Unsteady flow-induced pressure fluctuations and the consequent dynamic stresses in pump-turbines are critical determinants of their operational reliability and fatigue resistance. This investigation systematically examines the spatiotemporal propagation of Rotor–Stator Interaction (RSI)-induced pressure pulsations and evaluates the corresponding dynamic stress mechanisms based on a phase-resolved fluid–structure interaction strategy. The results reveal a significant hydrodynamic duality: RSI pressure waves manifest as convective traveling waves on the pressure side but as modal standing waves on the suction side. Crucially, a severe spanwise phase mismatch is identified between the hub and shroud streamlines, which induces a periodic hydrodynamic torsional moment on the blade. Due to the rigid constraint at the blade–crown junction, this torsional tendency is restricted, resulting in high-amplitude constrained tensile stresses at the root. This explains why the stress concentration at the crown inlet is significantly higher than in other regions. Additionally, the stress spectrum shows strong load dependence, characterized by low-frequency modulations on the suction side under high-load conditions.
Jin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.