Effect of Twist Angle Regulation via Flexible Variable-Twist Blades on External Characteristics of Axial-Flow Pumps

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors state in the abstract of their paper that "The application of flexible variable-twist vane technology not only improves the performance of axial-flow pumps in marine engineering applications but also provides critical technical support for the efficient use of marine resources and sustainable development." Please explain this critical technical support in a broader context.

The literature review provided is not comprehensive or sufficiently localized. To strengthen your study, it is essential to include a more thorough review of relevant literature, particularly focusing on studies that are closely related to your research. Incorporating evaluation of related articles will provide a more balanced perspective and ensure that your work is situated within the broader scientific context. Additionally, a more localized literature review can help address specific unroselved issues or technological challenges that may be more relevant to your study.

The function of figure titles is to facilitate rapid and precise interpretation of the data presented. A well-crafted title provides clear, concise, and informative descriptions, enabling readers to comprehend the primary message of the figure without the necessity of analyzing the visual elements in detail. Furthermore, well-structured figure titles enhance the overall readability of a manuscript, ensuring that figures can stand alone as informative elements. Readers frequently peruse figures before delving into the text, and a precise title enables them to extract key insights more efficiently. This is especially important in complex technical or scientific studies where figures contain detailed experimental results, simulation data, or comparative analyses.However, given that your numerical study specifies the inlet boundary conditions as "The flow of water inside the pump can be treated as a three-dimensional, incompressible, viscous turbulent flow," the flow you considered is inherently turbulent.

 

This raises a discrepancy in your analysis. While Figure 14 suggests an absence of turbulence, your initial assumptions indicate otherwise. To ensure consistency, it is crucial to clarify the Reynolds number and explicitly define the flow regime. Providing a more precise assessment will strengthen the validity of your findings.

To investigate the performance-enhancing capabilities of flexible variable twist vanes in axial flow pumps, explain how this study—examining the effects of deformable vanes on impeller performance and efficiency across four different angular configurations (-1°, +1°, -2°, and +2°)—differs from existing literature. In other words, identify the specific gap or issue in the literature that this study addresses.

The fundamental dimensionless numbers characterizing an axial pump impeller include the Flow Coefficient, Head Coefficient, Power Coefficient, Specific Speed, Reynolds Number, and Efficiency. Considering these parameters, analyzing the impact of proposed dimensional modifications in the impeller on system performance will enhance the quality of the paper.

Failing to define the Reynolds number in your flow analysis and not considering it in your evaluation is a significant omission. Since the Reynolds number plays a crucial role in determining flow characteristics such as laminar or turbulent behavior, boundary layer development, and overall system efficiency, its inclusion is essential for a comprehensive analysis. Addressing this aspect and incorporating a Reynolds number-based assessment will significantly strengthen the credibility and depth of your study.

To validate the accuracy of the numerical model employed in the flow analysis, a comparison of the results with experimental data from a standard axial impeller should be made if such data is available. This will enhance confidence in the findings and demonstrate the reliability of the model, thereby providing a stronger foundation for the conclusions. If feasible, this validation study should be incorporated into the manuscript to further strengthen its scientific consistency.

Your statement, "Figure 14 illustrates the streamline distributions of Y1 and V1 impellers under the 1.2Q condition, showing stable flow patterns at Span 09 without flow separation or turbulence," implies that the flow is not turbulent. However, to confirm this assumption, it is essential to determine the Reynolds number in your analysis.

What is the Reynolds number value in your study, and based on this value, what is the corresponding flow regime? Providing this information will help clarify whether the flow is truly laminar, transitional, or turbulent, ensuring a more accurate interpretation of your results.

You have provided the streamlines between the blades. In addition to this, it would be beneficial to include the velocity vector distribution in a similar manner. This will offer a clearer representation of the flow behavior, particularly in confirming that flow separation does not occur on the blade surface.

Furthermore, it is important to present the blade dimensions along with the inlet and outlet angles. Including these details will enhance the clarity of the analysis and allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the aerodynamic characteristics of the impeller.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The authors state in the abstract of their paper that "The application of flexible variable-twist vane technology not only improves the performance of axial-flow pumps in marine engineering applications but also provides critical technical support for the efficient use of marine resources and sustainable development." Please explain this critical technical support in a broader context.

