114 TECHNICAL NOTE

A new correlation for slip factor in

radial and mixed-flow impellers
C Ji1 , J Zou1∗ , X D Ruan1 , P Dario2 , and X Fu1
1
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou,
People’s Republic of China
2
CRIM Lab, Polo Sant’Anna Valdera, Pontedera (Pisa), Italy

The manuscript was received on 13 July 2010 and was accepted after revision for publication on 25 August 2010.
DOI: 10.1177/2041296710394283

Abstract: The slip phenomenon will result in a deviation of the theoretical head; thus, it is usually
considered as an important factor in the design process of turbomachines (compressor, pump, or
turbine). A new correlation for the slip factor in radial and mixed-flow impellers is developed in
this study, which is derived on the basis of the Euler equation in turbomachinery and relative eddy
theory. It is a function of flow coefficient besides geometric parameters, enabling it to predict the
varying trend of slip factor with flowrate accurately, and is applied to several cases for validation.

Keywords: slip factor, radial impeller, mixed-flow impeller, relative eddy

1 INTRODUCTION instead in most studies. Another practical formula was

The slip phenomenon is usually considered as an
important factor in the design process of turboma-
chines (compressor, pump, or turbine). Since the
number of running blades is always finite, the relative
velocity angle at the exit of the impeller β2 is not equal
to exit blade angle β2b , inducing slip velocity Cslip2 , as
shown in Fig. 1. Slip in an impeller is characterized by
slip factor, as σ = 1 − (Cslip2 /u2 ). The slip phenomenon
results in a deviation of absolute tangential velocity
Cθ 2 and theoretical head Ht . Therefore, an exact corre-
lation of slip factor is very necessary for turbomachine
designers.
The slip phenomenon in radial impellers has been
studied by many researchers in the past. Stodola [1]
developed an expression of slip factor widely applied
in the design process, by assuming a rotating cylin-
der in the flow channel between blades. Busemann [2]
proposed a method, which is most frequently refer-
enced by other researchers, by analysis of the flow
field between logarithmic spiral blades. Busemann’s
method needs extensive mathematical treatment, so
the curves published by Wislicenus [3] were used
developed by Wiesner [4], based on analysis of a great
number of empirical results. Other researchers such
as Stanitz [5], Pfleiderer [6], and Eck [7] proposed their
estimations for slip factor. In recent years, some new
slip models have been devised. Paeng and Chung [8]
proposed a formula based on a relative eddy of round
shape, and von Backström [9] developed a single rela-
tive eddy model, which is derived in terms of a single
relative eddy centred on the rotor axis instead of the
usual multiple (one per blade passage) eddies.
Most expressions for slip factor are functions of only
the blade geometric parameters, without considering
flow parameters such as flowrate. Thus the calculated
slip factor is a constant for a certain impeller, whereas
experiments have shown that flowrate does have an
influence on slip factor [10, 11]. The objective of this
article is to propose a new correlation for slip factor
that can be applied to radial and mixed-flow impellers,
allowing for flowrate and some additional geometric
parameters.
2 DERIVATION OF THE NEW CORRELATION

The relative eddy is often considered the most impor-

∗ Corresponding author: State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Trans-
mission and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s
Republic of China.
email: junzou@zju.edu.cn
tant mechanism for the slip phenomenon. Stodola
described the relative eddy as a circle with a vortic-
ity of , which has been widely accepted by many
researchers. Considering Cslip as a variable of the

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 A new correlation for slip factor in radial and mixed-flow impellers 115

which can be expressed by


d[gHt (m)] 
E2 =  =0 (2)
dm 2

Here the theoretical head Ht is considered as a vari-

able along the mean meridional streamline m, and
the derivation of enthalpy per mass E is equal to the
derivation of gHt . According to the Euler equation in
Fig. 1 Velocity triangle at the outlet of a backswept turbomachinery
impeller
gHt (m) = u(m)Cθ (m) − u1 Cθ1

As shown in Fig. 1, the absolute tangential velocity

relative tangential velocity caused by the eddy along can be calculated as
the meridional streamline m,  can be calculated as
 = (dCslip /dm). Then the slip velocity can be related Cu = u + wθ − Cslip
to its meridional derivative as follows
With the above equations, the following correlation
dCslip 2Cslip2 can be derived from equation (2)
= (1)   
dm R du  dwθ  wθ 2 du  dCslip
2  +  +  −
dm 2 dm 2 u2 dm 2 dm
The radius of the relative eddy R is assumed to be 
half the exit throat length of the impeller, as shown in Cslip2 du 
− =0 (3)
Fig. 2. In this article, R is calculated as R = ((F · s2 )/2). u2 dm 2
Here, F is a throat shape factor, calculated as
Here
 
Z π  π t2 du  du 
= = ω sin γ2
F = sin
π Z
cos |β2b | −
Z
−
s2 cos β2b dm 2 dr/sin γ 2

γ2 is the meridional inclination angle of the blade at

The derivation of F can be found in Appendix 2 of the trailing edge
this article.

