Conventional methods for the design of radial pump impellers are evaluated by use of computational approaches. Three dimensional continuity and momentum equations for steady incompressible flows are solved by utilizing an artificial compressibility technique. A finite volume method associated with the explicit fourth order modified Runge-Kutta time marching is developed to study the flow in a three dimensional radial impeller, designed by using a streamline curvature method with adaption of empirical formulas. The developed flow solver provides detailed pressure and velocity distributions inside the radial pump impellers. The comparison of the computationally calculated and experimentally measured impeller heads are in agreement especially at the design point of the impeller. Additionally, calculated impeller exit flow conditions, variations of static pressure, total pressure, meridional component of absolute velocity and absolute flow angle from hub to shroud are compared with those measured experimentally.
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