The literature review provided is not comprehensive or sufficiently localized. To strengthen your study, it is essential to include a more thorough review of relevant literature, particularly focusing on studies that are closely related to your research. Incorporating evaluation of related articles will provide a more balanced perspective and ensure that your work is situated within the broader scientific context. Additionally, a more localized literature review can help address specific unroselved issues or technological challenges that may be more relevant to your study.

The function of figure titles is to facilitate rapid and precise interpretation of the data presented. A well-crafted title provides clear, concise, and informative descriptions, enabling readers to comprehend the primary message of the figure without the necessity of analyzing the visual elements in detail. Furthermore, well-structured figure titles enhance the overall readability of a manuscript, ensuring that figures can stand alone as informative elements. Readers frequently peruse figures before delving into the text, and a precise title enables them to extract key insights more efficiently. This is especially important in complex technical or scientific studies where figures contain detailed experimental results, simulation data, or comparative analyses.However, given that your numerical study specifies the inlet boundary conditions as "The flow of water inside the pump can be treated as a three-dimensional, incompressible, viscous turbulent flow," the flow you considered is inherently turbulent.

 

Needs improvement.

Author Response

Dear Sir/Madam,

I sincerely thank you for taking the time to review my manuscript. Your insightful comments and constructive suggestions are very valuable to me as a researcher at the beginning of my career. The expertise reflected in your feedback significantly improves the quality of this work.

Please accept my deepest gratitude for your comprehensive criticism and professional guidance, which has been instrumental in improving this academic endeavor.

Please refer to the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript presents an innovative angle adjustment scheme that employs flexible variable-twist blades. By actively twisting the blades, this scheme enables precise and adaptive angle adjustments. Four distinct blade profiles were chosen for the variable-twist blades at different angle positions, aligning with the four conventional angle adjustment positions of an axial adjustable-blade pump. Numerical simulations were performed to examine the impact of the proposed flexible variable-twist blades on hydraulic performance compared to traditional rigid blades under the same angle configuration. Overall, the manuscript demonstrates a certain level of innovation. However, the following modifications are recommended before this manuscript can be accepted:

1. The abstract lacks quantitative descriptions, such as specific numbers for efficiency improvement or the extent of efficiency range expansion. These conclusions should be quantitatively detailed in the abstract.
2. The authors claim in the abstract that "The application of flexible variable-twist blade technology not only enhances the performance of axial-flow pumps in marine engineering applications but also provides critical technical support for the effective utilization and sustainable development of marine resources." A broader explanation of this critical technical support is needed.
3. The character format in figures and tables should be consistent. Many chart titles in the text are inconsistent, and the content within the charts is also not uniform.
4. The conclusion section should also encompass future research directions and prospects.

Author Response

Dear Sir/Madam,

I sincerely appreciate the time you have dedicated to reviewing my manuscript. Your insightful comments and constructive suggestions have been exceptionally valuable to me as an early-career researcher. The expertise reflected in your feedback has significantly enhanced the quality of this work.

Please accept my deepest gratitude for your thorough critique and professional guidance, which have been instrumental in improving this scholarly endeavor.

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript proposes a novel angle adjustment scheme utilizing flexible variable twist blades, achieving fine and adaptive angle adjustments through active blade twisting to regulate operating conditions. Four typical blade profiles were selected for the variable twist blades at different angular positions, corresponding to four traditional angle adjustment positions of axial adjustable blade pumps. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the hydraulic performance impact of the proposed flexible variable twist blades compared to traditional rigid blades under the same angular configuration. Overall, while the manuscript possesses a certain degree of innovation, it suffers from insufficient workload, poor writing quality, and inadequate data analysis. If this article is to be published, it requires substantial revisions as per my suggestions below:

 

