A Unified Correlation for Slip Factor in Centrifugal Impellers

Abstract

A method that unifies the trusted centrifugal impeller slip factor prediction methods of Busemann, Stodola, Stanitz, Wiesner, Eck, and Csanady in one equation is presented. The simple analytical method derives the slip velocity in terms of a single relative eddy (SRE) centered on the rotor axis instead of the usual multiple (one per blade passage) eddies. It proposes blade solidity (blade length divided by spacing at rotor exit) as the prime variable determining slip. Comparisons with the analytical solution of Busemann and with tried and trusted methods and measured data show that the SRE method is a feasible replacement for the well-known Wiesner prediction method: it is not a mere curve fit, but is based on a fluid dynamic model; it is inherently sensitive to impeller inner-to-outer radius ratio and does not need a separate calculation to find a critical radius ratio; and it contains a constant, F0, that may be adjusted for specifically constructed families of impellers to improve the accuracy of the prediction. Since many of the other factors that contribute to slip are also dependent on solidity, it is recommended that radial turbomachinery investigators and designers investigate the use of solidity to correlate slip factor.