Unsteady Pressure Pulsation Measurements and Analysis of a Low Specific Speed Centrifugal Pump

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Gao ◽  
Pengming Guo ◽  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Zhong Li ◽  
MinGuan Yang
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Band ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Pulsation ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Centrifugal Pumps ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Unsteady Pressure ◽  
Low Specific Speed ◽  
Response Pressure

Intense pressure pulsation, resulted from the flow structure shedding from the blade trailing edge and its interaction with the volute tongue and the casing, is detrimental to the stable operation of centrifugal pumps. In the present study, unsteady pressure pulsation signals at different positions of the volute casing are extracted using high response pressure transducers at flow rate of 0–1.55ΦN. Emphasis is laid upon the influence of measuring position and operating condition on pressure pulsation characteristics, and components at the blade passing frequency fBPF and root-mean-square (RMS) values in 0–20.66fn frequency band are mainly analyzed. Results clearly show that the predominant components in pressure spectra always locate at fBPF. The varying trends versus flow rate of components at fBPF differ significantly for different points, and it is considered to be associated with the corresponding flow structures at particular positions of the volute casing. At the near-tongue region, high pressure amplitudes occur at the position of θ = 36 deg, namely the point at the after tongue region. For different measuring points, angular distributions of amplitudes at fBPF and RMS values in 0–20.66fn frequency band are not consistent and affected significantly by the pump operating conditions.

Experimental Investigation on Unsteady Pressure Pulsation in a Centrifugal Pump With Special Slope Volute

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Zhang ◽  
MinGuan Yang ◽  
Bo Gao ◽  
Zhong Li ◽  
Dan Ni
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Centrifugal Pump ◽  
Pressure Pulsation ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Flow Induced Vibration ◽  
Unsteady Pressure ◽  
Rotor Stator Interaction ◽  
Nonlinear Components

Rotor–stator interaction, a major source of high amplitude pressure pulsation and flow-induced vibration in the centrifugal pump, is detrimental to stable operation of pumps. In the present study, a slope volute is investigated to explore an effective method to reduce high pressure pulsation level, and its influence on flow structures is analyzed using numerical simulation. The stress is placed on experimental investigation of unsteady pressure pulsation inside the slope volute pump. For that purpose, pressure pulsations are extracted at nine locations along the slope volute casing covering sensitive pump regions. Results show that distinct pressure pulsation peaks at fBPF, together with nonlinear components are captured. These peaks are closely related to the position of pressure transducer and operating conditions of the pump. The improvement of rotational speed of the impeller results in rapid increase of pressure fluctuation amplitude at fBPF and corresponding root mean square (RMS) value within 10–500 Hz. A comparison with conventional spiral volute pump is implemented as well, and it is demonstrated that slope volute contributes significantly to the decline of pressure pulsation level.

scholarly journals Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Pressure Fluctuation in a Low-Specific-Speed Centrifugal Pump with a Gap Drainage Impeller

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
Hong Xu ◽  
Weidong Shi ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Pressure Pulsation ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Simulation Methods ◽  
Centrifugal Pumps ◽  
Numerical Simulation Methods ◽  
Low Specific Speed ◽  
Specific Speed

In order to analyze the effect of impeller with different slot widths on the performance of the low-specific-speed centrifugal pumps, based on the impeller of a single-stage pump with the specific speed of 21, two gap drainage schemes with slot widths of 1.5 mm and 6.0 mm, slot diameter of 180 mm, and lap length of 5 mm were designed. Both experimental and numerical simulation methods were applied to compare the steady performance, which includes the head, efficiency, and the internal flow field distribution, and the unsteady pressure pulsation performance between new designed pumps and the original pump. The results show that gap drainage would cause a certain degree of head reduction, but a smaller slot width could achieve higher efficiency. Meanwhile, a reasonable open seam scheme can reduce the development of pressure pulsation, which provides experience and reference for the stable operation of low-specific-speed centrifugal pumps.

