Volute Tongue Research Articles

Investigation of radial force in a high-speed miniature pump

A high-speed miniature pump design is put forth for utilization in the aerospace sector, where the pump’s reliability holds critical importance under microgravity operational conditions. This study focuses on a dynamic bearing-equipped miniature centrifugal pump, chosen for its suitability in investigating radial forces. The prototype of the miniature pump is manufactured and tested by experiments at the rotational speed of 10,000r/min. A good agreement is observed between the numerical predictions and the experimental results. The radial force acting on different blade part has been analyzed for several flow rate conditions using the steady state CFD calculation. It has been found that the radial force exerted on the blade trailing edge exit is the main cause of the total radial force for the impeller. Moreover, using the unsteady CFD simulation, the evolution process of the radial force changing for both the direction and the magnitude with respect to the annular position due to the shaft rotation is discussed in details. The pressure pulsation is also monitored in impeller and volute casing. The results show that the amplitude of the unsteady radial force has a strong relationship with the time it takes for the blade trailing edge exit passing the volute tongue region, while the direction of the radial force hardly changes. The findings of this study contribute to facilitating the broader implementation of the high-speed miniature pump across diverse sectors of society.

Design optimization of a domestic centrifugal pump using Taguchi Method

This study focuses on optimizing the design of a domestic centrifugal pump through the Taguchi method, aiming to enhance its performance. Experimental data on pump performance, including total head, efficiency, and suction specific speed, were collected and analyzed. The effects of three design parameters—impeller diameter, blade angle, and volute tongue angle—were investigated using ANOVA. The analysis revealed that impeller diameter had the most significant influence on pump performance, followed by volute tongue angle and blade angle. Optimal performance was achieved with a 55 mm impeller diameter, 25° blade angle, and 20° volute tongue angle. These findings provide valuable insights for engineers seeking to improve centrifugal pump performance, highlighting the importance of impeller diameter in particular. By optimizing design parameters, significant enhancements in pump performance can be achieved, leading to more efficient and effective domestic centrifugal pumps.

Performance improvement and noise reduction analysis of multi-blade centrifugal fan imitating long-eared owl wing surface

This research was inspired by the long-eared owl's ability to fly silently. For the first time in this study, a wind turbine blade is designed to mimic the wing surface and the leading edge of the long-eared owl. The commonly used two-dimensional blade profile in previous studies is replaced by a more effective three-dimensional profile. This change leads to improved aerodynamic performance of the multi-blade centrifugal fan and reduced noise levels. The airfoil and leading edge profile parameters of the long-eared owl were extracted and utilized. These parameters were used to develop a fitting formula based on their correlation. This formula facilitated the design and optimization of a bionic blade (B-Blade). The results indicate a 4.1% enhancement in the maximum flow rate compared to the original blade fan, alongside a noise reduction of 1.3 dB(A) under identical static pressure conditions. An examination of the internal flow, noise, and sound source characteristics of both fan types was conducted, elucidating the aerodynamic noise mechanism. Fan noise propagation showed pronounced dipole sound source traits. The sound source area at the B-Blade fan's inlet and the volute tongue was more compact, leading to a decrease in mid-low frequency discrete noise. The sound source intensity was also diminished. The B-Blade fan also ameliorated the flow distribution at the impeller outlet, reducing the unstable interaction between the impeller and volute tongue, thereby effectively diminishing noise.

Recognition of cavitation characteristics in non-clogging pumps based on the improved Lévy flight bat algorithm

The performance and operational stability of non-clogging pumps can be affected by cavitation. To accurately identify the cavitation state of the non-clogging pump and provide technical references for monitoring its operation, a study was conducted on the optimization of Elman neural networks for cavitation monitoring and identification using the Improved Lévy Flight Bat Algorithm (ILBA) on the basis of the traditional Bat Algorithm (BA). The ILBA employs multiple bats to interact and search for targets and utilizes the local search strategy of Lévy flight, effectively avoiding local minima by taking advantage of the non-uniform random walk characteristics of large jumps. The ILBA algorithm demonstrates superior performance compared to other traditional algorithms through simulation testing and comparative calculations with eight benchmark test functions. On this basis, the optimization of the weights and thresholds of the Elman neural network was carried out by the improved bat algorithm. This leads to an enhancement in the accuracy of the neural network for identifying and classifying cavitation data, and the establishment of the ILBA-Elman cavitation diagnosis model was achieved. Collect pressure pulsation signals at the tongue of the non-clogging pump volute through cavitation tests. Through the cavitation feature extraction method based on Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) and Multi-scale Dispersion Entropy (MDE), the interference signal can be effectively suppressed and the complexity of the time series can be measured from multiple angles, thereby creating a cavitation feature data set. The improved cavitation diagnosis model (ILBA-Elman) can realize the effective identification of the cavitation characteristics of non-clogging pumps through a variety of algorithm comparison experiments.

