scholarly journals Investigation of tip leakage vortex characteristics around tip clearance in a mixed flow pump

2019 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. 032014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yabin Liu ◽  
Lei Tan
Keyword(s):  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Mixed Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Flow Pump

Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Tip Leakage Vortex in a Mixed-Flow Pump With Tip Clearance

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yabin Liu ◽  
Lei Tan
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Evolution ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Oscillation Period ◽  
Relative Vorticity ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Mixed Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Flow Pump

Tip clearance in pump induces tip leakage vortex (TLV), which interacts with the main flow and leads to instability of flow pattern and decrease of pump performance. In this work, the characteristics of TLV in a mixed-flow pump are investigated by the numerical simulation using shear stress transport (SST) k–ω turbulence model with experimental validation. The trajectory of the primary tip leakage vortex (PTLV) is determined, and a power function law is proposed to describe the intensity of the PTLV core along the trajectory. Spatial–temporal evolution of the TLV in an impeller revolution period T can be classified into three stages: splitting stage, developing stage, and merging stage. The TLV oscillation period TT is found as 19/160 T, corresponding to the frequency 8.4 fi (fi is impeller rotating frequency). Results reveal that the TLV oscillation is intensified by the sudden pressure variation at the junction of two adjacent blades. On analysis of the relative vorticity transport equation, it is revealed that the relative vortex stretching item in Z direction is the major source of the splitting and shedding of the PTLV. The dominant frequency of pressure and vorticity fluctuations on the PTLV trajectory is 8.4 fi, same as the TLV oscillation frequency. This result reveals that the flow instability in the PTLV trajectory is dominated by the oscillation of the TLV. The blade number has significant effect on pressure fluctuation in tip clearance and on blade pressure side, because the TLV oscillation period varies with the circumferential length of flow passage.

Theoretical Prediction Model of Tip Leakage Vortex in a Mixed Flow Pump With Tip Clearance

2019 ◽  
Vol 142 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yabin Liu ◽  
Lei Tan
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Prediction ◽  
Prediction Model ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Axial Position ◽  
Dynamic Evolution ◽  
Mixed Flow ◽  
Impeller Blade ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Flow Pump

Abstract Tip clearance results in the leakage flow from blade pressure side to suction side, which will further cause the tip leakage vortex (TLV). Moreover, the flow pattern in an impeller is seriously deteriorated due to the TLV and its interaction with the main stream. In this work, the TLV in a mixed flow pump is investigated by numerical simulation validated by experiment measurement. The primary tip leakage vortex (PTLV) trajectory is specially studied with consideration of the tip clearance size δ, the impeller blade number Zi, and the impeller rotational speed n. The results show that δ slightly shifts the separation point (SP) of the PTLV but rarely affects the separation angle α. The increase in Zi and the decrease in n both lead to the shift of the SP toward the blade trailing edge and the decrease in α. Furthermore, a theoretical prediction model is proposed to predict the PTLV trajectory, by which the axial position and radial position of PTLV trajectory versus the rotation angle can be predicted. The proposed model is verified to be accurate to predict the PTLV trajectory, especially for the PTLV trajectory in the main flow passage. The dynamic evolution of TLV under different tip clearance sizes can all be classified into the same three stages: splitting stage, developing stage, and merging stage. Meanwhile, the dynamic evolution frequency fe is the same as the impeller rotational frequency fi.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Tip Leakage Vortex Trajectory in an Axial Flow Pump

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desheng Zhang ◽  
Weidong Shi ◽  
Suqing Wu ◽  
Dazhi Pan ◽  
Peipei Shao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
High Speed Photography ◽  
Rate Condition ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Axial Flow Pump ◽  
Flow Pump

In this paper, the tip leakage vortex (TLV) structures in an axial flow pump were investigated by numerical and experimental methods. Based on the comparisons of different blade tip clearance size (i.e., 0.5 mm, 1mm and 1.5mm) and different flow rate conditions, TLV trajectories were obtained by Swirling Strength method, and simulated by modified SST k-ω turbulence model with refined high-quality structured grids. A high-speed photography test was carried out to capture the tip leakage vortex cavitation in an axial flow pump with transparent casing. Numerical results were compared with the experimental leakage vortex trajectories, and a good agreement is presented. The detailed trajectories show that the start point of tip leakage vortex appears near the leading edge at small flow rate, and it moves from trailing edge to about 30% chord span at rated flow rate. At the larger flow rate condition, the starting point of TLV shifts to the middle of chord, and the direction of TLV moves parallel to the blade hydrofoil. As the increasing of the tip size, the start point of TLV trajectories moves to the central of chord and the minimum pressure in vortex core is gradually reduced.