Investigation on Rotor-Stator Interaction in a Low Specific Speed Centrifugal Pump

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Minguan Yang ◽  
Bo Gao ◽  
Zhong Li ◽  
Dan Ni
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Pump ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Pulsation ◽  
Vortical Structure ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Rotor Stator Interaction ◽  
Low Specific Speed ◽  
Specific Speed

In centrifugal pump, due to intense rotor-stator interaction, high amplitude pressure pulsating would be induced, and it has a crucial influence on the stable operating of the pump. In this paper, a low specific speed centrifugal pump is investigated to illustrate unsteady flow within the centrifugal pump. Pressure pulsation signals are attained by mounting 20 monitoring points along the spiral volute, covering all the interested region of the model pump. FFT (Fast Fourier Transform algorithm) is applied to analyze the time-domain pressure signals. Results show that in pressure spectra, evident peaks at blade passing frequency fBPF together with its high harmonics can be identified, and the amplitudes are closely associated with operating conditions of the model pump and the positions of the monitoring points. At nominal flow rate, four vortical regions with high amplitude are captured inside the model pump. And the unsteady vortical structure at the near tongue region is related to the relative position of the impeller with respect to the tongue, and the upstream effect of the volute tongue significantly affects the vorticity distribution on the blade pressure side. At off-design conditions, the interaction pattern between the vortical structure and the volute tongue is significantly affected compared with that at the rated condition, as to the upstream effect of the tongue. At high flow rate, partial vortex would separate from the main vortex, but at low flow rate, the cutting and impingement effects of the tongue are much weaker due to almost all the vortex moving to the narrow side of the tongue. Based on the analysis of rotor-stator interaction in the model pump, some conclusions could be obtained. Pressure amplitudes at fBPF are associated with the positions of monitoring points and operating conditions of the model pump. Vorticity magnitude at blade exit increases as the impeller passes the volute tongue. And the fluid-dynamic blade-volute interaction is dominated by the vorticity shedding from blade trailing edge and their impingement on the volute tongue with subsequent cutting and distortion. And high pressure amplitude is generated with the corresponding high vorticity magnitude observed. So the intense interaction between flow structures (jet-wake pattern) and volute tongue is crucial to unsteady pressure pulsation. Thus, to lower pressure pulsation amplitude and fluid dynamic forces, controlling the vortical structure at blade trailing edge is an effective method.

Effects of the staggered blades on unsteady pressure pulsations and flow structures of a centrifugal pump

2021 ◽  
pp. 095765092098732
Author(s):  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Bo Gao ◽  
Chao Li ◽  
Dan Ni ◽  
Guoping Li
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Pump ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Pulsation ◽  
Second Harmonic ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Pump Efficiency ◽  
Pressure Amplitude ◽  
Pressure Pulsations ◽  
Unsteady Pressure ◽  
Negative Effect

Effects of the staggered blades on unsteady pressure pulsations of a centrifugal pump with a specific speed ns=147 are investigated by the numerical simulation method. The obtained results are compared with the original blades. To clarify the resulting effects, eight monitoring points are used to extract pressure signals at three typical working conditions, and component at the blade passing frequency fBPF is emphasized. Results show that the pump efficiency and head will be reduced by the staggered blades, and at the nominal flow rate, the reduction is about 1.5% from comparison with the original blades. For all the eight points, the staggered blades contribute to the reduction of pressure amplitudes at fBPF when the pump works at three flow rates. The averaged reduction is 15.5% at the nominal flow rate. However, the negative effect on the second harmonic of fBPF will be caused by the staggered blades, and the corresponding pressure amplitude will increase at 2fBPF. It means that the pressure pulsation energy will be redistributed among the discrete components in pressure spectrum by the staggered blades. From the TKE distribution, it is found that the TKE values on the blade pressure side will be significantly affected by the staggered blades.

scholarly journals Investigating the In-Flow Characteristics of Multi-Operation Conditions of Cross-Flow Fan in Air Conditioning Systems

Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 959
Author(s):  
Weijie Zhang ◽  
Jianping Yuan ◽  
Qiaorui Si ◽  
Yanxia Fu
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Distribution ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Pressure Pulsation ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Aerodynamic Noise ◽  
Cross Flow Fan