1. The Abstract lacks quantitative descriptions, such as the specific efficiency improvement figures, or how much the efficiency range has been expanded. Such conclusions should be quantitatively described in the Abstract.
2. The specific rationale behind the selection of angular configurations needs to be provided.
3. The literature review section is too brief with an insufficient number of references, failing to comprehensively demonstrate the necessity of the research.
4. What type of mesh was used in the study? Reasons for its selection should be explained, and a mesh model diagram should be included in the text.
5. While the mesh independence verification is commendable, the process is overly simplistic. More mesh points could be added, and the results should be plotted as curves (with the number of meshes on the x-axis and monitoring values on the y-axis).
6. There is an extreme lack of quantitative description throughout the text, especially in sections 3.1, 3.2, etc., where almost everything is described qualitatively without quantitative analysis.
7. The character formats in both figures and tables should be consistent. Many figure titles within the text are not unified, nor are the contents inside the figures.
8. The conclusion also lacks quantitative description; I couldn't find any sentences offering quantitative insights in the manuscript, which must be seriously addressed.
9. The article fails to extract specific numerical values for analysis, merely drawing several line graphs and contour plots with simple descriptions. Descriptive statistical analysis methods have not been applied.
10. The axes in charts and tables should use variables rather than nouns, and the font format in tables is incorrect.
11. The textual descriptions for result figures are extremely lacking, utterly failing to showcase the research conclusions.
12. There are too few experimental groups, and the study is superficial. Other variables should be considered for more comprehensive analysis in contour plots.
13. The conclusion section should also include future research directions and prospects.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

 

The manuscript proposes a novel angle adjustment scheme utilizing flexible variable twist blades, achieving fine and adaptive angle adjustments through active blade twisting to regulate operating conditions. Four typical blade profiles were selected for the variable twist blades at different angular positions, corresponding to four traditional angle adjustment positions of axial adjustable blade pumps. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the hydraulic performance impact of the proposed flexible variable twist blades compared to traditional rigid blades under the same angular configuration. Overall, while the manuscript possesses a certain degree of innovation, it suffers from insufficient workload, poor writing quality, and inadequate data analysis. If this article is to be published, it requires substantial revisions as per my suggestions below:

 

1. The Abstract lacks quantitative descriptions, such as the specific efficiency improvement figures, or how much the efficiency range has been expanded. Such conclusions should be quantitatively described in the Abstract.
2. The specific rationale behind the selection of angular configurations needs to be provided.
3. The literature review section is too brief with an insufficient number of references, failing to comprehensively demonstrate the necessity of the research.
4. What type of mesh was used in the study? Reasons for its selection should be explained, and a mesh model diagram should be included in the text.
5. While the mesh independence verification is commendable, the process is overly simplistic. More mesh points could be added, and the results should be plotted as curves (with the number of meshes on the x-axis and monitoring values on the y-axis).
6. There is an extreme lack of quantitative description throughout the text, especially in sections 3.1, 3.2, etc., where almost everything is described qualitatively without quantitative analysis.
7. The character formats in both figures and tables should be consistent. Many figure titles within the text are not unified, nor are the contents inside the figures.
8. The conclusion also lacks quantitative description; I couldn't find any sentences offering quantitative insights in the manuscript, which must be seriously addressed.
9. The article fails to extract specific numerical values for analysis, merely drawing several line graphs and contour plots with simple descriptions. Descriptive statistical analysis methods have not been applied.
10. The axes in charts and tables should use variables rather than nouns, and the font format in tables is incorrect.
11. The textual descriptions for result figures are extremely lacking, utterly failing to showcase the research conclusions.
12. There are too few experimental groups, and the study is superficial. Other variables should be considered for more comprehensive analysis in contour plots.
13. The conclusion section should also include future research directions and prospects.

Author Response

Dear Sir/Madam,

I sincerely appreciate the time you have dedicated to reviewing my manuscript. Your insightful comments and constructive suggestions have been exceptionally valuable to me as an early-career researcher. The expertise reflected in your feedback has significantly enhanced the quality of this work.

Please accept my deepest gratitude for your thorough critique and professional guidance, which have been instrumental in improving this scholarly endeavor.

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The necessary revisions have been made and the manuscript is suitable for publication in your journal.