Performance of a Mixed-Flow Pump Handling Air-Water Two-Phase Mixtures

Abstract

Performance of a mixed-flow pump under air-water two-phase flow conditions was investigated experimentally, and compared with those for radial-and axial-flow pumps. Distributions of water velocity and void fraction were also measured just before and just before and just after the impeller. The performance of the mixed-folw pump handling two-phase mixtures is similar to that for radial-flow pumps, and the greater the specific speed of the pump, the greater the degradation ratio of the performance becomes. But the performance curve shows an abrupt drop at a fairly small air quantity, corresponding to a change in flow patterns.