Abstract

In turbopump inducers, cavitation on one blade can change incidence on the following blade, and this “blade-to-blade interaction” can lead to local cavitation instabilities such as alternate blade cavitation (ABC) and supersynchronous rotating cavitation. However, how the inducer operating condition (e.g., flow rate) affects the blade-to-blade interaction is still unknown. Therefore, for the first time, the dependence of blade-to-blade interaction on the inducer flow rate has been measured via fluorescent particle image velocimetry (fPIV) and high-speed visualization. The blade-to-blade interaction depends nonlinearly on the flow rate and is maximized at a certain flow rate, or certain incidence (⁠αmax⁠). At the flow rate corresponding to αmax⁠, the cavity trailing edge on the leading blade is located near the inducer throat, and a sink-like flow is generated closest to the following blade’s leading edge, maximizing the blade-to-blade interaction. As the flow rate either increases or decreases from the flow rate corresponding to αmax⁠, the trailing edge of the leading blade cavity moves farther away (upstream and downstream) from the inducer throat, weakening the blade-to-blade interaction.

Issue Section:
Flows in Complex Systems
Topics:
Blades, Cavitation, Flow (Dynamics), Cavities

References

1.
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
Yoshida
,
Y.
,
Maekawa
,
Y.
,
Watanabe
,
S.
, and
Hashimoto
,
T.
,
1997
, “
Observations of Oscillating Cavitation of an Inducer
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
119
(
4
), pp.
775
–
781
.10.1115/1.2819497
2.
Cervone
,
A.
,
Bramanti
,
C.
,
Rapposelli
,
E.
,
Torre
,
L.
, and
d’Agostino
,
L.
,
2006
, “
Experimental Characterization of Cavitation Instabilities in a Two-Bladed Axial Inducer
,”
J. Propul. Power
,
22
(
6
), pp.
1389
–
1395
.10.2514/1.19637
3.
Yoshida
,
Y.
,
Nanri
,
H.
,
Kikuta
,
K.
,
Kazami
,
Y.
,
Iga
,
Y.
, and
Ikohagi
,
T.
,
2011
, “
Thermodynamic Effect on Subsynchronous Rotating Cavitation and Surge Mode Oscillation in a Space Inducer
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
133
(
6
), p.
061301
.10.1115/1.4004022
4.
Huang
,
J.-D.
,
Aoki
,
M.
, and
Zhang
,
J.-T.
,
1998
, “
Alternate Blade Cavitation on Inducer
,”
JSME Int. J. Ser. B Fluids Therm. Eng.
,
41
(
1
), pp.
1
–
6
.10.1299/jsmeb.41.1
5.
Moore
,
F. K.
, and
Greitzer
,
E. M.
,
1986
, “
A Theory of Post-Stall Transients in Axial Compression Systems: Part I—Development of Equations
,”
ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power
,
108
(
1
), pp.
68
–
76
.10.1115/1.3239887
6.
Brennen
,
C.
, and
Acosta
,
A.
,
1976
, “
The Dynamic Transfer Function for a Cavitating Inducer
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
98
(
2
), pp.
182
–
191
.10.1115/1.3448255
7.
Kang
,
D.
, and
Yokota
,
K.
,
2014
, “
Analytical Study of Cavitation Surge in a Hydraulic System
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
136
(
10
), p.
101103
.10.1115/1.4027220
8.
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
Kamijo
,
K.
, and
Yoshida
,
Y.
,
1993
, “
A Theoretical Analysis of Rotating Cavitation in Inducers
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
115
(
1
), pp.
135
–
141
.10.1115/1.2910095
9.
Ng
,
S.
, and
Brennen
,
C.
,
1978
, “
Experiments on the Dynamic Behavior of Cavitating Pumps
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
100
(
2
), pp.
166
–
176
.10.1115/1.3448625
10.
Brennen
,
C. E.
,
Meissner
,
C.
,
Lo
,
E.
, and
Hoffman
,
G.
,
1982
, “
Scale Effects in the Dynamic Transfer Functions for Cavitating Inducers
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
104
(
4
), pp.
428
–
433
.10.1115/1.3241875
11.
Yamamoto
,
K.
, and
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
2009
, “
A Backflow Vortex Cavitation and Its Effects on Cavitation Instabilities
,”
Int. J. Fluid Mach. Syst.
,
2
(
1
), pp.
40
–
54
.10.5293/IJFMS.2009.2.1.040
12.
Brennen
,
C.
, and
Acosta
,
A.
,
1973
, “
Theoretical, Quasi-Static Analysis of Cavitation Compliance in Turbopumps
,”
J. Spacecr. Rockets
,
10
(
3
), pp.
175
–
180
.10.2514/3.27748
13.
Otsuka
,
S.
,
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
Kamijo
,
K.
, and
Furuya
,
O.
,
1996
, “
