Lateral Fluid Forces on Whirling Centrifugal Impeller (2nd Report: Experiment in Vaneless Diffuser)

Fluid forces acting on a rotating centrifugal impeller in whirling motion are studied experimentally. A two-dimensional impeller installed in a parallel walled vaneless diffuser was forced on a circular orbital motion at various positive and negative whirl speeds. The measurements show that the fluid forces exert a damping effect on the rotor at most operating conditions, but excite positive whirl when the impeller operates at a partial discharge and rotates at speeds more than twice the whirl speed. The test results were compared with those calculated by the theory described in the 1st Report. The characteristics of whirling fluid forces are examined from both the measurements and calculations. The measured fluid forces are expressed in terms of mass, damping, and stiffness matrices.