The total mechanical energy, including kinetic and wθ2
= ϕ2 tan β2b
potential energy, transferred from the impeller to the u2
operating fluid can be characterized by the theoreti-
ϕ2 is the flow coefficient at the outlet of the impeller,
cal head Ht without considering hydraulic losses. In
calculated as ϕ2 = (Cm2 /u2 )
vane pumps or compressors, the only part to fulfil the
 
energy transfer is the rotational impeller. Therefore, dwθ  d(Cm tan βb ) 
=
Ht increases along the streamline in the impeller, and dm 2 dm 
2
decreases in other parts such as the guide vane region  
and diffuser. Around the trailing edge of the running Cm2 dβb  w2 sin β2b dA 
= −
blades, the fluid is at the peak of mechanical energy, cos2 β dm  2b 2 A 2dm  2

Fig. 2 Diagram of the impeller: (a) exit throat and relative eddy and (b) meridional parameters

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116 C Ji, J Zou, X D Ruan, P Dario, and X Fu

The term (w2 sin β2b /A2 )(dA/dm)|2 accounts for

velocity grads caused by the passage area variation.
Compared to the first term, this one is very small
on most occasions, so it is ignored in the following
calculation.
Considering equations (1) and (3), the slip velocity
can be calculated as
F πr2
Cslip2 =
2Z + F π sin γ2
 
Cm2 dβb 
· (2 + ϕ2 tan β2b )ω sin γ2 +
cos2 β2b dm 2
The expression for slip factor is
Cslip2
σ =1−
u2
Fπ
=1−
2Z + F π sin γ2
 
ϕ2 r2 dβb 
· (2 + ϕ2 tan β2b ) sin γ2 + (4)
cos2 β2b dm 2
Obtained from equation (4), the slip velocity is
affected by flow coefficient ϕ2 and blade angle turn-
ing rate (dβ/dm)|2 , besides the common parameters in
other models such as blade angle β2b , meridional incli-
nation angle γ2 , and blade number Z . The parameter of
radius ratio r1 /r2 , which usually appears in other mod-
els, has also been included in equation (4) indirectly,
noticing that r1 /r2 has a distinct influence on dβ/dm.

3 VALIDATION AND DISCUSSION

To validate the new correlation, a variety of impeller

cases are used to test it, including radial and mixed-
flow impellers. The results are compared with those
calculated by other expressions proposed by Stodola,
Stanitz, Wiesner, Busemann, and Paeng.
First, the present correlation is applied to several
impellers of mixed-flow pumps whose slip factors were
measured by Wood et al. in 1965 [12]. The meridional
geometric configuration is presented in Figs 3(a) and
(b). The parameters of the impellers and the calculated
results are listed in Table 1. The parameter (dβb /dm)|2
was not available inWood’s article, so the average value
of blade angle turning rate along the streamline is
adopted instead. Obtained from Table 1, the present
correlation achieves good accuracy with deviation less Fig. 3 Meridional geometric configurations of the rep-
than 5 per cent, better than others except for Wiesner’s. resentative impellers: (a) R1-1, R1-5A, and R1-6A
Wiesner’s predicting results match the experimental (unit: inch) [12], (b) R1-4A (unit: inch) [12], and
data most precisely. This is not surprising because his (c) Eckardt rotors ‘O’ and ‘A’ (unit: mm) [11]
correlation is empirical and the experimental data,
which were measured by Wood in 1965, were also It is an advantage of the present correlation to be
included in the statistical samples of Wiesner’s work. able to predict the varying trend of slip factor with
Table 1 also includes the case of Eckardt rotor ‘O’, flowrate. For validation, equation (4) is applied to two
which is a radial impeller with meridional configu- other cases, mixed-flow impeller MFI-1A and radial
ration as shown in Fig. 3(c). The present correlation impeller ‘rotor A’, whose geometric parameters are
achieves good accuracy here too. listed in Table 2. The slip factors of the impellers were

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 A new correlation for slip factor in radial and mixed-flow impellers 117

Table 1 Parameters and results of the impellers posted

by Wood et al. [12] and Eckardt [11]

R1-6A R1-5A R1-1 R1-4A Rotor ‘O’

