Pressure Loss Due to the Tip Clearance of Impeller Blades in Centrifugal and Axial Blowers

The pressure loss based on the tip clearance of impeller blades consists of the pressure loss induced by the leakage flow through the clearance and the pressure loss for supporting fluid against the pressure gradient in the channels and in the thin annular clearance space between the shroud and the impeller. Equations to evaluate these losses are derived and the predicted efficiency drop is compared with experimental data for two types of centrifugal impellers. Furthermore, the equations are simplified for axial impellers as a special case, and the predicted efficiency drop is compared with the experimental data for seven cases in the literature. Fair agreement demonstrates plausibility of the present model.