GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098

Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 1: Introduction and Thermodynamics of fluid flow

1. Define turbo machine. Explain the principal components of turbo machine.

2. List the difference between positive displacement machines and turbo machines.
3. Explain the significance of flow coefficient, head coefficient and power coefficient with
equations.
4. With usual notations, derive expressions for unit discharge coefficient, Head coefficient
and Power coefficient using Dimensional Analysis.
5. Define specific speed of a pump. Derive an expression for specific speed of a pump.
6. Define specific speed of a turbine. Derive an expression for specific speed of a Turbine.
7. Discuss the importance of the specific speed in selection of turbo machine.
8. What are unit quantities? Derive the expressions to each of them.
9. Explain the significance of first and second law of thermodynamics applied to turbo
machine.
10. Define static and stagnation states.
11. Define total-to-total efficiency and static to static efficiency of compression process.

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 2: Energy Exchange in Turbo machines

1. With a neat sketch derive an expression for Euler’s turbine equation.

2. Derive an expression for Alternate form of Euler’s turbine equation. Explain the
significance of each energy components.
3. Define degree of reaction (R), Utilization factor, Vane efficiency for turbine. Derive an
expression relating utilization factor with degree ofreaction.
4. Derive an expression for degree of reaction for radial outward flow machine and explain
briefly the effect of β2, blade discharge angle on degree of reaction ‘R’.
5. Sketch the velocity triangles at inlet and outletfor a centrifugal pump with radial inlet
with (a) Forward curved (b) Radial and (c) Backward curved vanes.
6. Show that the degree of reaction for an axial flow compressor as

7. For radial outward flow turbo machine has no inlet whirl. The blade speed at exit is twice
that of inlet. Assume radial velocity is constant, with inlet blade angle= 45 0.show that
degree of reaction
𝟐 + 𝒄𝒐𝒕𝜷 𝟐
𝑹=
𝟒
8. Derive theoretical head capacity (H-Q) relation in case of centrifugal pumps
U 2  U 2 Cot 2 
2
H  Q
g   D 2 B2 g 

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 3: Steam Turbines

1. Define Compounding. List Different types of Compounding. Explain any two Method of
Compounding with neat sketch showing variations of pressure and velocity of steam.
2. Show that maximum blade efficiency for 50% reaction parsons turbine is
𝟐(𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜶𝟏 )
𝜼𝒃𝒎𝒂𝒙 =
𝟏 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜶𝟏
3. Define a steam Turbine. Classify Steam Turbines. List out the differences between
Impulse and Reaction steam turbine.
4. Derive the condition for maximum utilization factor for impulse turbine.
𝜼𝒃𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜶𝟏

Module 4: Hydraulic Turbines

1.
2. Show that for maximum utilization, the speed ratio is 0.5 for a Pelton wheel.
3. Define the draft tubes with a neat sketch. Explain different type of draft tubes.
4. With a neat sketch, explain the working of Kaplan turbine. Mention the functions of
drafttube.
5. Define the following with refers to hydraulic turbines. (a) Jet ratio,(b) Speed ratio and
(c) flow ratio.
6. With neat sketch explain the working principle of Pelton turbine.
7. With neat sketch explain the working principle of Francis turbine.
8. Classify water turbines. Derive an expression for efficiency of draft tube.
9. With reference to hydraulic turbines, Define (i) overall efficiency, (ii) Hydraulic
efficiency, (iii) Mechanical Efficiency and (iv) Volumetric efficiency

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 5:Centrifugal Pumps

1. Show that pressure rise in impeller of a centrifugal pump when the frictional and other
losses in impeller are neglected is given by