Frequency Dependence of Mass Flow Gain Factor and Cavitation Compliance of Cavitating Inducers
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
118
(
2
), pp.
400
–
408
.10.1115/1.2817392
14.
Wan
,
Y.
,
Manfredi
,
M.
,
Pasini
,
A.
, and
Spakovszky
,
Z.
,
2021
, “
Dynamic Model-Based Identification of Cavitation Compliance and Mass Flow Gain Factor in Rocket Engine Turbopump Inducers
,”
ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power
,
143
(
2
), p. 021011.10.1115/1.4049015
15.
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
Kamijo
,
K.
, and
Brennen
,
C. E.
,
2001
, “
Unified Treatment of Flow Instabilities of Turbomachines
,”
J. Propul. Power
,
17
(
3
), pp.
636
–
643
.10.2514/2.5790
16.
Watanabe
,
S.
,
Sato
,
K.
,
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
, and
Kamijo
,
K.
,
1999
, “
Analysis of Rotating Cavitation in a Finite Pitch Cascade Using a Closed Cavity Model and a Singularity Method
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
121
(
4
), pp.
834
–
840
.10.1115/1.2823544
17.
Horiguchi
,
H.
,
Watanabe
,
S.
, and
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
2000
, “
A Linear Stability Analysis of Cavitation in a Finite Blade Count Impeller
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
122
(
4
), pp.
798
–
805
.10.1115/1.1315300
18.
Horiguchi
,
H.
,
Watanabe
,
S.
,
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
, and
Aoki
,
M.
,
2000
, “
A Theoretical Analysis of Alternate Blade Cavitation in Inducers
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
122
(
1
), pp.
156
–
163
.10.1115/1.483238
19.
Semenov
,
Y.
, and
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
2003
, “
A Cavity Wake Model Based on the Viscous/Inviscid Interaction Approach and Its Application to Nonsymmetric Cavity Flows in Inducers
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
125
(
5
), pp.
758
–
766
.10.1115/1.1598990
20.
Kang
,
D.
,
Yonezawa
,
K.
,
Horiguchi
,
H.
,
Kawata
,
Y.
, and
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
2009
, “
Cause of Cavitation Instabilities in Three Dimensional Inducer
,”
Int. J. Fluid Mach. Syst.
,
2
(
3
), pp.
206
–
214
.10.5293/IJFMS.2009.2.3.206
21.
Kim
,
J.
, and
Song
,
S. J.
,
2019
, “
Visualization of Rotating Cavitation Oscillation Mechanism in a Turbopump Inducer
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
141
(
9
), p.
091103
.10.1115/1.4042884
22.
Yoon
,
Y.
,
Kim
,
J.
, and
Song
,
S. J.
,
2022
, “
Identification of Inducer Cavitation Instabilities Using High-Speed Visualization
,”
Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci.
,
132
, p.
110548
.10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2021.110548
23.
Lakshminarayana
,
B.
,
1972
, “
Visualization Study of Flow in Axial Flow Inducer
,”
ASME J. Basic Eng.
,
94
(
4
), pp.
777
–
787
.10.1115/1.3425553
24.
Watanabe
,
S.
,
Seki
,
H.
,
Higashi
,
S.
,
Yokota
,
K.
, and
Tsujimoto
,
Y.
,
2001
, “
Modeling of 2-D Leakage Jet Cavitation as a Basic Study of Tip Leakage Vortex Cavitation
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
123
(
1
), pp.
50
–
56
.10.1115/1.1340634
25.
Choi
,
C.-H.
, and
Kim
,
J.
,
2015
, “
Study on the Cavitating Flows in a Turbopump Inducer
,”
J. Propul. Power
,
31
(
2
), pp.
537
–
542
.10.2514/1.B35216
26.
Liu
,
Y.
, and
Tan
,
L.
,
2019
, “
Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Tip Leakage Vortex in a Mixed-Flow Pump With Tip Clearance
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
141
(
8
), p.
081302
.10.1115/1.4042756
27.
Lee
,
H.
,
Park
,
H. J.
,
Kim
,
M.
,
Han
,
J.
, and
Hwang
,
W.
,
2022
, “
The Effect of Perspective Error on 2D PIV Measurements of Homogeneous Isotropic Turbulence
,”
Exp. Fluids
,
63
(
8
), p.
122
.10.1007/s00348-022-03483-w
28.
Sciacchitano
,
A.
,
Neal
,
D. R.
,
Smith
,
B. L.
,
Warner
,
S. O.
,
Vlachos
,
P. P.
,
Wieneke
,
B.
, and
Scarano
,
F.
,
2015
, “
Collaborative Framework for PIV Uncertainty Quantification: Comparative Assessment of Methods
,”
Meas. Sci. Technol.
,
26
(
7
), p.
074004
.10.1088/0957-0233/26/7/074004
29.
Lakshminarayana
,
B.
,
1982
, “
Fluid Dynamics of Inducers—A Review
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
104
(
4
), pp.
411
–
427
.10.1115/1.3241874
Copyright © 2025 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.