Unsteady Cavitation Analysis of the Centrifugal Pump Based on Entropy Production and Pressure Fluctuation

A numerical method using combined detached-eddy simulation (DES) and a cavitation model considering the rotation effect is used for unsteady cavitation flow field of the centrifugal pump. A closed-type pump test system was established to obtain the pump performance and pressure pulsation characteristics under different flow rates and cavitation condition, which provide boundary conditions and verification of calculations. Based on the calculation results of the unsteady flow field of the centrifugal pump cavitation, the entropy generation analysis of the flow field and an analysis of the pressure fluctuation characteristics were carried out. Then, we tried to reveal the relationship between cavitation and the deterioration of the centrifugal pump performance and the generation of the unstable operation excitation force. The internal energy loss is mainly concentrated in the impeller, volute, and pump cavity area, which accounts for more than 85% of the total entropy generation. The characteristic frequency of a Strouhal number of about 0.333 appears at the volute tongue due to the cavitation flow spread downstream.

An Empirical noise model of centrifugal fans with different volute tongues based on Langevin regression

In the context of the rapidly evolving field of building ventilation, fan noise control stands out as a pivotal technology to enhance the quality of life. This study aimed to elucidate the inherent randomness, distinct characteristics, and potential low-dimensional noise structure essential for developing effective noise control methods. In this study, a stochastic dynamics model for the noise of centrifugal fans with various volute tongue structures is constructed using the Langevin regression method and experimental measurements. An empirical noise model capturing the peak characteristics of noise discrete tonal is developed through parametric mode expansion and an empirical mean-field model of turbulent wakes, facilitating accurate noise predictions. The research findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the Langevin equation employing the cubic Stuart-Landau equation and multiplicative noise to predict fan noise across different volute tongue structures. While stochastic dynamics models unavoidably lose the characteristic discrete noise peaks, predictions of the total A-weighted sound pressure level remain within a 2.2% error margin. The stochastic dynamics models applied to centrifugal fan aerodynamic noise and turbulent wakes exhibit striking resemblances, suggesting a fundamental connection between turbulence and noise generation. The extended empirical noise model maintains discrete pitch noise peaks by introducing shift modes, indicating that stronger Langevin deformations correspond to larger translational amplitudes of the shift modes. The advancement of stochastic dynamics and empirical noise models lays a foundational framework for the formulation of effective noise control strategies.

Effect of impeller and diffuser matching optimization on broadening operating range of storage pump

A large volute-type centrifugal pump (LVTCP) is a crucial component of a pumped-storage power station. A steady increase in the single-operation power of each large pump station gradually causes unstable operation and substantial energy loss in engineering applications. The Taguchi design and numerical calculations are combined in this study to enhance the efficiency and operational stability of an LVTCP and reduce energy consumption. The impeller blade shape is designed using an inverse design method, whereas the diffuser shape is designed using a positive design method. Optimization is performed to achieve the desired efficiency under 0.9Qd, 1.0Qd, and 1.1Qd using 12 design variables. The significant effect of each design variable on the objective is identified, and the increase in efficiency in the high-efficiency zone after optimization is investigated. The results show that the efficiency of the three optimized schemes improved significantly, with maximum increases of 3.47 %, 2.96 %, and 3.2 % under 0.9Qd, 1.0Qd, and 1.1Qd, respectively. Additionally, the optimized internal flow characteristics of the pump improved significantly, the vortex in the diffuser runner is eliminated, and the energy losses at the diffuser and volute tongue decreased significantly, thus effectively alleviating energy loss in the pump. Based on the efficient house theory, a set of design schemes with the largest range of high-efficiency zones is calculated; these schemes improve the overall operating efficiency and stability of the storage pump under design and non-design conditions. This study shows that multicomponent matching optimization based on the Taguchi is vital to the high efficiency, energy saving, and stability of LVTCP under multi-operating conditions.

