out of a pump
resulting in a decrease of fluid must equal the mass flow rate into
pressure, not necessarily a the pump; for incompressible flow
decrease of fluid speed across the with equal inlet and outlet cross-
sectional areas (Dout = Din), we
turbine. conclude that Vout = Vin, but
Pout > Pin.
 Classifications
• Pump: Fluid machines that move
liquids.
• Fan: A gas pump with relatively low
pressure rise and high flow rate.
Examples include ceiling fans, house
fans, and propellers.
• Blower: A gas pump with relatively
moderate to high pressure rise and
moderate to high flow rate. Examples
include centrifugal blowers and
squirrel cage blowers in automobile
ventilation systems, furnaces, and leaf
blowers.
• Compressor: A gas pump designed to
deliver a very high pressure rise,
typically at low to moderate flow rates.
Examples include air compressors that
run pneumatic tools and inflate tires at
automobile service stations, and
refrigerant compressors used in heat
pumps, refrigerators, and air
conditioners.
 Classifications
• Turbomachines: Pumps and
turbines in which energy is
supplied or extracted by a
rotating shaft.
• The words turbomachine and
turbomachinery are often used
in the literature to refer to all
types of pumps and turbines
regardless of whether they
utilize a rotating shaft or not. Not all pumps have a rotating shaft;
(a) energy is supplied to this manual
tire pump by the up and down motion of a
person’s arm to pump air; (b) a similar
mechanism is used to pump water with an
old-fashioned well pump.
 Classifications
• Fluid machines may also be broadly
classified as either positive-
displacement machines or dynamic
machines, based on the manner in
which energy transfer occurs.
• In positive-displacement machines:
Fluid is directed into a closed volume.
• Energy transfer to the fluid is
accomplished by movement of the
boundary of the closed volume,
causing the volume to expand or
contract, thereby sucking fluid in or
squeezing fluid out, respectively.
 Classifications
• Dynamic machines: There is no closed
volume; instead, rotating blades supply
or extract energy to or from the fluid.
• For pumps, these rotating blades are
called impeller blades, while for
turbines, the rotating blades are called
runner blades or buckets.
• Examples of dynamic pumps include
enclosed pumps and ducted pumps and
open pumps.
• Examples of dynamic turbines include
enclosed turbines, such as the
hydroturbine that extracts energy from A wind turbine is a good example of
water in a hydroelectric dam, and open a dynamic machine of the open type;
turbines such as the wind turbine that air turns the blades, and the output
extracts energy from the wind. shaft drives an electric generator
Pumps
 Pumps
Pump performance parameters:
• The mass flow rate of fluid through the pump is an obvious
primary pump performance parameter.
• For incompressible flow, it is more common to use volume
flow rate rather than mass flow rate.
• In the turbomachinery industry, volume flow rate is called
capacity and is simply mass flow rate divided by fluid density

• The performance is also characterized by net head H, defined

as the change in Bernoulli head between the inlet and outlet of
the pump:
 Pumps
• For the case in which a liquid is being pumped, the Bernoulli
head at the inlet is equivalent to the energy grade line at the
inlet
 Pump Performance Curves
Free delivery, Shutoff head, Best Efficiency Point
(BEP), Pump Performance Curves

• The steady operating point of

a piping system is established
at the volume flow rate where
Hrequired = Havailable.
 Pump Performance Curves

• The useful pump head delivered to the fluid does four things
Example
Example
Example
Example
Example
 Pump Cavitation and Net Positive Suction Head

• When pumping liquids, it is possible for

the local pressure inside the pump to fall
below the vapor pressure of the liquid, Pv.
• When P < Pv, vapor-filled bubbles
called cavitation bubbles appear.
• The liquid boils locally, typically on the
suction side of the rotating impeller blades
where the pressure is lowest.
• Net positive suction head (NPSH): The
difference between the pump’s inlet
stagnation pressure head and the vapor
pressure head.
 Pump Cavitation and Net Positive Suction Head