𝐩 𝟐 − 𝐩𝟏 𝟏 𝟐
= [𝐯 𝟐 + 𝐮𝟐 𝟐 −𝐯𝐟𝟐 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐜 𝟐 𝛃𝟐 ]
𝛒𝐠 𝟐𝐠 𝐟𝟏
Where vf1 and vf2 are flow velocities at inlet and outlet of the impeller.
u2 = tangential speed of impeller at exit. β2 = Exit blade angle.
2. What is minimum starting speed of a centrifugal pump? Derive expression for minimum
starting speed
3. Classify pumps. Derive an expression for maximum suction lift.
4. Derive head-capacity relationship for centrifugal pumps and explain the effect of
discharge Angle on it.( same derivation may be asked in module 2)
5. Define the following with respect to centrifugal pumps:
(i) Mechanical Efficiency (ii) Manometric efficiency (iii) Overall efficiency(iv) Suction head
(v) Static head (vi) Manometric head.
6. Explain with a neat sketch, multistage centrifugal pump arrangement.(series and parallel)
7. Explain with a neat sketch, different casings of pump.
8. What is priming? Explain how priming will be achieved in centrifugal pumps.
9. What is cavitation? What are its effects?
10. Explain slip, slip coefficient and choking of compressor
11. Explain the phenomenon of surging and stalling in centrifugal compressors.
12. With a neat sketch, explain the parts of a axial flow compressor.

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 1 – Introduction and Thermodynamics of fluid flow

1. Test on a turbo runner 1.25m in diameter at 30 m head gave the following results, power
developed is 736kW. Speed is 18 rpm and discharge is 2.7 m3/s. Find the diameter, speed
and discharge of a runner to operate at 45 m head and gave 1475 kW at the same
efficiency. What is the specific speed of both the turbines?
2. A small scale model of a hydraulic turbine runs at a speed of 350 rpm under a head of 20
m and produce 8.5 kW of as output. Determine
i) Unit discharge
ii) Unit speed
iii) Unit power. Assuming a turbine efficiency of 0.79.
3. A turbine model of 1:10 develops 2 kW under a head of 6 m at 500 rpm. Find the power
developed by the prototype under a head of 40 m. also find the speed of prototype and its
specific speed. Assume the turbine efficiencies to remain same.
4. A hydraulic turbine has a head of 9 m and average discharge of 11200 lit/s for a generator
speed of 200 rpm. What is the specific speed of the turbine? Assume efficiency is 92%.
5. A blower delivers 2m3/s of air at a head of 10mm of water while running at 1470rpm.
Find discharge of a geometrically similar blower, which runs at 360 rpm, developing the
same head. Also find the dimensionless specific speed of this blower. Take density of air
as 1.25 kg/m3.
6. Obtain an expression for T, using dimensional analysis, where T is the frictional torque of
a disc of a disc of diameter D rotating at a speed N in a fluid of viscosity µ and density ρ
in a turbulent flow.
7. In a three stage turbine the pressure ratio of each stage and stage efficiency are 2 and 75
% respectively. Calculate overall efficiency and power developed if air initially at a
temperature of 6000C flows through it at a rate of 25 kg/s. Also find reheat factor.

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 2- Energy exchange in Turbo machines and General Analysis of Turbo machines

1. At a stage in a 50 % reaction axial flow turbine running at 3000 rpm, the blade mean
diameter is 685 mm. if the maximum utilization for the stage is 0.915, calculate the inlet
and outlet absolute velocities for the rotor. Draw the velocity triangles and find power
output for a flow rate of 15 kg/s.
2. In a radial inward flow turbine, the runner outer diameter is 75 cm and the inner diameter
is 50 cm. the runner speed is 400rpm. Water enters the runner at a velocity of 15 m/s at
an angle of 150 to the wheel tangent at inlet. The flow is radial at exit with a velocity of 5
m/s. find the blade angles at inlet and exit. Also determine the power output for a flow
rate of 1.5 m3/s, degree of reaction and utilization factor.
3. In a turbine stage with 50% reaction the tangential blade speed is 98.5 m/s. the steam
velocity at the nozzle exit is 155 m/s and the nozzle angle is 180. Assuming symmetric
inlet and outlet velocity triangles compute the inlet blade angle for the rotor and power
developed by the stage assuming a steam flow rate of 10kg/s. find also the utilization
factor.
4. The following data refer to a 50% degree of reaction axial flow turbo machine. Inlet fluid
velocity is 230m/s, inlet rotor angle is 600, inlet guide blade angle is 300, outlet rotor
angle is 250. Find the utilization factor, axial thrust and power output per unit mass flow.
5. At a stage of an impulse turbine, the mean blade diameter is 80 cm. its rotational speed is
3000 rpm. The absolute velocity of the fluid discharging from a nozzle inclined at 20 0 to
the wheel plane is 300 m/s. if the utilization factor is 0.85 and the relative velocity at the
exit is equal to that at the inlet, draw the velocity diagram and determine the inlet and exit
blade angles of the rotor. Also calculate the power output and axial thrust on the shaft for
a mass flow rate of 2 kg/s.
6. In an inward flow turbine, the water falls with a velocity of 30 m/s on a runner with a
series of curved vanes. The runner rotates at 280 rpm. The vanes have inlet and outlet
diameters of 1.7 m and 0.85 m respectively. The angle the guide vanes make with the
periphery of the wheel is 300. The water after doing work on the runner discharges with
an absolute velocity of 3 m/s at an angle of 1300 to the wheel tangent. Find the power
developed by the runner if rate of flow is 380 lit/s. also find the vane angles at inlet and
outlet.
7. In an axial flow compressor, air is taken at 1 bar and 288 k. the delivery pressure of the
compressor is 6.4 bars. The final temperature of air is 578 K. determine the following
i) overall isentropic efficiency ii) polytrophic efficiency iii) number of stages required if
the actual temperature , rise per stage is limited to 14.5K . assuming that the polytrophic
efficiency is equal to the efficiency