Impact characteristics and erosion mechanism of solid particles in a centrifugal pump

To study the impact and erosion mechanism of solid particles in centrifugal pumps, the standard k–ε turbulence model and SIMPLE algorithm are adopted in this paper. Based on the discrete phase model (DPM) of the Lagrange method and McLaury erosion model, the flow impact characteristics and erosion mechanism of solid particles impacting the surface of flow passage components in a single-stage centrifugal pump were numerically simulated, and the test data were compared with the numerical simulation results of the external characteristics of the pump in clean water. The results show that the erosion mechanism of the pressure surface of the blade is mostly the impact erosion caused by high-speed particles with large impact angles, and the impact angle and impact velocity are larger near the tail of the pressure surface. The impact angle of solid particles on the shroud and hub is relatively small, but the erosion mechanism is still impact erosion. The erosion mechanism of the volute wall is mostly the cutting friction erosion caused by the low-velocity particles with small impact angles, and it is only impacted by the particles with large angles near the volute tongue, which is impact erosion. Overall, the average impact angle and impact velocity of the particles on the pressure surface of the blade are higher than those on the volute, so the erosion of the pressure surface is more serious than that of the volute in theory. The research results have certain theoretical reference value for improving the wear resistance of a centrifugal pump.

Orthogonal optimization design of a Sirocco fan and numerical analysis on the internal flow characteristics

The forward-curved multi-blade centrifugal fan, also termed as Sirocco fan, is characterized by its complex characteristics of internal flow within the impeller and volute. Currently most of the fans are designed with modifications or optimizations for certain geometric parameters which could not ensure the well compatibility of flow in the impeller and volute, thus it is difficult to improve the aerodynamic performances of the fans. In this paper, we performed a multi-parameter design of a Sirocco fan with optimizations on the geometric parameters of the impeller and volute. The geometric parameters of the volute were designed based on analysis of the internal flow patterns, and the influence from the impeller is also considered. Optimization on the geometric parameters was carried out using the steepest descent method to improve the static pressure rise and efficiency under the designed flow rate by taking into account the relevance of flow in the impeller and volute. The effect of the parametric optimization is evaluated and analyzed by large-eddy simulation (LES). It was found that the static pressure rise and efficiency of the optimized model increase by 1.8% and 5.0% compared with the baseline model, respectively. The static pressure rise fluctuates in a regularly periodic manner. The optimized model reduces the area of low-pressure recirculating flow at the center of the fan and the separated flow on the suction surface of the blades. The near-wall flow on the volute surface is more stable, and the pressure fluctuation around the volute tongue is reduced. The outflow of the volute exhibits better uniformity than the baseline model.

Influence of Blade Trailing-Edge Filing on the Transient Characteristics of the Centrifugal Pump during Startup

During the startup process of a centrifugal pump, the vibration and noise problems caused by unsteady flow are the focus of attention, and pressure pulsation is one of the main reasons for this problem. In the current research, a special impeller with blade pressure side trimming was proposed to reduce the strong pressure pulsation phenomenon during the startup process of centrifugal pumps. This article uses numerical simulation methods to simulate three typical blade trailing edges: original trailing edge (OTE), pressure side long linear (LLPS), and pressure side short linear (SLPS), and verifies them with experimental results. The results indicate that although the head of the centrifugal pump after filing has been reduced, its efficiency has been improved to a certain extent. Thirteen monitoring points were set up near the impeller outlet circumference and volute tongue to analyze the changes in pressure pulsation, verifying that blade trimming has a significant inhibitory effect on pressure pulsation during the startup of centrifugal pumps. The average maximum pressure pulsation amplitude of all monitoring points decreased by 32.23%, and the maximum pressure pulsation amplitude decreased by 56%. Blade trimming can affect the internal flow field distribution of centrifugal pumps. By analyzing the static pressure distribution, velocity streamline distribution, and vorticity distribution at the middle interface of three different impellers during startup, it was verified that there is a close relationship between pressure pulsation and unsteady flow structure during startup. The final conclusion is that blade trimming has a significant inhibitory effect on the pressure pulsation of the centrifugal pump during startup, and the impeller outlet vorticity is significantly reduced. The scheme proposed in this study has far-reaching prospects in the design of low noise centrifugal pumps.