• Required net positive suction head (NPSHrequired): The

minimum NPSH necessary to avoid cavitation in the pump.
 Example
The 11.25-in impeller option of the Taco Model 4013 FI Series centrifugal pump of Fig.
14–15 is used to pump water at 25°C from a reservoir whose surface is 4.0 ft above the
centerline of the pump inlet (Fig. 14–20). The piping system from the reservoir to the
pump consists of 10.5 ft of cast iron pipe with an ID of 4.0 in and an average inner
roughness height of 0.02 in. There are several minor losses: a sharp-edged inlet (KL =
0.5), three flanged smooth 90° regular elbows (KL = 0.3 each), and a fully open flanged
globe valve (KL = 6.0). Estimate the maximum volume flow rate (in units of gpm) that
can be pumped without cavitation. If the water were warmer, would this maximum flow
rate increase or decrease? Why? Discuss how you might increase the maximum flow
rate while still avoiding cavitation.
Example
Example
Example
Example
 Pump Performance Curves

Example of a manufacturer’s performance plot for centrifugal pumps. Each pump has the
same casing, but a different impeller diameter.
 Pumps in Series and Parallel
• Arranging two very dissimilar pumps in (a)
series or (b) parallel can sometimes lead to
problems.
Pumps in Series and Parallel

Several identical pumps

are often run in a parallel
configuration so that a
large volume flow rate
can be achieved when
necessary. Three parallel
pumps are shown.
 Positive-Displacement Pumps
• Fluid enters into an expanding
volume and then pushed along as
that volume contracts, but the
mechanism that causes this
change in volume differs greatly
among the various designs.
• Positive-displacement pumps are
ideal for high-pressure
applications like pumping
viscous liquids or thick slurries,
and for applications where
precise amounts of liquid are to
be dispensed or metered, as in
medical applications. (a) flexible-tube peristaltic pump, (b) three-
lobe rotary pump, (c) gear pump, and (d)
double screw pump.
 Dynamic Pumps
• There are three main types of dynamic pumps that involve
rotating blades called impeller blades or rotor blades, which
impart momentum to the fluid.
• They are sometimes called rotodynamic pumps or simply
rotary pumps.
• Rotary pumps are classified by the manner in which flow
exits the pump: centrifugal flow, axial flow, and mixed flow

(a) centrifugal flow, (b) mixed flow, and (c) axial flow.
 Dynamic Pumps
• Centrifugal-flow Pump: Fluid enters axially (in the same direction as the axis of
the rotating shaft) in the center of the pump, but is discharged radially (or
tangentially) along the outer radius of the pump casing.
• For this reason centrifugal pumps are also called radial-flow pumps.
• Axial-flow Pump: Fluid enters and leaves axially, typically along the outer portion
of the pump because of blockage by the shaft, motor, hub, etc.
• Mixed-flow Pump: Intermediate between centrifugal and axial, with the flow
entering axially, not necessarily in the center, but leaving at some angle between
radially and axially.

(a) centrifugal flow, (b) mixed flow, and (c) axial flow.
 Centrifugal Pumps
• Centrifugal pumps and blowers can be
easily identified by their snail-shaped
casing, called the scroll.
• They are found all around your home; in
dishwashers, hot tubs, clothes washers
and dryers, hairdryers, vacuum cleaners,
kitchen exhaust hoods, bathroom exhaust
fans, leaf blowers, furnaces, etc.
• They are used in cars; the water pump in
the engine, the air blower in the heater/air
conditioner unit, etc.
• Centrifugal pumps are ubiquitous in
industry as well; they are used in building
ventilation systems, washing operations,
cooling ponds and cooling towers.
 Centrifugal Pumps
• Impeller or Rotor: In pump terminology, the rotating assembly that consists of
the shaft, the hub, the impeller blades, and the impeller shroud.
• A shroud often surrounds the impeller blades to increase blade stiffness.
 Centrifugal Pumps
• There are three types of centrifugal pump based on impeller
blade geometry: Backward-inclined blades, radial blades, and
forward-inclined blades.
• Centrifugal pumps with backward-inclined blades are the
most common. These yield the highest efficiency of the three
because fluid flows into and out of the blade passages with
the least amount of turning.
• Centrifugal pumps with radial blades (also called straight
blades) have the simplest geometry and produce the largest
pressure rise of the three.
• Centrifugal pumps with forward-inclined blades produce a
pressure rise that is nearly constant.