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 3 - Steam Turbines and Reaction turbine

1. Dry saturated steam at 10 atmospheric pressure is supplied to single rotor impulse

turbine, the condenser pressure being 0.5 atmosphere with the nozzle efficiency of 0.94
and the nozzle angle at the rotor inlet is 180 to the wheel plane. The rotor blades which
moves with the speed of 450m/s are equiangular. If the coefficient of velocity for the
rotor blades is 0.92. Find
i) specific power output
ii) the rotor efficiency
iii) stage efficiency
iv) Axial thrust
v) The direction of exit steam
2. An axial flow impulse turbine has a mean diameter of 0.55 m and runs at 3300rpm. The
speed ratio is 0.45 and the nozzle angle at the rotor inlet is 20 0. The blade velocity co-
efficient is 0.91. Assuming equiangular blades, find the rotor angles at the inlet and
outlet. Also find the power output, if m= 10kg/s and axial thrust.
3. A Curtis impulse stage has two rotors moving with an average tangential speed of 250
m/s. the fluid relative velocity is reduced 10% in its passage over every blade, whether
fixed or moving. The nozzle inclined at an angle 170 to the wheel tangent, has an
efficiency of 0.92. The inlet angle of the first rotor blade is 22 0. The intermediate stator
inlet and exit angles are 31.50 and 200 respectively. Assuming that the fluid leaves the
second rotor axially, find
i) absolute velocity and speed ratio
ii) the ratio of work output from second rotor to that of first rotor
iii) stage efficiency
iv) power output
4. A single stage impulse turbine rotor has a diameter of 1.2 m running at 3000 rpm. The
nozzle angle is 180. Blade speed ratio is 0.42. The ratio of relative velocity at outlet to
relative velocity at inlet is 0.9. The outlet angle of the blade is 3 0 smaller than the inlet
angle. The steam flow rate is 5 kg/s. draw the velocity diagram and find the following
i) Velocity of whirl
ii) Axial thrust on the bearings
iii) Blade angles
iv) Power developed
5. In a parson’s turbine, the axial velocity of flow of steam is 0.5 times the mean blade speed.
The outlet angle of the blade is 200, diameter of the blade ring is 1.3 m and the rotational
speed is 3000 rpm. Determine inlet blade angles, power developed for steam flow of 65 kg/s
and the isentropic enthalpy drop, if the stage efficiency is 80%.