Influence of tip leakage flow and inlet distortion flow on a mixed-flow pump with different tip clearances within the stall condition

2019 ◽  
Vol 234 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leilei Ji ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Weidong Shi
Keyword(s):  
Internal Flow ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Leakage Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Mixed Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Flow Pump

In order to investigate the effect of impeller tip clearance on internal flow fields and the rotating stall inception impacted by tip leakage vortex and inlet unsteady flow in a mixed-flow pump, mixed-flow pump models with tip clearances of 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, and 1.1 mm were numerically calculated, and then the energy performance curves and internal flow structures were obtained and compared. The results show that the pump efficiency and the internal flow fields of numerical calculation are in good agreement with experimental results at design flow rate and near-stall condition. A portion of the positive slope segment appears in the energy performance curves under different tip clearances. The lowest head of the mixed-flow pump in the positive slope region decreases with the increase of the tip clearance while the highest head shows an opposite situation indicating that mixed-flow pumps are easier to stall under small tip clearance. At the design flow rate condition, the tip leakage vortex is relatively stable under different tip clearances and appears as a “snail shell” shape, whereas in rotating stall conditions, the “snail shell” shape disappear and the tip leakage flow on blade front forms a “flat” vortex structure. The inlet swirl flow not only affects the tip leakage flow in rotating stall conditions under different tip clearances, but also blocks the fluid from the inlet pipe. Under the circumstance of the same tip clearance, the main frequency amplitude of pressure pulsation coefficient gradually shifts away from blade passing frequency (96.67 Hz) to the axial frequency (24.17 Hz) when the pump operates in the stall condition.

Numerical investigation of tip flow dynamics and main flow characteristics with varying tip clearance widths for an axial-flow pump

2018 ◽  
Vol 233 (4) ◽  
pp. 476-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simin Shen ◽  
Zhongdong Qian ◽  
Bin Ji ◽  
Ramesh K Agarwal
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Specific Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Axial Flow Pump ◽  
Tip Separation Vortex ◽  
Flow Pump

The effects of varying tip clearance widths on tip flows dynamics and main flows characteristics for an axial-flow pump are studied employing computational fluid dynamics method. An analysis is presented for the distributions of turbulent kinetic energy, mean axial velocity, and mean vorticity magnitude at the specific flow rate of 0.7 Q BEP , focusing on flow patterns in the tip region with different tip clearance widths and associated flows. From the simulation results we find that the flow structure of tip vortex and its transportation strongly depend on the tip clearance width, especially for the extension of tip leakage vortex, appearance of induced vortex and the area of tip separation vortex. For a small clearance of 0.15 mm at 0.7 Q BEP, there is no tip separation vortex at the tip. When tip clearance width becomes larger, a tip separation vortex attaches more on the surface of blade tip as well as vortex intensity of tip flows increases. For tip clearances of 0.9 and 1.2 mm, there is a small part of induced vortex near the blade leading edge. Meanwhile, no induced vortex can be captured for tip clearances of 0.15 and 0.45 mm. The relative angle between the blade chord and tip leakage vortex trajectory reduces gradually when tip clearance width increases from 0.45 to 1.2 mm. Additionally, the radial position of tip leakage vortex core moves inwards as tip clearance width increases. Furthermore, a larger tip clearance width has greater effects on the main-stream characteristics especially near the shroud, which is due to more energy being exchanged between tip flows and main flows. At the flow rate 0.7 Q BEP, both the efficiency and head of the pump reduce with an increasing tip clearance because of greater energy loss.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Tip Leakage Vortex Cavitation Patterns and Mechanisms in an Axial Flow Pump

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desheng Zhang ◽  
Weidong Shi ◽  
Dazhi Pan ◽  
Michel Dubuisson
Keyword(s):  
Shear Layer ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Cloud Cavitation ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Axial Flow Pump ◽  
Flow Pump ◽  
Corner Vortex

The tip leakage vortex (TLV) cavitating flow in an axial flow pump was simulated based on an improved shear stress transport (SST) k-ω turbulence model and the homogeneous cavitation model. The generation and dynamics of the TLV cavitation throughout the blade cascades at different cavitation numbers were investigated by the numerical and experimental visualizations. The investigation results show that the corner vortex cavitation in the tip clearance is correlated with the reversed flow at the pressure side (PS) corner of blade, and TLV shear layer cavitation is caused by the interaction between the wall jet flow in the tip and the main flow in the impeller. The TLV cavitation patterns including TLV cavitation, tip corner vortex cavitation, shear layer cavitation, and blowing cavitation are merged into the unstable large-scale TLV cloud cavitation at critical cavitation conditions, which grows and collapses periodically near trailing edge (TE).

scholarly journals Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the Tip Leakage Vortex Cavitation in an Axial Flow Pump with Different Tip Clearances

Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Xu ◽  
Xi Shen ◽  
Desheng Zhang ◽  
Weibin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Axial Flow ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Water Diversion ◽  
Tip Leakage Flow ◽  
Unstable Flow ◽  
Tip Leakage Vortex ◽  
Tip Leakage ◽  
Viscous Loss ◽  
Axial Flow Pump ◽  
Flow Pump

The tip gap existing between the blade tip and casing can give rise to tip leakage flow and interfere with the main flow, which causes unstable flow characteristics and intricate vortex in the passage. Investigation on the tip clearance effect is of great important due to its extensive applications in the rotating component of pumps. In this study, a scaling axial flow pump used in a south-north water diversion project with different sizes of tip clearances was employed to study the tip clearance effect on tip leakage vortex (TLV) characteristics. This analysis is based on a modified turbulence model. Validations were carried out using a high-speed photography technique. The tip clearance effect on the generation and evolution of TLV was investigated through the mean velocity, pressure, and vorticity fields. Results show that there are two kinds of TLV structures in the tip region. Accompanied by tip clearance increasing, the viscous loss in the tip area of the axial flow pump increases. Furthermore, the tip clearance effect on pressure distribution in the blade passage is discussed. Beyond that, the tip clearance effect on vortex core pressure and cavitation is studied.

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