8.

Design of the Rotor of a

Turbomachine

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 • The following data of a new design are normally known:

 m3   kg 
volume V   or mass  flow M  
 s   s 
 m2 
specific w ork Y  2  or H ead  m 
 s 
1
in some cases also the speed n  
s
• The type of rotor to be used follows the shape number:

n V If n is given the type of rotor to be used

Nshape  3/4 follows from this equation.
Y

If n is not known the type of rotor has to be assumed

and the shape number determines the speed n.
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 Table 1:Values of Shape Number and
Specific Speed
Values of Nshape, nq and ns:

1000Nshape nq (water turbine)ns

a. Slow- running rotor 33 to 120 11 to 38 40 to 140

b. Medium-running rotor 120 to 250 38 to 82 140 to 300

c. Fast –running rotor 250 to 500 82 to 164 300 to 600

d. axial-flow rotor 330 to 1500 110 to 500 400 to 1800

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 • The shape number also indicates if the machine can be built
with a single stage or if a multi-stage design is needed.
• Example 1:- Design a pump for n=1000rpm, V=200m3/h,
H=200m. A suitable impeller should be selected.

Demands a multi stage pump and you need to

assume appropriate shape number of the impeller
from the previous slide table.

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• Assignment 2: Data given for pump with slow-running impeller,
Nshape ≈ 0.033 to 0.12. and n=1000rpm, V=200m3/h, H=200m. Or
a suitable impeller should be selected from Table 1 .
Step 1: An initial calculation of the diameter of the shaft follows
from:

N N
TorqueT    Z pt
 2 n

where Z p  2   sec tional mod ulus 

 3
 d for circular cross sec tion
16
of the shaft
 t  torsion stress

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 • thus, 16 T T N
d3  1.72 3  0.93 3
 t t n t

• The permissible torsion stress may be assumed as:

N
 t  perm  (80 to 200)10 2 for steel St.42.11to St.50.11
5

m
• For multi-stage machines a large diameter (lower value of the
permissible torsion stress) is required as the critical speed and
the permissible bending of the shaft has also be considered.

Step 2: Drive Power

N   VY  1

Where the overall efficiency η has to be estimated.

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 3
f1 f 22 f 3  1.1
Step 3: Diameter of hub dn ≈ 1.1 to 1.3(to 1.5) d V'
f3 
V
Step 4: Suction Diameter DS: given by f2 = 1.1 to 1.0

V '
4
 D S2  d n2  C S w here :
Considering the leakage loss
V '  V  V   1.02 to 1.1 V
1
CS  C oma , normally C oma  C om
f1
The velocity Com is estimated using the inlet number ε,

  0 . 1 to 0 . 3
C om   2Y Cavitation Sonic velocity / Low friction loss at rotor inlet

 With assumption of ε the angle βoa is pre-determined

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 Step 5: Diameter D1: D1  f 2 DS

 Where the factor f2 = 1.1 to 1.0 according to the way how far the suction
edge of the vane is drawn into the eye of the impeller. :

V b' 
Step 6: Width 1: is  area
C given
om
by the C 
 toequation: om
If the vane edge at 1 is
 b1 D1Com parallel to axis

Step 7: Velocity triangle at point 1: The velocity triangle is determined

if three values of its three sides and three angles are known.

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 • Triangle with α0 = 900,(no pre-rotation): This may be the
common design of a single stage machine.

