NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

END SEMESTER EXAMINATION - July 2021 SESSION

DEPARTMENT : MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

DATE & TIME OF EXAM : 06.12.2021 & 03.00 PM
SUB CODE : MEPC21 – TURBOMACHINES
DURATION : 120 MINUTES
FACULTY NAME : S. VIJAYAN
Note to Student:
1. Make sure the ‘Declaration and statement of authorship’ is uploaded along with
the answer sheet as cover sheet (First Sheet)
2. TIME MANAGEMENT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY (Late submission is strictly not
permitted)

Part A (5×2=10)
1. Deduce the Euler equation for a turbomachine and state its significance.
2. a) Compare the effect of cavitation in pumps and hydraulic turbines.
b) Define Thoma cavitation parameter.
3. How the operating point of a pump-pipeline is determined when (a) a single
pump is working, (b) series duplex pumps are working, and (c) parallel duplex
pumps are working?
4. Draw the velocity triangles for a Parson’s turbine and derive the expressions for
diagram work and diagram efficiency.
5. Discuss the phenomena of slip factor, surging, stalling and choking in
centrifugal compressor.
Part B (4×3=12)
6. An axial flow pump with a rotor diameter of 30 cm handle liquid water at the
rate of 2.7 m3/min while operating at 1500 rpm. The corresponding energy
input is 125 J/kg. If a geometrically similar pump with a rotor diameter of 20
cm operates at 3000 rpm, estimate (a) flow rate (b) change in total pressure if the
total to total efficiency is 0.75 and (c) input power.
7. A Francis turbine with an overall efficiency of 70% is required to provide 147
kW. It is working under a head of 8 m. the peripheral velocity = 0.3√2𝑔𝐻 and
the radial velocity of flow at inlet is = 0.96√2𝑔𝐻. The wheel runs at 200 rpm
and the hydraulic losses in the turbine are 20% of the available energy.
Assuming radial discharge, determine (a) the guide blade angle, (b) the wheel
vane angle at inlet, (c) diameter of the wheel at inlet and (d) width of the wheel
at inlet.
 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TIRUCHIRAPPALLI
END SEMESTER EXAMINATION - July 2021 SESSION

8. The basic design of a centrifugal pump has a dimensionless specific speed of

0.075 rev. The blades are forward facing on the impeller and the outlet angle is
120° to tangent, with an impeller passage width at outlet equal to one-tenth of
the diameter. The pump is to be used to pump water from a vertical distance of
35 m at a flow rate of 0.04 m3/s. The suction and delivery pipes are each of 150
mm diameter and have a combined length of 40 m with a friction factor of 0.005.
other losses at pipe entry, exit, bends etc are three times the velocity head in the
pipes. If the blades occupy 6 percent of circumferential area and the hydraulic
efficiency (neglecting slip) is 76 %. What must be the pump impeller diameter?
9. The nozzle angle in a velocity compounded impulse turbine is 20° to the mean
blade speed which is 100 m/s for each moving blades row. There are two roes
of moving blades with exit angles 26° and 30°. Between these rows there is a
row of fixed blades with exit angle 28°. The relative velocity of steam drops by
10% during passage through ring of blades and the final discharge is axial.
Determine the velocity of steam leaving the nozzles and the blade efficiency. If
the nozzle efficiency is 95% and the kinetic energy of steam leaving the stage is
available as heat energy, estimate the state of steam entering the next stage. The
conditions of the steam at nozzle inlet is 8.5 bar and dry saturated.

Part C (2×4=8)
10.An axial flow compressor delivers a total pressure ratio of 6, the total head
pressure and temperature at entry being 0.408 mPa and 300 K respectively, and
the overall isentropic efficiency being 82%. The degree of reaction is 50% and all
stages contribute an equal amount of work. At a particular stage, the blade
speed at the mean height is 203 m/s, and the axial velocity is 171 m/s. If the
absolute air angle entering the rotor at this stage is 15° and the work done factor
is 0.92, determine, (a) the rotor air inlet angle, (b) the number of stages required,
(c) the stage temperature of the air at entry to the rotor and (d) the rotor inlet
relative machine number.

11.Derive the condition for maximum blade efficiency of a single stage impulse
steam turbine. For symmetric blades with no friction in the blade channels,
further show that (𝜂𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑒 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛼1 where 𝛼1 is nozzle angle at inlet.

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