RESEARCH ON THE FLUID-INDUCED EXCITATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP CONSIDERING THE COMPOUND WHIRL EFFECT

In order to study the correlation mechanism between the flow characteristics and the fluid-induced force under the compound whirl motion in the centrifugal pump, the RNG k-ε model is selected in this paper to simulate a low specific speed centrifugal pump with impeller eccentricity based on the N-S equation. The changes of fluid-induced force with impeller eccentricity and the unsteady flow characteristics of the internal flow field of centrifugal pump under different flow conditions and rotation speeds are investigated, and the relationship between the fluid-induced force of the impeller and the internal flow field characteristics is discussed. The results show that the trend of fluid-induced force and the pressure coefficient is similar. When the rotation speed changes and when the flow is similar, the pressure coefficient under different rotation speeds almost coincides. With the increase of impeller speed and impeller eccentricity, the dynamic and static interferences between the impeller and the volute tongue are more significant, the uneven distribution of the pressure around the impeller makes the internal flow of centrifugal pump more disordered and increases the fluid-induced force near the volute tongue. The research results can provide important reference value for accurately grasping the internal flow excitation principle of the centrifugal pump.

Global sensitivity analysis of structural parameters for automobile air conditioning blower

In new energy vehicles, due to the loss of the traditional engine noise source coverage, the air conditioning blower has become the main source of noises. In this work, the simulation of the radius of volute tongue (R), the gap of the tongue(d), the blade outlet angle (β) and the volute profile(A) were conducted to obtain the influence degree of each parameter on the aerodynamic noise and the efficiency of the blower, the numerical methods of which were verified by the experimental test. A global sensitivity analysis (GSA) methodology was adopted to study the effect of structural parameters of the automotive air conditioning blower on the aerodynamic noise and the performance. The GSA results show that β has the greatest effect whose global sensitivity coefficient is 0.86 under the noise target. A has the maximum coefficient which is 0.82 under the efficiency targe. When taking the all higher-order effect into consideration, it is R and β that have the greatest influence on the aerodynamic noise and the efficiency. According to the result of the second-order sensitivity analysis, it is crucial for optimizing the blower to consider the fit of R and β. The GSA results in this study provides a certain reference for the design of noise reduction and efficiency improvement of blowers.

Analysis of the performance and pressure pulsation in a high-speed centrifugal pump with different hub-cutting angles

In this study, the hub cutting of the impeller was presented to suppress the rotor–stator interference between the blade and volute tongue in a high-speed centrifugal pump with double volutes. The flow fields in the centrifugal pumps with four hub-cutting angles 0, 15∘, 30∘ and 45∘ were numerically simulated to investigate the influence on the internal flow and pressure pulsation using SST [Formula: see text] turbulent model. The predicted results of numerical simulation were in good agreement with the experimental ones. The results show that the relative velocity streamline distribution is more uniform and smoother in hub-cutting impeller compared with that in the original one. Also, the head and efficiency of the pumps with hub-cutting impeller are higher than that of the prototype pump, with the maximum increase of 1.97% of the head for the hub-cutting angle 45∘ under the design flow rate. The pressure pulsation intensity at volute 1 and the unsteady radial force of the hub-cutting pumps are smaller than that of the prototype pump due to the flow improvement. In addition, the maximum and average values of the unsteady radial force decrease with the increase of the cutting angle.

Effect of Volute-Tongue Clearance on the Aerodynamic Performance and Noise of Multi-Wing Centrifugal Fan for Air Conditioning

Multi-wing centrifugal fans are wildly used in the central air-conditioning. The influence of dimensionless clearance of the volute-tongue on aerodynamic performance and noise is studied by numerical simulation and experimental tests in this paper. The complicated internal flow related to unsteady flow in a centrifugal fan with multiple wings is investigated by numerical simulation. Besides, the influence of circumstance on the noise is analyzed. It is testified that the internal flow of centrifugal fans is ameliorated using appropriate volute tongue clearance. Reduced eddy current decreased the local-flow loss near the volute tongue and exit. The experimental results show that the static pressure of model △t/R2=0.12 rose to 7.5 Pa and the aerodynamics noise value reduced to 4 dB compared with that of a reference model. Meanwhile, an obvious reduction of aerodynamics noise by 3.74 dB is obtained for model △t/R2=0.12 installed in the air conditioning unit. The static pressure of centrifugal fan is significantly improved for the model with a cochlear tongue clearance ratio of △t/R2=0.12. It is further demonstrated that the proper dimensionless distance effectively suppresses the aerodynamic noise of forward multi-wing fans.