Z 4 5 6 8+8 20
β2b (degree) −64.5 −64.5 −64.5 −20.7 0
γ2 (degree) 45 45 45 45 90
r2 (m) 0.081 0.081 0.081 0.085 0.2
ϕ2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.455 0.34
dβb /dm (m−1 ) −2.31 −2.31 −2.31 3.28 0
F 0.849 0.822 0.787 0.980 0.874
σ − Stodola 0.660 0.730 0.775 0.816 0.843
σ − Stanitz 0.505 0.604 0.670 0.877 0.901
σ − Wiesner 0.743 0.786 0.812 0.861 0.877
σ − Busemann 0.692 0.745 0.772 0.860 0.875
σ − Paeng 0.782 0.819 0.844 0.868 0.884
σ − experiment 0.721 0.768 0.829 0.832 0.880
σ − present 0.753 0.805 0.836 0.871 0.872 Fig. 5 Slip factor (Pfleiderer’s definition) of Eckardt’s
Error (%) +4.44 +4.82 +0.84 +4.69 −0.09% rotor A [11]

factor of Eckardt’s rotor ‘A’, which takes an unusual

Table 2 Parameters of MFI-1A and Eckardt rotor ‘A’
β2b γ2 (dβb /dm)
Z (degree) (degree) r2 (m) (m−1 )
MFI-1A 21+21 −8.7 30 0.194 12.1
Rotor ‘A’ 20 −30 90 0.2 −9.0
measured by Joseph et al. [10] and Eckardt [11], whose
experimental results are reproduced in Figs 4 and 5,
respectively.
In Fig. 4 of MFI-1A, Wiesner’s results match well,
but are unable to reflect the downward trend of slip
factor. Stodola’s and Paeng’s predicting results are sim-
ilar to Wiesner’s. The result of the present correlation
shows accuracy similar to Weisner’s model, decreas-
ing as the flowrate is increased. Its varying trend is
the same as the experimental data, but the deviation
becomes larger with increasing flowrate.
Eckardt’s impellers are well known in the domain
of the centrifugal compressor, whose flow field data
were measured with remarkable accuracy using a
laser velocimeter. The meridional configuration of the
impeller is shown in Fig. 3(c). Figure 5 reveals the slip
rising with an increase of flowrate. Because the origi-
nal data were processed by Eckardt using Pfleiderer’s
F definition of slip factor, expressed as μ = (Cθ 2 /Cθ 2 ),
0.84 the results of all the models presented in Fig. 5 are
0.74 transformed with the equation
1−σ
μ=1−
1 + ϕ2 tan β2b
As shown in Fig. 5, the slip factor calculated from
the present correlation matches the experimental data
very well, especially as the flowrate increases, while
the predicted results by other models fall away from
the experimental data. The limitation of the expres-
sions used for slip factor calculation, in which the flow
parameters are not considered, is obvious in this case.
We note that all the results obtained by the present
correlation are slightly larger than the experimental
data except for Eckardt’s rotors, which probably comes
from the assumption E2 = 0. In Wood’s and Joseph’s
work, the data of slip factors were calculated from
the measurement results of actual head or total pres-
sure, which were both measured downstream of the
impeller and not at the trailing edge. At the mea-
surement points, practical E is not zero but has a
negative value, due to a decrease of the mechanical
energy of operating fluid along the streamline. More-
over, the absolute value of E decreases as the flowrate
is reduced. This is why the calculated results by the
present correlation have positive relative deviations in
test cases, especially at a large flowrate as shown in
Fig. 4. In contrast, the velocity field inside the impeller
of Eckardt’s rotors was accurately measured directly by
laser velocimeters; thus the assumption error induced
by measuring points is minimized.

4 CONCLUSIONS

A new correlation for slip factors in radial and mixed-

Fig. 4 Slip factor of MFI-1A [10] flow impellers has been proposed on the basis of the

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118 C Ji, J Zou, X D Ruan, P Dario, and X Fu