(a) backward-inclined blades, (b) radial

blades, and (c) forward-inclined blades;
(d) comparison of net head and brake
horsepower performance curves for the
three types of centrifugal pumps.
 Centrifugal Pumps

Close-up frontal view of the simplified centrifugal

flow pump used for elementary analysis of the
velocity vectors. Absolute velocity vectors of the
fluid are shown as bold arrows. It is assumed that
the flow is everywhere tangent to the blade surface
when viewed from a reference frame rotating with
Close-up side view of the simplified centrifugal flow the blade, as indicated by the relative velocity
pump used for elementary analysis of the velocity vectors.
vectors; V1, n and V2, n are defined as the average
normal (radial) components of velocity at radii r1
and r2, respectively.
 Centrifugal Pumps
We assume that the flow is everywhere tangent to the blade surface when viewed from
a reference frame rotating with the blade.
Shaft torque is equal to the change in moment
of momentum from inlet to outlet, as given by
the Euler turbomachine equation (also called
Euler’s turbine formula)

Control volume (shaded) used for angular

momentum analysis of a centrifugal pump;
absolute tangential velocity components V1, t
and V2, t are labeled.
 Centrifugal Pumps
For the approximation of flow through an
impeller with no irreversible losses, it is often
more convenient to work with a relative frame
of reference rotating with the impeller; in that
case, the Bernoulli equation gets an additional
term, as indicated in Eq.
 Centrifugal Pumps

Bernoulli equation in a rotating reference frame:

Example
Example
 Example

Using trigonometry on the trailing edge of the blade rather than the leading edge. The
result is
 Centrifugal Pumps

