Investigations Concerning Flow Patterns Within the Impeller Channels of Radial-Inflow Turbines, With Some Reference to the Influence of the Splitter Vanes

Abstract

The experimental results of the relative velocity distributions together with the static pressure distributions within the impeller channels of radial-inflow turbines with and without splitter vanes are presented. The flow patterns within three stream surfaces (blade-to-blade surfaces) having different passage depths are shown using two performance parameters, i.e., nondimensional weight flow and nondimensional rotation speed. The impellers used were of purely radial type or of two-dimensional type. Further, theoretical predictions for the relative velocity distributions within the impeller channels having no splitter vanes were conducted, and comparisons of the theoretical results with experimental data were made.