MEP 4120 – Hydraulic Machines (A)

 As we may well know that ENERGY may exist in

various forms (Electrical, Mechanical, Thermal, etc.).

 Hydraulic energy is that which may be possessed

by a fluid.
 It may be in the form of kinetic, pressure, potential,
strain or thermal energy.

 Mechanical energy is that which is associated with

moving or rotating parts of machines , usually
transmitting power.
 it is thus the purpose of hydraulic machines to
transform energy either from mechanical to hydraulic
or vice versa.
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 This distinction, based on the direction of energy
transfer, forms the basis of grouping hydraulic
machines into TWO distinct categories.
 All machines in which hydraulic energy forms the
input and is transformed into mechanical energy, so
that the output is in the form of the rotating shaft or a
moving parts of a machine, are known as turbines or
motors.
 In the other category, all machines in which
mechanical energy forms the input and is transformed
into hydraulic energy, so that the output is in the form of
a moving fluid, sometimes compressed and at elevated
temperature. Such machines are called pumps, fans,
and compressors. 3
  Thus, in the first category, work is done by the fluid
and energy is subtracted from it. While, in the second
category, the work is done on the fluid and energy is
added to it.
 However, sometimes fluids because of their
characteristic properties are used by some machines as
media to form a link in the energy transfer chain. In a
hydraulic coupling, for example, mechanical energy is
transformed into hydraulic, only to be changed back
into mechanical in the other half of the coupling.
Here, there is no gain in mechanical advantage, but,
because of the fluid properties and the type of fluid flow
in the coupling, a smooth and gradual transfer of power
is made possible.
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 Another means of hydraulic machines classification is
as due to their type of action which is quite independent of
the direction of energy transfer.
 There are two types based on such classification: positive
displacement machines and rotodynamic machines
(turbomachinery).
In positive displacement machines, fluid is drawn or forced
into a finite spaced bounded by mechanical parts and is then
sealed in it by some mechanical means. The fluid is then
forced out or allowed to flow out from the space and the
cycle is repeated.
Thus, in positive displacement machines, the fluid flow is
intermittent or fluctuating to a greater or lesser extent and
the flow rate of the fluid is governed by the dimensions of
the space in the machine and by the frequency with which it
is filled and emptied. 5
 In rotodynamic (also, turbo- or kinetic) machines, there is
a free passage of fluid between the inlet and outlet of the
machine without any intermittent sealing taking place. All
rotodynamic machines have a rotating part called a runner,
impeller, or rotor (involving a collection of blades or buckets
with channels or passages arranged regularly around an
axis of rotation), which is able to rotate continuously and
freely in the fluid, allowing an uninterrupted flow of fluid
through it at the same time. Thus, the transfer of energy
between the rotor and fluid is continuous and is a result of
the rate of change of angular momentum.
 Thus, two criteria, namely the direction of energy transfer
(energy added to fluid, fluid used as means of energy
transfer, or energy subtracted from fluid) and the type of
action (rotodynamic, or positive displacement), form the
basis of classification of hydraulic machines as could be
concluded from the figure. 6
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Basically, rotodynamic machines type, regardless, the
direction of energy transfer will be the major subject that
will be covered in this course. Whereas, the other type of
positive displacement machines will be left to be studied
throughout another topic under the title “hydraulic circuits”.
Rotodynamic (turbomachine) machines serve in an
enormous array of applications in our daily lives and thus,
play an important role in modern society. These machines
can have a high power density (large power output per size),
relatively few moving parts, and reasonable efficiency.
Examples of turbomachines include: drinking & drainage
water pumps, irrigation pumps, deep-well pumps, computer,
furnace or window fans, propellers on ships or airplanes,
automobile turbochargers and gas turbine engines turbines
and compressors, steam turbines, windmills, water turbines,
and high-speed air turbines that power dentist drills. 8
As previously introduced, turbomachines are mechanical
devices that either extract energy from a fluid (turbine) or
add energy to a fluid (pump) as a result of dynamic
interactions between the device and the fluid. While the
actual design and construction of these devices often
require considerable insight and effort, the basic operating
principles are quite simple.
The dynamic interaction between a fluid and a solid is
often based on flow and fluid/solid interaction forces. For
example, it is clear we do work with our muscles when we
move a spoon through a cup of tea. The motion of the spoon
through the tea causes a dynamic pressure difference
between the front and back sides of the spoon, which
produces a force on the spoon that we must overcome with
our muscles. This force acting through a distance requires a
specific amount of work from us; this work done in a given
time period translates into a given power transfer. 9
Conversely, the dynamic effect of the wind blowing past
the sail on a boat creates pressure differences on the sail.
The wind force on the moving sail in the direction of the
boat’s motion provides power to propel the boat. The sail
and boat act as a machine extracting energy from air.

Turbomachines operate on these descried principles.

Rather than one spoon or one sail, a group of blades,
airfoils, buckets, flow channels, or passages is attached to a
rotating shaft. Energy is either supplied to the rotating shaft
(by any kind of primeover as an electric or gas/diesel motor)
and transferred to the fluid by the blades (a pump), or the
energy is transferred from the fluid to the blades and made
available at the rotating shaft as shaft power (a turbine).
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The fluid used can be either a gas (fans, gas turbines) or a
liquid (pumps, water turbines). While the basic operating
principles are the same whether the fluid is a liquid or a gas,
important differences in the fluid dynamics involved can
occur.

For example, cavitation may be an important design

consideration when liquids are involved if the pressure at
any point within the flow passage of the turbomachine is
reduced to the vapor pressure. Compressibility effects may
be important when gases are involved if the Mach number
becomes large enough.

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In general, turbomachines are classified as axial-flow, mixed-
flow, or radial-flow machines depending on the predominant
direction of the fluid motion relative to the rotor’s axis as the fluid
passes the blades.

For an axial-flow machines the fluid maintains a significant

axial-flow direction component from the inlet to outlet of the rotor.
For a radial-flow machine the flow across the blades involves a
substantial radial-flow component at the rotor inlet, exit, or both.
It is clear that the third category, designated as the mixed-flow
machines, derive its name from the fact that the flow through their
rotors is partly axial and partly radial. 12
Each type of these machines has advantages and disadvantages
for different applications and in terms of fluid-mechanical
performance. In other words, each type will cover specific ideal
range in practice and should be carefully selected as will be
thoroughly studied in details on incoming part of the course

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Many turbomachines contain some type of housing or casing
that surrounds the rotating blades or rotor, thus forming an
internal flow passageway through which the fluid flows. Others,
such as a windmill or a window fan, are unducted (uncased).

Also, some turbomachines include stationary (fixed) blades or

vanes in addition to the moving rotor blades. These stationary
vanes can be arranged to accelerate the flow and thus serve as
nozzles (in turbines). Or, these vanes can be set to diffuse the flow
and act as diffusers (in pumps).

In the rest of this lecture many types of hydraulic machines will
be exhibited. The audience are all invited to try classifying at once
and sketching later as a homework each type in a separated report
identifying their various parts and proposing some of their
applications.
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Types Of Pumps
Dr. Hamdy Kandil
Faculty Of Engineering
Alexandria University

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