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 4 - Hydraulic Turbines

1. Design a Pelton wheel for a head of 80 m and speed 300rpm. The Pelton wheel develops
103kW shaft power. Take coefficient of velocity 0.98 , speed ratio 0.45 and overall
efficiency 0.8
2. A Pelton wheel is working under a gross head of 400 m. the water is supplied through
penstock of diameter 1 m and length 4 km from a reservoir to Pelton wheel. The
coefficient of friction for the penstock is given as 0.008. A jet of water of diameter
150mm strikes the buckets of the wheel and gets deflected through an angle of 165 0. The
relative velocity of water at outlet is reduced by 15%, due to friction between inside
surface of the bucket and water. If the velocity of the buckets is 0.45 times the jet
velocity at inlet and mechanical efficiency is 85%, determine i) power given to the runner
ii) shaft power iii) hydraulic efficiency iv) overall efficiency.
3. A three jet Pelton turbine is required to generate 10000 kW under a net head of 400 m.
The blade angle at outlet is 150 and the reduction in the relative velocity while passing
over the blades is 5%. If the overall efficiency of the wheel is 80%, Cv=0.98 and the
speed ratio is 0.46 , then find i) total flow in m3/s ii) discharge through each jet iii)
Diameter of the jet iv) Force excreted by jet on wheel.
4. A Pelton turbine is required to develop 10MW of power when working under a head of
200m. The runner is having a speed of 650rpm. Assuming overall efficiency of 88%.
Determine i) Quantity of water required ii) Diameter of the wheel.
Take Cv=0.98 and φ = 0.48
5. A Pelton wheel produces 15500 kW under a head of 350 m at 500 rpm. If overall
efficiency of the wheel is 84%. find i) Required number of jets and diameter of each jet
ii) Number of buckets iii) Tangential force exerted. Assume jet ratio = 9.5.
6. A Kaplan turbine develops 10MW under an effective head of 8m. The overall effeminacy
is 0.86, the speed ratio is 2 and flow ratio is 0.6. The hub diameter is 0.35 times the
outside diameter of the wheel. Find the diameter and speed of the turbine.
7. A Kaplan turbine has an outer diameter as 3m and developing 30000kW at 80rpm under
a head of 12m. The discharge through the runner is 300m3/s. if the hydraulic efficiency is
95%. Determine i) inlet and outlet blade angles ii) Mechanical efficiency
iii) Overall efficiency
8. A Francis turbine works under a head of 260m and develops 16MW at a speed of
600rpm. The volume flow rate through the machine is 7m3/s. Outside diameter of rotor
is 1.5m and axial wheel width at inlet is 135mm. Whirl component at exit is zero.
Hydraulic efficiency is 92%. Find the overall efficiency of the turbine. Sketch inlet and
outlet velocity triangles and find inlet angles of guide blades and rotor blades.

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru – 560098
Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Sub. With Code: Turbo Machines/17ME53
Question Bank

Module 5 -Centrifugal Pumps and Centrifugal Compressors

1. A 4 stage centrifugal pump has impeller each of 38 cm diameter and 1.96 cm wide at
outlet. The outlet vane angle is 450 and the vanes occupy 10% of the outlet area. The
monomeric efficiency is 85% and overall efficiency is 75%. Determine the head
generatred by the pump when running at 1000 rpm discharging 60 lit/s. Also determine
the power required.
2. A centrifugal pump discharges 0.15m3/s of water against a head of 12.5m, speed of
impeller is 600rpm. The outer and inner diameters of impeller are 500mm and 250mm
respectively and the vanes are bent back at 35° to the tangent at exit. If the area of flow
is 0.07m2 from the inlet to outlet, find (i) monomeric efficiency, (ii) vane angel at inlet,
(iii) loss of heat at inlet to impeller when discharge is reduced by 40% without changing
the speed.
3. A centrifugal pump delivers 50lit/s of water against a head of 24m, running at 1500rpm.
The flow velocity is 2.4m/s and is constant, and the blades are setback at 30°. The inner
diameter is half the outer diameter. If monomeric efficiency is 80%, find the blade angle
at inlet and power required to drive the pump.
4. A centrifugal pump with impeller outer diameter 1.5 m runs at 180 rpm and pumps
1.95 m3/s. The average lift is 8 m. the angle which the vane makes at exit with the tangent
to the impeller is 240 and the radial velocity is 2.8 m/s. Determine the manomeric
efficiency of the pump.

Narendra R
Department of Mechanical Engg,
GAT , Bangalore