Unsteady Flow Phenomena in Fluid Machinery Systems

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Turbomachinery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 454

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: turbulence; fluid mechanics; fluid machinery; fluid–structure interaction; renewable energy
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Guest Editor
School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: multiphase flow; fluid machinery; cavitation
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Guest Editor
Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: gas–liquid two-phase flow; fluid machinery; pump

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fluid machinery, serving as critical equipment in sectors such as energy, power, chemical processing, and aerospace, directly influences the technological level of major national projects and industrial systems. Within these machines, the presence of highly complex three-dimensional and unsteady turbulent flows represents a fundamental physical phenomenon that limits further improvements in performance and reliability.

Complex turbulent structures within blade passages—such as flow separation, vortex breakdown, secondary flows, and their interactions with wall-bounded boundary layers—are identified as root causes of hydraulic efficiency loss, broad-band vibration, and aerodynamic noise. Furthermore, under challenging operational conditions involving cavitation, particulate matter, multiphase media, or intense heat transfer, the strong coupling between turbulence and other physical phenomena results in highly nonlinear flow characteristics, posing significant threats to operational stability and component service life. Off-design, transient, and extreme operating conditions exacerbate turbulence-induced fluid–structure interaction vibrations, presenting major difficulties in design. With rapid advances in high-performance computing, refined flow measurement techniques, and data science methodologies, new opportunities are emerging for elucidating and controlling turbulent flows in fluid machinery. The integration of Large Eddy Simulation (LES), data-driven modeling, and advanced experimental diagnostics is expected to enable a deeper understanding and accurate prediction of these complex flows, thereby providing a scientific basis for the design of a new generation of highly efficient, low-noise, and reliable fluid machinery.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the topic of turbulence in fluid machinery and aims to collect the latest research achievements in this field. Original contributions are cordially invited from scholars on related fundamental theories, numerical simulations, experimental investigations, and innovative applications. Submissions addressing novel theories, methodologies, and technologies aimed at enhancing the performance and reliability of fluid machinery are particularly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Zhengwei Wang
Dr. Yonggang Lu
Dr. Yongyao Luo
Dr. Hao Chang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fluid machinery
  • turbulence
  • vortex dynamics
  • multiphase flow
  • fluid–structure interaction

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

31 pages, 6234 KB  
Article
Research on Cavitation Characteristics of the Fluid Domain of the Single-Plunger Two-Dimensional Electro-Hydraulic Pump
by Xinguo Qiu, Jiahui Wang and Haodong Lu
Machines 2025, 13(12), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13121100 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 274
Abstract
A single-plunger two-dimensional electro-hydraulic pump is an integrated unit in which a two-dimensional plunger pump is embedded inside the rotor of a permanent magnet synchronous motor, significantly improving the power density and power-to-weight ratio of electro-hydraulic pumps. The pursuit of a higher power-to-weight [...] Read more.
A single-plunger two-dimensional electro-hydraulic pump is an integrated unit in which a two-dimensional plunger pump is embedded inside the rotor of a permanent magnet synchronous motor, significantly improving the power density and power-to-weight ratio of electro-hydraulic pumps. The pursuit of a higher power-to-weight ratio has made high-speed operation and high-pressure output persistent research priorities. However, during the iterative design process of electro-hydraulic pumps, cavitation has been identified as a common issue, leading to difficulties in oil suction and even severe backflow. Based on the structure and motion characteristics of the single-plunger two-dimensional electro-hydraulic pump, a CFD numerical model was established to analyze the influence of different working conditions on the cavitation characteristics inside the pump. The study shows that cavitation mainly occurs in the plunger chamber, the distribution groove, and the triangular damping groove. The location and intensity of cavitation are directly reflected by the gas volume fraction. The simulation analysis of variable operating conditions has verified that suction pressure and rotational speed have a significant impact on cavitation—an increase in suction pressure can effectively suppress cavitation, while an increase in rotational speed will exacerbate cavitation development. Specifically, the non-cavitation working boundary of this type of pump was determined through theoretical derivation, and the coupling relationship between critical suction pressure and critical speed was clarified. This work provides an important theoretical basis for the optimization design of the new integrated electro-hydraulic pump. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unsteady Flow Phenomena in Fluid Machinery Systems)
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