Cross-flow fans are widely used in numerous applications such as low-pressure ventilation, household appliances, laser instruments, and air-conditioning equipment. Cross-flow fans have superior characteristics, including simple structure, small size, stable airflow, high dynamic pressure coefficient, and low noise. In the present study, numerical simulation and experimental research were carried out to study the unique secondary flow and eccentric vortex flow characteristics of the internal flow field in multi-operating conditions. To this end the vorticity and the circumferential pressure distribution in the air duct are obtained based on the performed experiments and the correlation between spectral characteristics of multiple operating conditions and the inflow state is established. The obtained results show that when the area of the airflow passage decreases while the area of the eccentric vortex area gradually increases, then the airflow of the cross-flow fan decreases, the outlet expands, and the flow pattern uniformity reduces. It was found that wakes form in the vicinity of the blade and the tail of the volute tongue, which generate pressure pulsation, and aerodynamic noise. The pressure distribution along the inner circumference shows that the total minimum pressure appears in the eccentric vortex near the volute tongue and the volute returns near the zone. Moreover, it was found that the total pressure near the eccentric vortex is significantly smaller than that of the main flow zone. As the flow rate decreases, the pressure pulsation amplitude of the eccentric vortex region significantly increases, while the static and total pressure pulsation amplitudes are gradually increased. Close to the eccentric vortex on the inner side of the blade in the volute tongue area, total pressure is low, total pressure on the outside of the blade is not affected, and pressure difference between the inner and outer sides is large. When the flow rate of the cross-flow fan is 0.4 Qd, there is no obvious peak at the harmonic frequency of the blade passage frequency. This shows that the aerodynamic noise is caused by the main unstable flow.

Design, Test and Analysis of a High-Pressure-Ratio Transonic Fan

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. John Calvert ◽  
Paul R. Emmerson ◽  
Jon M. Moore
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Technology Acquisition ◽  
Laser Anemometry ◽  
High Pressure Ratio ◽  
Response Pressure ◽  
Stage Matching

Aircraft gas turbine engines require compression systems with high performance and low weight and cost. There is therefore a continuing drive to increase compressor stage pressure ratios, particularly for military fans. To meet this need, a technology acquisition programme has been carried out by QinetiQ and Rolls-Royce. Firstly, the stage matching issues for an advanced two-stage military fan were investigated, including the effects of employing variable inlet guide vanes. From this, the requirements for the first stage together with key operating conditions for the blading were defined. The blade profiles were then designed to satisfy the range of aerodynamic conditions using a quasi-3D calculation system. A satisfactory compromise between the aerodynamic and mechanical design requirements was reached in which a blisk construction was employed for the rotor, machined from a single piece of titanium. The new stage was manufactured and tested successfully, and it achieved its target flow, pressure ratio and efficiency on the first build. Detailed measurements of the internal flows using laser anemometry and high response pressure transducers were taken. Finally, these data have been analysed and used to calibrate current 3D multi-row CFD methods.

Design Optimization of Splitter Blade Impeller in a Centrifugal Pump

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunya Takao ◽  
Kentarou Hayashi ◽  
Masahiro Miyabe
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Pump ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Design Method ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Centrifugal Pumps ◽  
Unstable Flow ◽  
Rate Range ◽  
Flow Rate Range ◽  
Suction Performance

Abstract In order to improve suction performance, centrifugal pumps with an inducer are used for rocket pumps, liquid gas transport such as LNG, and general-purpose pumps. Since a higher suction performance than conventional pump is required, a splitter blade that consists of a long blade and a short blade is sometimes adopted. However, the design becomes more difficult due to the increased number of parameters. The stable operation over a wide flow rate range are required in the general-purpose pumps. Therefore it is necessary to design them so that unstable flow phenomena such as surges do not occur. However, the design method to avoid them is not well understood yet. In this study, we focused on the splitter blade impeller in a general-purpose low-speed centrifugal pump with an inducer. Six parameters such as leading edge position and trailing edge position of the short blade for both hub-side and tip-side were set as design ones. A multi-objective optimization method using a commercial software was applied to improve suction performance while maintaining high efficiency. Then obtained optimal shape were analyzed by CFD calculation and extracted the feature. Furthermore, optimized impellers were manufactured and confirmed the performance over a wide flow rate range by experiments. In addition, a optimizing design method that improves pump performance at lower cost was studied.

scholarly journals Experimental Investigation on Cavitating Flow Induced Vibration Characteristics of a Low Specific Speed Centrifugal Pump

