Comparisons of the Relative Effect of Tip Clearance on Centrifugal Impellers

Abstract

Why do some centrifugal impellers exhibit high sensitivity to tip clearance losses while others don’t? This may be understood by considering the geometric and fluid mechanics design parameters of the impellers. On the basis of experiments on five pumps of different specific speed, the relative effect on the stage performances of the pumps due to tip clearance is studied and earlier works in the field are discussed.