Peripheral velocity U 1   D1n

Angle α1=900

S1
C1m  C1 sin 1  Com sin 1
Velocity S1   1

• Where Com was already determined by C om   2Y

This contraction factor has to be checked

S1
 1.1to1.2 after the design is finalized and if
S1   1 necessary Clm and β1have to corrected.
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 Vane angle β1: this angle can be determined either from the
velocity triangle or from the equation:

C1m
tan 1 
U 1  C1 cos 1

 The angle β1 should be in the optimum range, in the case of

αo=900:
1  15 to 250 Cavitation
1  25 to 40 0 sonic velocity, low friction
 If the obtained angle β1 differs from the range of optimum
values, the calculation has to be repeated assuming an
altered value of ε (inlet number) from the following range.
  0 . 1 to 0 . 3
Cavitation Sonic velocity / Low friction loss at rotor inlet
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 Step 8: Velocity triangle at point 2: is given by the fundamental equation
which reads for U2.
2
C2m  C2m 
U2      Yblade  U 1Cou
2 tan  2  2 tan  2 

Where in the case of the pump:

Y
Yblade  Yblade 1  P   1  P 
h

The hydraulic efficiency ηh is to be assumed in accordance with the

estimated overall efficiency
 h  0 . 6 to 0 .8
poorly Well designed
small l arg e machine

The slip-power factor p, is to be calculated under pre-assumption β2 of

and the number of vanes z(Determine the number of the vane).
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 Determine the number of the vane(z)

• The number of vanes has to be sufficient to

get the desired deflection of the flow.
• If z is high friction loss becomes high
• If z is small cavitation and sonic velocity is
likely to occur.
• The number of vanes is given by the Pfleiderer
equation
D2  D1   2
z  no.vanes  6.5 sin 1 .
D2  D1 2
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 • The vane angle β2 is either chosen in accordance with the
statements given in previous chapters, i.e. in the case of the pump it
is β2=15 to 400; or

• The diameter ratio D2/D1 is to be chosen in accordance with the

shape of the rotor as determined by the shape number, where
D2/D1 ≈2 is commonly used for slow-running rotors.

• The velocity C2m may be chosen as C2m ≈(0.8 to 1.0) C0m which
effects a light or no deceleration of the meridian velocity while
passing the impeller.

With the knowledge of the values

of U2, β2 and C2m the velocity
triangle at point 2 can be drawn:

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 Step 9 : Width b2 is given by
s2   2
V '  b2 D 2 C 2 m
s2

Where contraction factor,

s2
1
s2   2
• Finally, the course of the vane has to be determined in such a
way that β1 and β2 are obtained. A circular vane course is often
used:

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 Step 10: Construction of a circular vane course in the case of
a radial flow impeller:

a. Draw r 2 OA

b. Draw at angle OD r1 1   2 

c. Extend to B AD

d. Bisect obtainingABB

e. Erect the perpendicular at M

f. Draw line at angle β2 at A, obtain C which is the center of the circular vane
with radius ρ
1 r22  r12 
  CA  CB   
2  r2 cos  2  r1 cos 1 
Analytical determination of ρ
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 Sketch of Impeller Design

16
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 Construction of a circular vane course in the case of an axial
flow impeller:

L or e has to be chosen: U1=U2

L e
 
  1 cos 1  cos  2
2 sin 2
2
and
1
m   1   2 
2

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 SUMMARY

1.  Diameter of suction flange, Dsu -------------------------------

2. Velocity in suction flange, Vsu ---------------------------------
3. Shaft diameter, Ds -----------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Impeller hub diameter, DH --------------------------------------
5. Impeller eye diameter, D0 --------------------------------------
6. Velocity through impeller eye,C0-------------------------------
7. Diameter of inlet vane edge, D1--------------------------------
8. Velocity at inlet vane edge, C1 = C1m ---------------------------
9. Passage width at inlet, b1 -----------------------------------------
10.Tangential velocity of inlet vane edge, U1 -------------------
11.Vane angle at inlet, 1 --------------------------------------------
12.Impeller outlet diameter, D2 -------------------------------------
13.Radial component of outlet velocity, C2m ----------------------
14.Vane angle at outlet, 2 -------------------------------------------
15.Total passage width at outlet, b2 ---------------------------------
16.Tangential velocity of outlet vane edge, U2 -------------------
17.Absolute velocity leaving impeller, -------------------------
18.Tangential component of absolute leaving velocity, ---
19.Angle of water leaving impeller, ----------------------------
20.Number of impeller vanes, z ------------------------------------
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