Lateral Fluid Forces on Whirling Centrifugal Impeller (1st Report: Theory)

Lateral fluid forces acting on a rotating centrifugal impeller in whirling motion are analyzed using unsteady potential flow theory. Impellers operating in diffusers with and without vanes are modeled and the fluid forces calculated for different whirl speeds and flow rates. The influences of these parameters are clarified by parametric calculations. The results for whirling impellers operating in vaneless diffusers show that the fluid forces exert a damping effect on the rotor whirling motion at all operating conditions. The results for impellers operating in vaned diffusers or guide vanes show that the time averaged values of fluid forces remain almost unchanged, while there are significant instantaneous fluctuations due to the impeller/guide vane interactions.