Euler equation in turbomachinery and relative eddy 12 Wood, G. M., Welna, H., and Lamers, R. P. Tip-clearance
theory. As a function of flowrate, besides geometric effects in centrifugal pumps. Trans. ASME J. Basic Engng,
parameters such as blade angle turning rate, the cor- 1965, 87, 932–940.
relation is able to predict the varying trend of slip
factor with flowrate. Through several cases, slip factors
obtained by the proposed correlation are compared APPENDIX 1
with those obtained by Stodola, Wiesner, Stanitz, and
Paeng. The present correlation is proved to be able to Notation
exactly reflect the varying trend of slip factor with good
accuracy. A flow passage area
C absolute velocity
Cslip slip velocity
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS E derivative of the enthalpy per unit mass
along meridional streamline
This work has been supported by the National Basic F shape factor of impeller exit throat
Research Program of China (Grant No. 2009 CB724300) Ht theoretical head
and Chinese Universities Scientific Fund (Grant No. m mean meridional streamline
2009QNA4001). r radial coordinate of impeller
R radius of relative eddy
s pitch of impeller, s = (2πr/Z )
© Authors 2011
t blade thickness
u blade rotating speed
REFERENCES w relative velocity
Z number of blades
1 Stodola, A. Steam and gas turbines, 1927 (McGraw-Hill,
New York). β flow angle
2 Busemann, A. Das Förderhöhenverhältniss Radialer βb blade angle, negative for backswept
Kreiselpumpen Mit Logarithisch-Spiraligen Schaufeln. blades
Z. Angew. Math. Mech., 1928, 8, 371–384. γ meridional inclination angle
3 Wislicenus, G. F. Fluid mechanics of turbomachinery, 2nd μ slip factor (Pfleiderer’s definition)
edition, vol. 1, 1965, p. 275 (Dover, New York). σ slip factor
4 Wiesner, F. J. A review of slip factors for centrifugal ϕ flow coefficient
impellers. Trans. ASME J. Engng Power, 1967, 89, 558–572.
ω angular velocity of the impeller
5 Stanitz, J. D. Some theoretical aerodynamic investiga-
tions of impellers in radial and mixed flow centrifugal
 vorticity of relative eddy
compressor. Trans. ASME, 1952, 74, 473–497.
6 Pfleiderer, C. Die Kreiselpumpen für Flüssigkeiten und Subscripts
Gase, 1983 (China Machine Press, Beijing) (Chinese edi-
tion, translation from the 5th German edition by Xi, m meridional component
Q.D.). θ tangential component
7 Eck, B. Fans: design and operation of centrifugal, axial- 1 impeller inlet
flow, and cross-flow fans, 1973 (Oxford University Press, 2 impeller exit
New York).
8 Paeng, K. S. and Chung, M. K. A new slip fac-
Superscript
tor for centrifugal impellers. Proc. IMechE, Part A: J.
Power and Energy, 2001, 215, 645–649. DOI: 10.1243/ 
infinite blades (before slip)
0957650011538776.
9 von Backström, T. W. A unified correlation for slip factor
in centrifugal impellers. ASME J. Turbomach., 2006, 128, APPENDIX 2
1–10.
10 Joseph, R., Withee, J., and William, L. B. Design and
Derivation of throat shape factor F :
test of mixed-flow impellers II – experimental results,
impeller model MFI-1A. NACA-RM-E52E22, 1952.
As shown in Fig. 2, the impeller exit throat is AC,
11 Eckardt, D. Flow field analysis of radial and backswept which is perpendicular to the blade BC. Noting that
centrifugal compressor impellers, part I: flow measure- β2b is negative for backward blades
ment using a laser velocimeter. In Performance predic-
tion of centrifugal pumps and compressors, Proceedings π
∠OAC = − |β2b |
of the 25th ASME Annual International Gas Turbine Con- 2
ference and 22nd Annual Fluids Engineering Conference,
New Orleans, March 1980, pp. 77–86 (American Society Considering ∠OAB = (π/2) − (π/Z ), it can be
of Mechanical Engineers, New York). obtained that ∠CAB = |β2b | − (π/Z ).

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 A new correlation for slip factor in radial and mixed-flow impellers 119

Approximatively Here
π  π
AC = AB cos(∠CAB) = 2r2 sin cos |β2b | − 1
Z Z εlim = −1
ln (8.16 sin β2b /Z )
Considering the effect of blade thickness
π  Stanitz’s model [5]: σ = 1 − (0.63π/Z )
Z π t2
F = sin cos |β2b | − −
π Z Z s2 cos β2b Paeng’s model [8]:

The slip models for comparison in the article:

sin[(π/Z ) cos β2b ]
Stodola’s model [1]: σ = 1 − (π/Z ) cos β2b σ =1−f
1 + sin[(π/Z ) cos β2b ]
√
Wiesner’s model [4]: σ = 1 − ( cos β2b /Z 0.7 ), f = f0(Z ) + A(Z ) exp(β2b /B(Z ) )
r1 /r2  εlim
 √ 
cos β2b Here, f0(Z ) = 0.833 + 0.21 exp(−Z 3 /32.3), A(Z ) = 0.024
σ = 1− [1 − exp(−Z 4.1 /336)], and B(Z ) = 24.2[1 − exp(−Z 1.31 /
Z 0.7
  3.04)].
r1 /r2 − εlim 3 Busemann’s model: refer to the curves of Wisli-
× 1− , r1 /r2 > εlim
1 − εlim cenus [3].

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