The paper critically reviews the current state of the art in flow inside sidewall gaps of hydraulic pumps and turbines. It describes the consequences of the presence of this type of flow in turbomachinery and then relates it to other physical phenomena that determine the behavior, operating characteristics, and overall performance of the machine. Despite the small dimensions of the rotor-stator spaces, the flow in these regions can significantly affect the overall flow field and, consequently, efficiency. The circulation of the fluid inside the gaps and secondary flow that is caused by rotating elements influences the disk friction losses, which is of great importance, especially in the case of low specific speed pumps and turbines. The flow pattern affects the pressure distribution inside a machine and, thus, generates axial thrust. The presence of secondary flow also significantly changes the rotordynamics and can bring about undesirable vibrations and acoustics issues. This article... [more]

Grid-powered pumping plants are widespread electromechanical systems commonly set in motion by electrical machines. The productivity of these electromechanical systems varies substantially according to the shift of the location of the working point on the H-Q plane, which is determined with the help of mutual positions of the characteristics of the pump unit itself and the hydraulic parameters of the pipeline. The topic of the proposed article is mainly focused on the investigation of pumping plant productivity equipped with two various types of electrical machines known as induction and synchronous reluctance motors. A simulation method of efficiency prediction of a centrifugal pumping plant for flow regulation is proposed. The described Simulink/Matlab simulation approach is quite valuable for validating efficiency in the case of pumping plants supplied with various types of electrical machines. The data relating to the electrical machines’ efficiency estimation were obtained during... [more]

Unsteady pressure-pulsation-induced severe vibration and high alternating stress can cause some unexpected results, including impeller crack and structural damage of the entire pumping system. In the present paper, a review on pressure pulsations in pumps is carried out based on the published studies. A comprehensive view on pressure pulsations from several aspects is discussed in detail. The contents of the studies include the mechanism of rotor−stator interaction; a prediction model and experimental and numerical investigations of pressure pulsations; unsteady rotating-stall-induced pressure pulsations at off-design flow rates; the relationship between pressure pulsation and the internal flow structure and cavitation; and the reduction in pressure pulsation caused by some effective approaches. It is concluded that unsteady pressure pulsation in pumps is closely associated with complex flow structures, for instance flow separation, cavitation, and rotating stall. The rotor−stator inte... [more]

Water and energy are becoming more and more important in agriculture, urban areas and for the growing population worldwide, particularly in developing countries. To provide access to water it is necessary to use appropriate pumping systems and supply them with enough energy for operation. Pumps powered by solar photovoltaic energy are complex electromechanical systems that include hydraulic equipment, electrical machines, sensors, power converters, and control units. Therefore, solar photovoltaic pumping systems are associated with various fields of science and engineering. In remote, less-populated areas without electricity, where it is either challenging to connect to the grid or it is not possible, solar photovoltaic water pumping systems can play a significant role. To see whether solar photovoltaic pumping systems may be a practical, viable, and affordable method of pumping water it is necessary to study different aspects of their operation. The goal of this current article is to... [more]