• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.126-133
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• 2012

The transfer matrix and unsteady cavitation characteristics, cavitation compliance and mass flow gain factor, of cavitating inducer were evaluated by CFD using commercial software. Quasi-steady values of cavitation compliance and mass flow gain factor were obtained first by using steady calculations at various flow rate and inlet cavitation number. Then unsteady calculations were made to determine the transfer matrix and the cavitation characteristics. The results are compared with experiments to show the validity of calculations.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.1292-1301
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• 2001

The mean-line method using empirical models is the most practical method of predicting off-design performance. To gain insight into the empirical models, the influence of empirical models on the performance prediction results is investigated. We found that, in the two-zone model, the secondary flow mass fraction has a considerable effect at high mass flow-rates on the performance prediction curves. In the TEIS model, the first element changes the slope of the performance curves as well as the stable operating range. The second element makes the performance curves move up and down as it increases or decreases. It is also discovered that the slip factor affects pressure ratio, but it has little effect on efficiency. Finally, this study reveals that the skin friction coefficient has significant effect on both the pressure ratio curve and the efficiency curve. These results show the limitations of the present empirical models, and more resonable empirical models are reeded.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2016

In high speed turbopumps, cavitation occurs and often causes the flow instabilities such as cavitation surge and rotating cavitation. The occurrence of these cavitation instabilities is considered to relate to dynamic characteristics of the cavitation, which are modelled using a cavitation compliance and a mass flow gain factor. Various types of cavitation such as a blade surface cavitation, a tip leakage vortex cavitation, and a backflow vortex cavitation occur at the same time in the inducer and the dynamic characteristics of each cavitation have not been clarified yet in experiments. Focusing on the blade surface cavitation as one of fundamental cavitation, we investigated the dynamic characteristics of the blade surface cavitation on a flat plate hydrofoil in experiments in the present study.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.40-54
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• 2009

Cavitation instabilities in turbo-machinery such as cavitation surge and rotating cavitation are usually explained by the quasi-steady characteristics of cavitation, mass flow gain factor and cavitation compliance. However, there are certain cases when it is required to take account of unsteady characteristics. As an example of such cases, cavitation surge in industrial centrifugal pump caused by backflow vortex cavitation is presented and the importance of the phase delay of backflow vortex cavitation is clarified. First, fundamental characteristics of backflow vortex structure is shown followed by detailed discussions on the energy transfer under cavitation surge in the centrifugal pump. Then, the dynamics of backflow is discussed to explain a large phase lag observed in the experiments with the centrifugal pump.