An investigation of the effects of volute A/R distribution on radial turbine performance

In order to meet the higher design requirements of radial turbines, it is necessary to clearly understand the impact of different design parameters on turbine performance. The A/R distribution is one of the most important design parameters for the radial turbine volute, but there are few studies on it. To clarify the effect of A/R distribution on turbine efficiency and blade excitation force, a detailed comparative study is carried out. An experimentally validated numerical method is used, and steady and unsteady CFD simulations are conducted in this study. The results show that the volute A/R distribution has a significant effect on the turbine efficiency, while a linear distribution can provide a more uniform inlet condition and thus improve the rotor efficiency. The flow parameters fluctuated significantly at the volute tongue. Although the efficiency is not sensitive to this fluctuation, it directly affects the excitation force on the rotor blades. The volute with S-shaped A/R distribution produces the smallest excitation force due to the smallest fluctuation. Two new A/R distributions are presented which combine the advantages of linear and S-shaped or convex A/R distributions with high efficiency and low excitation force. It is suggested that the A/R should be close to the linear distribution and decreases rapidly before the tongue.

Numerical Simulation on Transient Pressure Pulsations and Complex Flow Structures of a Ultra-High-Speed Centrifugal Pump at Stalled Condition

A high-speed centrifugal pump is the key facility to deliver oil in an aero-engine. The stable operation is quite important to the safety of the engine. High-speed pump stability is essentially caused by the transient pressure pulsations excited by the complex flow within the pump, which needs to be clarified, especially for the pump under a rotating stall condition. In the current research, unsteady pressure pulsation and the corresponding flow distribution of the high-speed centrifugal pump are analyzed using the delayed detached-eddy simulation (DDES) method. Pressure signals within the pump are extracted by monitoring points. Results show that the dominant components in the pressure spectrum exhibit a significant difference at various flow rates, which locates at the blade passing frequency fBPF under the rated working condition and deviates to five times the shaft frequency (5fn) at the stalled condition. Such phenomenon is not observed in the normal centrifugal pump with low speed when using numerical and experiment methods, and usually the amplitude at fBPF reaches the maximum. Under the stalled condition, the component at 0.2fn is generated and considered as the rotating stall frequency, which is the same at different stalled flow rates. From velocity distribution, it is found that several blade channels are stalled as characterized by the large-scale separation bubbles, which are induced and triggered by the volute tongue.

A Review of Bionic Structures in Control of Aerodynamic Noise of Centrifugal Fans

Due to the complexity of the working conditions and the diversity of application scenarios, the normal operation of a fan, whether volute tongue, volute shell surface, or blade, often encounters some unavoidable problems, such as flow separation, wear, vibration, etc.; the aerodynamic noise caused by these problems has a significant impact on the normal operation of the fan. However, despite the use of aerodynamic acoustics to design low-noise fans or the use of sound absorption, sound insulation, and sound dissipation as the main traditional noise control techniques, they are in a state of technical bottleneck. Thus, the search for more efficient methods of noise reduction is looking toward the field of bionics. For this purpose, this paper first analyzes the mechanism of fan noise in the volute tongue and blades, and then, this paper reviews the noise control mechanism and improvement research using the bionic structures in the volute tongue structure, the contact surface of the volute shell, and the leading and trailing edges of the blade in the centrifugal fan. Finally, the current challenges and prospects of bionic structures for aerodynamic noise control of centrifugal fans are discussed.

Effect of tip clearance flow on pressure oscillation and vortex patterns of a high-speed centrifugal pump

In a micro centrifugal pump with tip clearance working at high speed, the pressure fluctuation and complex vortex structures related to the tip leakage flow are conducted. The external characteristics calculated by the numerical simulation and experiment method agree well, and the maximum deviation of the simulated pump head and efficiency compared with the experimental data is less than 5%. The vortex structures induced by the tip clearance flow, which is less influenced by the flow conditions, can be divided into four categories, namely backflow vortex, passage vortex, primary tip clearance flow (PTLV), and separation TLV (STLV). The evolution of these vortex structures is described by the relative vorticity transport equation, using the relative vortex stretching, Coriolis force, and viscous diffusion. The PTLV starts from the corner of blade tip gap near the leading edge (LE), and breaks away into the STLV in the region of 0.7 R* to 0.8 R* owing to the pushing effect of the secondary tip leakage flow. To analyze the leakage flow quantitatively, the relative velocity in the gap region is decomposed. The results show that the local maximal and minimal values of the normal component correspond to the start position of the PTLV and the separation region of the STLV, respectively. Besides, the passage vortex has the greatest contribution to the pressure pulsation of the passage from main blade to main blade (MB). But the dominant frequency of the pressure alterations has little to do with the vortex, and mainly depends on the rotor-stator interaction (RSI) between the impeller and volute tongue. The results could be referred to improve the efficiency and operational stability of the high-speed centrifugal pumps.

