MEG 302.

2 Coursework

Lecture Note
 Course Outline
SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
 Introduction
 The Laws of Similarity
 Geometric similarity
 Kinematic similarity
 Dynamic Similarity
 Dimensionless Numbers
 Dimensional Homogeneity
 Buckingham’s -method
 Performance Characteristics of a Turbo Machine
 Combination of Pumps
 Selection of Pumps
 Examples
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Introduction
 Most problems in engineering involving fluid flow require dimensionless numbers to
simplify their analysis.
 Due to the complexity, cost and size of most engineering designs especially those
involving flow problems, it is often expedient to produce a replica of the design to
enable experiments to be carried out before the final design is produced.
 In all cases, it is obvious that production of either the smaller component part of the
machine or system, the system itself or even the larger size, for test purposes will
amount to savings in cost, time, energy and also materials.
 The replica of the actual structure/machine produced, to enable experiments to be
carried out are called models, whereas the actual structure is called a prototype.
 Dimensional analysis and dimensionless numbers helps to reduce to a minimum the
number of experiments required in a particular solution.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Introduction
 Dimensional analysis has two major important uses in the design of a turbo machine:
(a) Prediction of the performance of a prototype from tests performed on the replica.
This is covered by the similarity laws.
(b) Determination of the most suitable type of turbo machine, for a given purpose on
the basis of maximum efficiency, for a specified range of head, flow rate and speed.

 Dimensional analysis however cannot be carried out on a model and its prototype
without ensuring that some physical relationships exist between the two. These
physical relationships are what are referred to as Laws of Similarity.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
The Laws of Similarity
 There are several laws a model and prototype should satisfy such as geometric,
dynamic and kinematic laws.
Geometric similarity
 Geometric similarity can be regarded as a similarity of shape or form.
 For a model and prototype to be geometrically similar, the ratios of corresponding
lengths in model and prototype must be the same.
 Therefore, for geometric similarity to exist between the model and prototype,
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Kinematic similarity
 Kinematic similarity requires that at all points in the model and prototype, the length
and time interval should have a common ratio.
 This implies, that the velocity as well as the acceleration at any given point and time
should be the same in the two.
NOTE: It is however necessary that the model and prototype must satisfy geometric
similarity before being referred to as kinematically similar.
 Then for kinematic similarity, we must have
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Dynamic Similarity
 This is simply similarity of forces acting on the fluid in the model and prototype.
 It is pertinent that the ratio of these forces in the model acting at a point should be
the same with the ratio of the same force acting at a corresponding point in the
prototype.
NOTE: A model and its prototype must satisfy geometric similarity before being
considered for dynamic similarity.
 Then for dynamic similarity, we have

 Dynamic similarity has been exploited in the past to derive some very important
dimensionless variables that are constantly used to solve flow problems. Most of
these dimensionless variables were named after their inventors.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Dimensionless Numbers
 Notable early scientists, while trying to solve problems in the past exploited the
grouping of variables, to produce dimensionless numbers. Most of this dimensionless
numbers were named after their originator.
REYNOLDS’S NUMBER
 Osborne Reynolds, in 1880 while studying the transition of flow from laminar to
turbulent discovered a dimensionless parameter.
 This dimensionless parameter which was later named after him expresses the ratio
between inertia force to viscous force in a model or prototype.

 The inertia force is given as the product of dynamic pressure and area over which it is
acting.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
REYNOLDS’S NUMBER
 Whereas viscous force, is viscous stress multiplied by the area over which it is acting.

FROUDE’S NUMBER
 William Froude and his son Edmund discovered a dimensionless parameter that can
be applied to the free surface, of a flowing fluid.
 In his work, Edmund discovered that the ratio of inertia force to gravity force is
significant in flow problems.
 This dimensionless parameter later named after him as Froude’s number is expressed
mathematically as,

 where gravity force, is expressed as

 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
FROUDE’S NUMBER
 where gravity force, is expressed as

EULER’S NUMBER
 Euler’s number named after Leonard Euler, the French mathematician is a
dimensionless parameter applied in model testing where pressure gradient exist.
 It gives the square root of the ratio of the inertia force to pressure force in a model.
 The pressure force o is given by the product of pressure and area over which it is
acting.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Dimensional Homogeneity
 Dimensional homogeneity is the quality of an equation having quantities of same
units on both sides. Hence it can be used to group variables.
 There are so many techniques or methods of dimensional homogeneity that can be
used to group variables.
emphasis will be on Buckingham pie method, which has the peculiar advantage of
predicting the number of dimensionless parameters or groupings that should be
expected from the combination of the independent variables.
Buckingham’s 𝝅-method
 Buckingham’s 𝜋-method suggests that if in a physical problem, n quantities are
involved, where there are together m dimensions, then the quantities may be
arranged into (n-m) independent dimensionless groups. These dimensionless groups,
he called 𝜋 -terms.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Buckingham’s 𝜋-method of dimensional analysis involves the following procedures:
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Buckingham’s 𝝅-method
 In order to select the repeating variables in step 6, the following rules must be
adhered to strictly,
1. The repeating variables selected must be equal to m (the total number of
fundamental dimensions involved) and must contain all the m-fundamental
dimensions.
2. Dependent variables must not form part of the repeating variables.
3. No two repeating variables should have the same dimensions.
4. The repeating variables should be chosen in such a way that one variable is a
geometric property (e.g. length, diameter, height etc) another is a flow properties
(e.g. velocity, acceleration, etc) and fluid properties (e.g. mass density, dynamic
viscosity,).
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
 To step through this algorithm, we will consider the lift experienced by the wings of an
air-plane, 𝐹𝐿 which is a function of density (𝜌), velocity of flow of air (𝑣), chord
length(𝑐), coefficient of viscosity (𝜇) and angle of attack (𝛼).
Solution:
Applying Buckingham’s 𝜋-method, we have
SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Performance Characteristics of a Turbo Machine
 Apart from applying dimensional analysis to scaling laws when designing a turbo
machine, it can also be applied to selecting a turbo machine that will perform at
optimum conditions.
 Turbo machines are normally designed for given values of efficiency at a given head,
speed, discharge and power.
 The results obtained for test conducted either on the actual turbo machines at the
site or on their small scale models in a laboratory by keeping the input parameter
constant, to see how the output parameters will vary are usually plotted graphically
and are referred to as characteristic curves.
 For a pump, the rotational speed of the impeller is kept constant and the power, head
and efficiency are plotted against the flow rate. However, for a turbine, the head is
kept constant and the discharge, power and efficiency are plotted against the runner
speed.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Performance Characteristics of a Turbo Machine
 For a given rotational speed, a pump’s characteristic curve is given as shown in Fig.
5.1.

• The maximum head recorded at the point where the flow rate is zero, is called the
shut-off head.
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Performance Characteristics of a Turbo Machine
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Performance Characteristics of a Turbo Machine
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Performance Characteristics of a Turbo Machine
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Performance Characteristics of a Turbo Machine
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Combination of Pumps
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Combination of Pumps
 SIMILARITY AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TURBO MACHINES
Selection of Pumps