Journal of Materials Science and Engineering A 2 (3) (2012) 372-376

Research Regarding the Testing of a New Type of

Rotating Machine with Profiled Rotors
Nicolae Bran, Ionela Mihaela Cluaru and Antonios Detzortzis
Faculty of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, CO 060042, Romania

Received: January 18, 2012 / Accepted: February 15, 2012 / Published: March 10, 2012.

Abstract: The purpose of the research is to theoretically establish the simple characteristic diagrams of the rotating machine and to
verify them by experiments. In order to reach this goal, the scheme of an experimental setup was elaborated, as well as its constructive
solution. The final part of the paper presents the method of the measurements to be performed. The experimental data are processed and
compared to the theoretical ones.

Key words: Rotating machine, profiled rotors, rotating piston.

1. Introduction


The machine is in fact a patent-based rotating
volumetric pump [1]; the paper will highlight the
influence of constructive and functional parameters on
the theoretical power of the machine.
This type of rotating machine is reversible,
meaning that it can function as working machine
(pump, fan or blower) or as force machine (hydraulic
motor, steam motor or burning gas motor) [2-4]. When
the machine is used as working machine, the motor
torque M = Fbsin reaches its maximum value during
a complete rotation, because the angle () between the
force (F) and the arm (b) equals 90

.
The motor torque is almost fully used for increasing
the fluid pressure from intake (p
1
) to discharge (p
2
). If
the machine is used as force machine, p
1
> p
2
and
mechanical power that could be converted to electric
power are obtained at the machine shaft level.
In the following sections, the rotating machine will
be studied as working machine, namely as rotating
volumetric pump with profiled rotors.


Corresponding author: Nicolae Bran, Ph.D., professor,
research field: working machines. E-mail:
n_baran_fimm@yahoo.com.
2. Computation of the Fluid Flow Rate and of
the Theoretical Driving Power for the
Rotating Volumetric Pump
The machine consists (Fig. 1) of two identical rotors
(2, 5) of special shape, which rotate with the same
angular speed inside a casing (1,4). The fluid contained
in the available volume V
u
, which is the space between
the pistons, the lower casing (1) and the lower rotor (2),
will be transported to the discharge chamber after a
180 rotation. Two such volumes will be transported
from intake to discharge during a complete rotation of
the shaft (9):
2 2
3 c r
u
R R
V 2 l(m /rot )
2 2
| | t t
=
|
\ .
(1)
The casing radius (R
c
) is computed as sum of the
rotor radius (R
r
) and of the piston height (z):
R
c
= R
r
+ z (m) (2)
Eqs. (1) and (2) lead to:
3
u r
V lz(z 2 R )(m /rot )
-
= t + (3)
The volumetric flow rate discharged by a sole rotor
of length l (m) and angular speed n (rpm) will be equal
to:

( )
3
u r
n
V lz z 2R (m /rot)
60
-
= t + (4)
Because the machine has two identical rotors, the

DAVID PUBLISHING
D
Research Regarding the Testing of a New Type of Rotating Machine with Profiled Rotors

373

Fig. 1 The functioning principle of the rotating volumetric
machine.
1-lower casing; 2-lower rotor; 3-intake chamber; 4-upper casing;
5-upper rotor ;6-rotating piston; 7-driven shaft; 8-discharge
chamber; 9-driving shaft ; 10-cavity where the piston of the
upper rotor enters.

fluid flow rate transported by the machine will be equal
to:
( )
.
3
m u r
n
V 2V lz z 2R (m / s)
30

= = + (5)
It can be noticed from Eq. (5) that the machine flow
rate linearly increases with l, R
r
and n.
For a total increase of pressure (between intake and
discharge) expressed using p (N/m
2
) or H [mH
2
O],
the theoretical power (P
m
) needed in order to drive the
machine will be equal to:
( )
m r
n
P lz 2R z p(w)
30
= +

(6)

( )
2
m r H O
n
P lz 2R z g H(w)
30
= +

(7)

It can be noticed from Eq. (6) that the driving power
of the machine is directly proportional to the
constructive elements (l, R
r
, z ), to the angular speed (n)
and to the pumping speed (H).
3. Theoretic Establishment of Some
Characteristic Diagrams of the Working
Rotating Machine
In continuation it is considered that the working
machine will function as rotating volumetric pump. It
is known from specialty Refs. [5, 6] that the pumps
classify in two categories:
I-Non-volumetric pumps (for instance the
centrifugal pump, the axial pump);
II-Volumetric pumps (for instance the gear pump,
the pump with profiled rotors etc.).
For the new type of machine, starting from the
relations previously established for flow rate (5) and
for power (6), we notice that the following theoretical
characteristic diagrams can be built:
(1) m V f (n )