Optimization Design and Pressure Fluctuation Suppression Based on Orthogonal Method for a Centrifugal Compressor

An air compressor is the core component of the air supply system of a hydrogen fuel cell, which demands high efficiency and reliable stability in a wide operation region. In this work, a centrifugal air compressor for a hydrogen fuel cell is first designed and then measured experimentally. Furthermore, a test rig for assessing the aerodynamic performance of the centrifugal air compressor is established, which includes a pipeline, gas flowmeter, flow regulating valve, pressure transmitter, centrifugal compressor, controller, DC power supply and computer. Then, the orthogonal method is employed to conduct the aerodynamic performance optimization. Four optimization parameters—including blade number, blade angle at the inlet, blade angle at the outlet and wrap angle—are set with three levels. Nine compressor individuals are designed according to the orthogonal method, and then numerical simulation is implemented to confirm the aerodynamic performance and flow pattern. Results show that the blade number has the greatest influence on the compressor’s performance, and the blade angle at inlet is also very important. The optimal performance of the compressor improves compared to that of the baseline compressor; the efficiencies of the baseline compressor and optimal compressor are 81.3% and 83.8%, respectively, improving by 2.5%. The frequency domain of pressure fluctuation in the centrifugal compressor is related to the stator-rotor interaction. The peak value of pressure fluctuation amplitude occurs at the rotation frequency of 833 Hz and its harmonic frequency. In comparison with the baseline compressor, the pressure fluctuation amplitude of the optimal compressor is obviously reduced, especially near the volute tongue.

Effect of the radial gap size on the deterministic flow in a centrifugal pump due to impeller-tongue interactions

The research on the flow in centrifugal pumps is quite broad and covers most of the relevant issues. However, most of the studies are focused on the steady behaviors and less literature is available for the dynamic interactions. Unsteady mechanisms for energy transfer and sources of impeller-tongue interaction can be identified in centrifugal pumps using the deterministic decomposition of the flow. Probably, the most important effect to be considered is the radial gap or spacing between the impeller exit diameter and the volute tongue radial location. The numerical dataset of a full 3D URANS model in a centrifugal pump has been employed to study in detail the effect of the radial gap size in the unsteady fluctuations of the velocity field within the pump, using the deterministic analysis as the main novelty. The numerical model developed by the authors has been already tested towards the prediction of the unsteady pressure field inside the volute, at the impeller exit. The new results presented here allow to see the impact of both geometrical and operating parameters on the flow discharge and momentum exchange. In particular, four different radial gaps (23.2%, 17.0%, 11.4% and 8.8% of the impeller diameter) operated at five different flow rates (from 20% to 160% of the nominal rate) have been numerically resolved and analyzed. The deterministic analysis reveals the major impact of the radial clearance on the blade-to-blade flow patterns within the impeller, especially at low flow rates. Unsteady viscous interaction induces radial velocity fluctuations that can be as high as a 40% of the time-averaged value. Moreover, this non-linear term can be perceived up to 1.5 times higher in the case of radial gap reductions from 23.2% to 8.8% of the impeller diameter. There is not a prevailing effect of the radial gap on that velocity component, and a pure temporal term dependence is found. On the contrary, the influence of the gap on the tangential component, responsible for the unsteady evolution of the impeller torque, is found to be the key parameter. Therefore, the fluctuations of the flow blockage are found to be the consequence of the impeller flow patterns and the fluctuations of the torque are to be assigned to the radial gap influence. All the post-processing routines have provided a precise picture of all the classic unsteady mechanisms involved: jet-wake pattern interaction, acoustic wave propagations and recirculating cells at off-design conditions. Hence, deterministic analysis is a useful tool to analyze the flow inside centrifugal pumps and it envisages the introduction of deterministic flow variables as objective functions for design optimization algorithms.