Transient Characteristics of a Centrifugal Pump During Starting Period

A theoretical and experimental study has been made on the transient characteristics of a centrifugal pump during its rapid acceleration from standstill to final speed. Instantaneous rotatinal speed, flow-rate, and total pressure rise are measured for various start-up schemes. Theoretical calculations for the prediction of transient characteristics are developed and compared with the corresponding experimental results. As the results of this study, it becomes clear that the impulsive pressure and the lag in circulation formation around impeller vanes play predominant roles for the difference between dynamic and quasi-steady characteristics of turbopump during its starting period.