Investigation of the Wake Effect From the Centrifugal Splitter Impeller Blade to the Vaned Diffuser

In this paper, the unsteady wake effect from an unshrouded centrifugal impeller with splitter blades was numerically and experimentally investigated. The numerical simulated detail flow characteristics of two stations, respectively placed at the impeller outlet and the diffuser inlet, were compared with the measured data. The “jet-wake” flow pattern was observed at the exit of the impeller. And the investigation showed that the wake effect of the splitter was weaker that of the main blade. But both the main blade and the splitter blade wake could affect the diffuser performance at a range of whole-chord length and they provoked the pressure side profile pressure fluctuating intensely from 10% chord to 50% chord, while the suction side pressure varying rapidly at the range from 60% chord to 80% chord.