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Gao ◽  
Pengming Guo ◽  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Zhong Li ◽  
Minguan Yang
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Band ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Local Maximum ◽  
Cavitation Number ◽  
Cavitating Flow ◽  
Vibration Characteristics ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Centrifugal Pumps ◽  
Number Range

Cavitating flow developing in the blade channels is detrimental to the stable operation of centrifugal pumps, so it is essential to detect cavitation and avoid the unexpected results. The present paper concentrates on cavitation induced vibration characteristics, and special attention is laid on vibration energy in low frequency band, 10–500 Hz. The correlation between cavitating evolution and the corresponding vibration energy in 10–500 Hz frequency band is discussed through visualization analysis. Results show that the varying trend of vibration energy in low frequency band is unique compared with the high frequency band. With cavitation number decreasing, vibration energy reaches a local maximum at a cavitation number much larger than the 3% head drop point; after that it decreases. The varying trend is closely associated with the corresponding cavitation status. With cavitation number decreasing, cavitation could be divided into four stages. The decreasing of vibration energy, in particular cavitation number range, is caused by the partial compressible cavitation structure. From cavitation induced vibration characteristics, vibration energy rises much earlier than the usual 3% head drop criterion, and it indicates that cavitation could be detected in advance and effectively by means of cavitation induced vibration characteristics.

On High-Resolution Pressure Amplitude and Phase Measurements Comparing Fast-Response Pressure Transducers and Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Bitter ◽  
Stephan Stotz ◽  
Reinhard Niehuis
Keyword(s):  
Fast Response ◽  
Pressure Amplitude ◽  
Pressure Sensitive Paint ◽  
Simultaneous Application ◽  
Pressure Transducers ◽  
Unsteady Pressure ◽  
Flow Sensing ◽  
Pressure Sensitive ◽  
Perturbation Frequency ◽  
Response Pressure

Abstract This paper presents the simultaneous application of fast-response pressure transducers and unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (unsteady PSP) for the precise determination of pressure amplitudes and phases up to 3,000 Hz. These experiments have been carried out on a low-pressure turbine blade cascade under engine-relevant conditions (Re, Ma, Tu) in the High-Speed Cascade Wind Tunnel. Periodic blade/vane interactions were simulated at the inlet to the cascade using a wake generator operating at a constant perturbation frequency of 500 Hz. The main goal of this paper is the detailed comparison of amplitude and phase distributions between both flow sensing techniques at least up to the second harmonic of the wake generator’s fundamental perturbation frequency (i.e. 1,000 Hz). Therefore, a careful assessment of the key drivers for relative deviations between measurement results as well as a detailed discussion of the data processing is presented for both measurement techniques. This discussion outlines the mandatory steps which were essential to achieve the quality as presented down to pressure amplitudes of several pascal even under challenging experimental conditions. Apart from the remarkable consistency of the results, this paper reveals the potential of (unsteady) PSP as a future key flow sensing technique in turbomachinery research, especially for cascade testing. The results demonstrate that PSP was able to successfully sense pressure dynamics with very low fluctuation amplitudes down to 8 Pa.

Effect of the Section Area of Volute in Low Specific Speed Centrifugal Pumps on Hydraulic Performance

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Zhang ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Jianhui Fu ◽  
Cui Dai ◽  
Caihong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Centrifugal Pumps ◽  
Blade Angle ◽  
Rate Condition ◽  
Section Area ◽  
Impeller Outlet ◽  
Low Specific Speed ◽  
Specific Speed ◽  
Experimental Researches

The volute of low specific speed centrifugal pumps has a great impact on the performance of the pump in that the highest efficiency can only be achieved when the impeller is matched with a well-designed volute. At off-BEP conditions, the performance of pumps declines as a consequence of a mismatch between characteristics of the impeller and the volute. The section area is the most important factor of volute. Numerical simulations and experimental researches have been carried out on the routine-designed impeller and the non-overloading designed impeller (different impeller outlet blade angle between two types of impellers) in the hope of finding out the effect of the section area of volute on low specific speed centrifugal pumps. It has been found that the uneven flow rate on different volute sections caused by the backflow between volute and impeller is one of the reasons for the efficiency decline of pumps at off-BEP conditions, especially in the low flow rate condition. It has also been found that the routine-designed impeller is more easily affected by the section area of volute than non-overloading designed impeller.

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