PIV OBSERVATION OF PREWHIRL FLOW UPSTREAM OF A TURBOPUMP INDUCER

摘要

Complex flow caused by prewhirl flow, backflow, tip leakage flow, and main flow was determined in the inlet of a turbopump inducer by means of PIV. The prewhirl flow component swirled in the same direction as the inducer rotation along a casing from the inducer inlet to a region further upstream. A strong Reynolds shear stress occurred upstream of the inducer. This area became unsteady due to shear flow caused by the interaction of the prewhirl flow and the main flow. The region which developed a strong mean vorticity was steady due to being not influenced either by both the Reynolds shear stress or by the fluctuation vorticity near the blade tip.