= ; if the discharge pressure is kept

constant, a line is obtained. Another line is
subsequently obtained if the discharge pressure is
modified.
(2)
m
P f ( p) = ; a line is obtained if the angular
speed is kept constant n = ct. If the angular speed is
subsequently modified, the flow rate will be also
modified, as well as P
m
.
For the chosen constructive solution [7, 8] and built
in the laboratory the following parameters are known:
Rotor length: l = 0.05 m;
Height of the rotating piston: z = 0.03 m;
Rotor radius: R
r
= 0.05 m;
Motor speed can be modified in the range of
200-300 rpm; if the motor speed is increased over 300
rpm, the water speed at intake increases over 0.89 m/s,
that is not recommended in the specialty literature
[5, 9].
In order to build the theoretical characteristic
diagram m V f (n)

= , the computation formula for the

flow rate is rearranged in the following equation:
3
m
n
V 0.05 0.03(0.03 2 0.05) (m / s)
30

= + (8)
3 3
m V 0.0204 10 n ( m / s)

= (9)
The following values are chosen: n = 200, 220, 240,
260, 280 and 300 rpm. Data presented in Table 1
results that Eq. (9) is applied to these values.
The obtained data is used to obtain the characteristic
diagram m V f (n)

= .
In Fig. 2, m V

denotes the theoretical flow rate

transported by the machine; measurements will be

Table 1 Values of n.
n (rpm) 200 220 240 260 280 300
m
V

(l/min)

244.92 269.41 293.90 318.39 342.88 367.38

Research Regarding the Testing of a New Type of Rotating Machine with Profiled Rotors

374

Fig. 2 The theoretical characteristic diagram of the
machine:
m V f (n)
-
=

performed in order to establish the real flow rate ( r V
-
)
of the fluid.
It can be thus computed the volumetric efficiency of
the machine:
r
v
t
V
V
q =

(10)
The value of
v
q is needed for the computation of
the actual efficiency of the machine.
To establish the dependence
m
P f ( p) = A , Eq. (6)
must be written as follows:
m P V p(W)
-
= A (11)
A medium angular speed of 220 rpm is chosen. The
angular speed will remain constant during the test.
m
220
P 0, 05 0, 03(0, 03 2 0, 05) p(W)
30
= t + A (12)
m
P .0045 = A (13)
where p is the pressure increase achieved by the
pump (bar).
In laboratory conditions, it is possible to obtain a
pressure increase of at most: p = 1 bar 10 mH
2
O. 5
points are chosen in the variation range of p: 0.20;
0.21; 0.22; 0.23; 0.24 bar.
A medium angular speed of 220 rpm is chosen. The
angular speed will remain constant during the test. For
the first value of p, it is obtained that :
5
m,1 1
P 0.0045 p 0.0045 0.2 10 90(W) = A = = (14)
The other values are similarly computed and can be
found in Table 2.
The data in Table 2 lead to the graphical representation
of the function
m
P f ( p) = A .
In Fig. 3, P
m
denotes the useful power of the machine;
if the power absorbed from the line system is measured
using the wattmeter kit, the actual efficiency of the
machine can be computed.
4. Setup Description
In order to establish the characteristic diagrams of
the rotating volumetric pump, a closed circuit setup Fig.
4 was build in the laboratory of the Chair of
Thermotechnics, Thermic Machines and Refrigeration
Plants. Potable water from the water supply is used as
working fluid; the level of water in the tank is indicated
by the level glass indicator (2) and is of about 1 m. The
water is suctioned from the tank (1). The increase of
pressure achieved by the pump (10) is measured using
a differential manometer (15). The flow rate is
measured with an electromagnetic flow meter (11).
The increase of pressure between intake and
discharge is modified using the ball valve (13).
The instruments collocated on the setup circuit allow
the measurement of fluid pressure, temperature and
flow rate.
The rotation speed of the electric motor and the
absorbed electric power can be as well measured and
regulated.

Table 2. Values of p
p (bar) 0.20 0.21 0.22 0.23 0.24
Pm (W) 90.0 94.5 99.0 103.5 108.0


Fig. 3 The theoretical characteristic diagram of the
machine:
m
P f ( p) = A .
Research Regarding the Testing of a New Type of Rotating Machine with Profiled Rotors

375


Fig. 4 Sketch of the experimental setup for testing the rotating volumetric pump with profiled rotors.
1-liquid tank; 2-level glass indicator; 3-filling pipe; 4-closing valve; 5-thermometer; 6- manometer; 7-electric motor; 8-dispozitiv de
reglare a turatiei ALTIVAR 58; 9-digital manometer; 10-volumetric pump; 11-electromagnetic flow meter; 12-emptying fitting;
13-control valve; 14-discharge pipe; 15-differential manometer.

