Two modular side channel pump models have been investigated both numerically and experimentally. For both modular designs, different side channels and impellers could be studied, with the aim to get information about the influence of the different geometries on the performance and the inner flow phenomena of the pump. By understanding the geometry influences, statements about the design process of the pump are possible. Changes of the geometry of the side channel or the impeller affect the flow in both components. This means that the geometrical dimensions must always be related to each other, in order to make statements about influences of the geometry on the characteristics. Thus, various geometrical configurations are setup, their sizes in industrial pumps are indicated and their influence is investigated by simulations. To evaluate the gained numerical data, it is important to understand the influence of mesh and simulation setup on the results. Therefore, a grid study was conducted and additionally the turbulence model was varied. In this paper, two parameters are focused on: these are the side channel height to the blade length (h/l) and the depth of the side channel in relation to the width of the blade (t/w).

Due to the centrifugal effect of the radial impeller, side channel pumps are a kind of regenerative pumps that provide high head at low flow rate. The geometry of the impeller affects flow patterns and energy conversion directly, greatly influencing the performance of side channel pumps. To investigate the effect of blade profile for suction side on the performance of a side channel pump, three different base angles of 10 , 20 , and 30 , respectively, on the blade suction side were discussed and analyzed both with numerical and experimental methods. The hydraulic performance, exchange mass flow, and velocity vectors were discussed in detail. The numerical work was validated by the comparison between the simulated result and tested result. The results show that the hydraulic performance of the impeller with 30 angle is the best one of the three impellers, especially for head performance. The evaluation method based on exchanged mass flow also confirms that the performance of the side channel pump can be improved by increasing the angle on the suction side of the blade. In addition, the radial vortex on the impeller flow passage has negative effect on the performance of the side channel pump. However, the axial vortex among the impeller and side channel directly affects the energy conversion and has a beneficial effect on the performance of the pump. The results could be used to modify the design models and conclude the effect of blade shapes on the performance of a side channel pump.

Designing turbine wheels for automotive turbochargers one is faced with a multidisciplinary design problem with many input and output parameters. Especially in the automotive industry short development cycles for high quality products in a competitive environment are daily routine. For meeting these requirements optimization algorithms can be a powerful tool in the design process. This paper presents the multidisciplinary optimization of an automotive mixed flow turbine wheel used in a 4 cylinder 1.6 l spark ignition engine. Before describing the optimization workflow in detail, the requirements for turbines operating in an automotive environment under pulsating flow conditions and during an engine load step are discussed. From there objectives for a multidisciplinary optimization are derived. The turbine wheel is optimized with respect to maximizing efficiency in two design points and minimizing its moment of inertia. For the optimization process, an algorithm based on evolution theory is used. As constraints, the operating points are fixed and the natural frequencies are limited to ensure the mechanical strength of the turbine. To speed up the optimization process meta models based on neural networks are applied. Three designs of the Pareto frontier are chosen and their characteristics are discussed. Using statistical methods, the interaction of the input variables and their impact on turbine performance are presented.

In struggles for cultural leadership, advocating a paradigm helps to disseminate, for example, a style of life, thinking, or common practices. Promoting a practice, that is, branding it, includes the use of a simple name or symbol (semiotic sign). Within geosciences, the label “geoethics” refers to a school of thought that uses established philosophical concepts to promote responsible professional practices. The outcomes that are available aggregate to a more general paradigm that calls for geocentric human practices. The label geoethics also sounds like a brand for those practices. As analysis shows, the notion of geoethics is not univocal. At first sight, that feature hinders using it as a brand for geocentric practices. However, the successful branding of the concept of sustainability, as a scientific and public paradigm, indicates the opposite. Although the notion of sustainability aggregates various concepts and is not univocal, it illustrates what cultural leadership can be achieved when a concept, paradigm, and brand use the same semiotic sign (name). Therefore, it is suggested that the school of thought, Geoethics, with its dedicated reference to the specific societal use of geosciences, should also be used as a brand: geoethics, the general application of geoethical thinking to promote geocentric human practices.