Performance of Radial Flow Turbines Under Pulsating Flow Conditions

Investigations of the pulsating flow performances of an inward radial flow turbine were performed. The quasi-steady flow performances predicted from the measured transient pressure ratio and from steady flow performance data were compared with the measured mean performances under pulsating flow conditions over the pulse frequency range of 30 Hz–70 Hz. The validity of this quasi-steady flow assumption was treated more generally than by the hitherto employed method by adopting a new empirical parameter which indicates both the pressure pulse shape and the amplitude of pressure fluctuation, in addition to the pulse frequency.