5. Method of Measurement
For the experimental establishment of the
characteristic diagram m V f (n)
-
= , it is necessary to
perform the following operations:
(1) The tank (1) is filled with water (Fig. 4) till h 1
m; the valve collocated at the pump intake is opened.
(2) After the filling of the circuit, the pump is aerated
and its shaft is manually rotated in order to check that it
is not blocked.
(3) The valve (13) is completely opened.
(4) The pump is started, its rotation speed is adjusted
to a value of n = 220 rpm and the flow rate
m,1 V
-
that
passes through the electromagnetic flow meter is
read.
(5) The rotation speed of the pump is subsequently
adjusted to 240, 260, 280, 300 rpm; the flow rates
m, 2 V
-
,
m, 3 V
-
,
m, 4 V
-
,
m, 5 V
-
are read. The experimental data are
processed and compared to the theoretical ones
(Table 3).
The data from Table 3 lead to the graphical
representation of the function
m V f (n )
-
= shown in
Fig. 5.
The theoretical and experimental results prove a
satisfying coincidence.
For the experimental establishment of the
characteristic diagram
m
P f ( p) = A the following steps
are needed:
The steps 1, 2 and 3 are like above.
(4) The volumetric pump is opened. The rotation
speed is adjusted to a mean value of n = 220 rpm.
(5) Using the control valve (13), a pressure increase
of 0.2; 0.22; 0.23; 0.24 bar is established; the values of
P
m
are read.
The experimental data are processed and compared
to the theoretical ones (Table 4).

Table 3 Values of
m V
-
and
r V
-

n (rpm) 200 220 240 260 280 300
m V
-
(l/min) 244.92 269.41 293.90 318.39 342.88 367.38
r V
-
(l/min) 233 257 281 304 332 353

Table 4 Values of P
m
and P
r
.
p (bar)

0.20 0.21 0.22 0.23 0.24
P
m
(W) 90.0 94.5 99.0 103.5 108.0
P
r
(W) 127.0 130.9 133.3 137.5 140.0

Research Regarding the Testing of a New Type of Rotating Machine with Profiled Rotors

376


Fig. 5 The experimental characteristic diagram of the
machine:
m V f ( n )
-
= .


Fig. 6 The experimental characteristic diagram of the
machine:
m
P f ( p) = A .

The obtained data are used to obtain the
characteristic diagram
m
P f ( p) = A .
The graph shown in Fig. 6 indicates an
approximately linear increase of the power absorbed by
the machine with the pressure increase of the pump.
6. Conclusions
(1) The purpose of the researches was reached,
because a number of characteristic diagrams for this
new type of machine were experimentally built;
therewith the performed measurements allow
establishing the volumetric efficiency and the actual
efficiency of the machine.
(2) The measurement results are highly accurate due
to the fact that the instruments (thermometer,
manometer, flow meter, counter) were calibrated and
digitally displaied the measurement values.
(3) Both the rotating machine with profiled rotors
and the constructive solution of the setup are original,
fact that increases the value of the work and allows
expanding the research in the field of rotating machines
with profiled rotors.
Acknowledgments
The work has been funded by the Sectoral
Operational Programme Human Resources
Development 2007-2013 of the Romanian Ministry of
Labour, Family and Social Protection through the
Financial Agreement POSDRU/107/1.5/S/76903.
References
[1] N. Bran, G. Bran, Steam rotating motor, Patent no.
111296 released by the State Office for Inventions and
Trademarks OSIM Bucharest.
[2] M. Marinescu, N. Bran, V. Radcenco, Technical
Thermodynamics, Vol. I,II,III, Matrixrom Publishing
House, Bucharest, 1998. (in Romanian)
[3] N. Bran, P. Rducanu, Bases of technical
thermodynamics, vol.3, Technical thermodynamics (in
Romanian), POLITEHNICA PRESS Publishing House,
Bucharest, 2010.
[4] A. Motorga, The Influence of Functional and Constructive
Parameters on the Performance Rotating Machines with
Profiled Rotors, Politehnica Press Publishing House,
Bucharest, 2011.
[5] M. Exarhu, V. Tcacenco, Bases of the Experimental
Research of Hydraulic and Pneumatic Machines,
Bucharest, 1990. (in Romanian)
[6] M. Exarhu, V. Tcacenco, Guide for the Laboratory of
Hydraulic Machines, Bucharest, 1994. (in Romanian)
[7] N. Bran, D. Besnea, D. Duminic, Research on
establishing the outline of the rotor profile for a new
volumetric rotating pump, Mecatronica 4 (2004) 24-27.
[8] N. Bran, O. Donu, D. Besnea, A. Costache, Constructive
elements and technological procedures used in the
construction of a new type of rotary compressor, Romanian
Review Precision Mechanics, Optics and Mecatronics 25
(2004) 261-268.
[9] C. Iamandi, V. Petrescu, Fluid Mechanics, Didactical and
Pedagogical Publishing House, Bucharest, 1979. (in
Romanian).