(a) A centrifugal pump impeller with too few blades leads to excessive circulatory flow loss—the tangential velocity
at outer radius r2 is smaller in the gaps between blades than at the trailing edges of the blades (absolute tangential
velocity vectors are shown).
(b) On the other hand, since real impeller blades have finite thickness, an impeller with too many blades leads to
passage losses due to excessive flow blockage and large skin friction drag (velocity vectors in a frame of reference
rotating with the impeller are shown exiting one blade row). The bottom line is that pump engineers must optimize
both blade shape and number of blades.
 Axial Pumps
• Axial pumps do not utilize so-called
centrifugal forces.
• Instead, the impeller blades behave more
like the wing of an airplane, producing lift
by changing the momentum of the fluid as
they rotate.
• The lift force on the blade is caused by
pressure differences between the top and
bottom surfaces of the blade, and the
change in flow direction leads to downwash
(a column of descending air) through the
rotor plane.
• From a time-averaged perspective, there is
a pressure jump across the rotor plane that
induces a downward airflow.
 Axial Pumps
• When used to move flow in a duct, a single-
impeller axial-flow fan is called a tube-
axial fan.
• A second rotor that rotates in the opposite
direction can be added in series with the
existing rotor to form a pair of counter-
rotating rotor blades; such a fan is called a
counter- rotating axial-flow fan.
Alternatively, a set of stator blades can be
added either upstream or downstream of the
rotating impeller.
• As implied by their name, stator blades are
stationary (nonrotating) guide vanes that
simply redirect the fluid.
• An axial-flow fan with a set of rotor blades
(the impeller or the rotor) and a set of stator
blades called vanes (the stator) is called a A tube-axial fan (a) imparts swirl to the
vane-axial fan. exiting fluid, while (b) a counterrotating
axial-flow fan and (c) a vane axial fan are
designed to remove the swirl.
Axial Pumps
 Pump Scaling Laws
Dimensional Analysis
 Dimensional Analysis
• Dimensional analysis is useful for scaling two geometrically similar pumps. If all the
dimensionless pump parameters of pump A are equivalent to those of pump B, the
two pumps are dynamically similar.
Dimensional Analysis
 Pump Specific Speed
• Pump specific speed is used to characterize the operation of a
pump at its optimum conditions (best efficiency point) and is
useful for preliminary pump selection and/or design.
Pump Specific Speed
Turbines
 Turbines
• Turbines have been used for centuries to convert freely available
mechanical energy from rivers and wind into useful mechanical
work, usually through a rotating shaft.
• The rotating part of a hydroturbine is called the runner.
• When the working fluid is water, the turbomachines are called
hydraulic turbines or hydroturbines.
• When the working fluid is air, and energy is extracted from the
wind, the machine is called a wind turbine.
• Most people use the word windmill to describe any wind turbine,
whether used to grind grain, pump water, or generate electricity.
• The turbomachines that convert energy from the steam into
mechanical energy of a rotating shaft are called steam turbines.
• Turbines that employ a compressible gas as the working fluid is gas
turbine.
 Turbines
• In general, energy-producing turbines have somewhat higher overall efficiencies than do
energy-absorbing pumps.
• Large hydroturbines achieve overall efficiencies above 95 percent, while the best
efficiency of large pumps is a little more than 90 percent.
• There are several reasons for this:
• First, pumps normally operate at higher rotational speeds than do turbines; therefore,
shear stresses and frictional losses are higher.
• Second, conversion of kinetic energy into flow energy (pumps) has inherently higher
losses than does the reverse (turbines).
• Third, turbines (especially hydroturbines) are often much larger than pumps, and
viscous losses become less important as size increases.
• Finally, while pumps often operate over a wide range of flow rates, most electricity-
generating turbines run within a narrower operating range and at a controlled constant
speed; they can therefore be designed to operate most efficiently at those conditions.
• As with pumps, we classify turbines into two broad categories, positive displacement
and dynamic.
• Positive-displacement turbines are small devices used for volume flow rate
measurement, while dynamic turbines range from tiny to huge and are used for both
flow measurement and power production.
 Positive-Displacement Turbines
• A positive-displacement turbine may
be thought of as a positive-
displacement pump running
backward—as fluid pushes into a
closed volume, it turns a shaft or
displaces a reciprocating rod. The
closed volume of fluid is then pushed
out as more fluid enters the device.
• There is a net head loss through the
positive- displacement turbine; energy
is extracted from the flowing fluid and
is turned into mechanical energy.
• However, positive-displacement
turbines are generally not used for
power production, but rather for flow
rate or flow volume measurement.
 Dynamic Turbines
• Dynamic turbines are used both as flow
measuring devices and as power generators.
• Hydroturbines utilize the large elevation
change across a dam to generate electricity,
and wind turbines generate electricity from
blades rotated by the wind. There are two
basic types of dynamic turbine—impulse and
reaction.
• Impulse turbines require a higher head, but
can operate with a smaller volume flow rate.
Reaction turbines can operate with much less
head, but require a higher volume flow rate.
 Impulse Turbines
• In an impulse turbine, the fluid is
sent through a nozzle so that
most of its available mechanical
energy is converted into kinetic
energy.
• The high-speed jet then impinges
on bucket-shaped vanes that
transfer energy to the turbine
shaft.
• The modern and most efficient
type of impulse turbine is Pelton
turbine and the rotating wheel is
now called a Pelton wheel.
Impulse Turbines
 Reaction Turbines
• The other main type of energy-producing
hydroturbine is the reaction turbine, which
consists of fixed guide vanes called stay
vanes, adjustable guide vanes called wicket
gates, and rotating blades called runner
blades.
• Flow enters tangentially at high pressure, is
turned toward the runner by the stay vanes
as it moves along the spiral casing or
volute, and then passes through the wicket
gates with a large tangential velocity
component.
• There are two main types of reaction
turbine—Francis and Kaplan.
• The Francis turbine is somewhat similar in
geometry to a centrifugal or mixed- flow
pump, but with the flow in the opposite
direction.
Wind Turbines
Wind Turbines
 Wind Turbines
• The distinction between the terms windmill used for mechanical power generation
(grinding grain, pumping water, etc.) and wind turbine used for electrical power
generation.
• Cut-in speed: The minimum wind speed at which useful power can be generated.
• Rated speed: The wind speed that delivers the rated power, usually the maximum
power.
• Cut-out speed: The maximum wind speed at which the wind turbine is designed to
produce power. At wind speeds greater than the cut-out speed, the turbine blades
are stopped by some type of braking mechanism to avoid damage and for safety
issues. The short section of dashed blue line indicates the power that would be
produced if cut-out were not implemented.
 Wind Turbines

Performance (power coefficient) of various types of wind

turbines as a function of the ratio of turbine blade tip speed to
wind speed. So far, no design has achieved better performance
than the horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT).
Turbine Specific Speed
 Turbine Specific Speed
Capacity specific speed

• Turbine specific speed is used to characterize the operation of a turbine at its optimum
conditions (best efficiency point) and is useful for preliminary turbine selection.

Maximum efficiency as a function of turbine specific speed for the three main types of dynamic turbine. Horizontal
scales show nondimensional turbine specific speed (NSt) and turbine specific speed in customary U.S. units (NSt, US).
Sketches of the blade types are also provided on the plot for reference.