Relationship Between Flow Instability and Performance of a Centrifugal Pump With a Volute

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeon-Seok Shim ◽  
Kwang-Yong Kim

Abstract Flow instability and its correlations with performance characteristics were investigated for a centrifugal pump with a volute. Unsteady three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes analysis was performed to analyze the flow and performance characteristics using the shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model. The grid dependence and temporal resolution were tested to evaluate the numerical uncertainties, and the numerical solutions were validated using experimental data. The total-to-static head coefficient, the impeller's total-to-static head coefficient, and the volute static pressure recovery coefficient were selected as performance parameters. To identify the flow instability, pressure fluctuations were monitored upstream of the impeller, at the volute inlet, and on the shroud wall of the impeller. Three different types of flow instability were detected in partial-load conditions: inside the volute, upstream of the impeller, and at the interface between the impeller and volute. The time-dependent flow structures were investigated to obtain insight into the onset of the flow instability. The correlation of the onset of the flow instability with the performance curves was discussed.

Author(s):  
R B Anand ◽  
L Rai ◽  
S N Singh

The effect of the turning angle on the flow and performance characteristics of long S-shaped circular diffusers (length-inlet diameter ratio, L/Di = 11:4) having an area ratio of 1.9 and centre-line length of 600 mm has been established. The experiments are carried out for three S-shaped circular diffusers having angles of turn of 15°/15°, 22.5°/22.5° and 30°/30°. Velocity, static pressure and total pressure distributions at different planes along the length of the diffusers are measured using a five-hole impact probe. The turbulence intensity distribution at the same planes is also measured using a normal hot-wire probe. The static pressure recovery coefficients for 15°/15°, 22.5°/22.5° and 30°/30° diffusers are evaluated as 0.45, 0.40 and 0.35 respectively, whereas the ideal static pressure recovery coefficient is 0.72. The low performance is attributed to the generation of secondary flows due to geometrical curvature and additional losses as a result of the high surface roughness (~0.5 mm) of the diffusers. The pressure recovery coefficient of these circular test diffusers is comparatively lower than that of an S-shaped rectangular diffuser of nearly the same area ratio, even with a larger turning angle (90°/90°), i.e. 0.53. The total pressure loss coefficient for all the diffusers is nearly the same and seems to be independent of the angle of turn. The flow distribution is more uniform at the exit for the higher angle of turn diffusers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeon-Seok Shim ◽  
Kwang-Yong Kim

Abstract Multi-objective design optimization was applied to the impeller and volute of a centrifugal pump using surrogate-based optimization techniques and three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) analysis. The objective functions used to improve the hydraulic performance and operating stability of the pump were the hydraulic efficiency at the design condition and the flow rate at which the maximum volute pressure recovery coefficient occurs. Three design variables were selected based on the results of a sensitivity analysis: the blade outlet angle, the constants in determining the impeller outlet width, and the cross-sectional area of the volute. Using response surface approximation (RSA), surrogate models were constructed for the objective functions based on numerical results at experimental points obtained by Latin hypercube sampling (LHS). The representative Pareto-optimal solutions obtained by the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) show enhanced objective function values compared to the baseline design. The results of unsteady calculation show that the flow instability of the centrifugal pump was successfully suppressed by the optimization.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Ramadhan Al-Obaidi

AbstractIn centrifugal pumps, it is important to select appropriate turbulence model for the numerical simulation in order to obtain reliable and accurate results. In this work, ten turbulence models in 3-D transient simulation for the centrifugal pump are chosen and compared. The pump performance is validated with experimental results. The numerical results reveal that the SST turbulence model was closer to the experimental results in predicting head. In addition, the pressure variation trend for the ten models is very similar which increases and then decreases from the inlet to outlet of the pump along the streamline. The SST k-ω model predicts the performance of the pump was more accurately than other turbulent models. Furthermore, the results also found that the error is the least at design operation condition 300(l/min), which is around 1.98 % for the SST model and 2.14 % and 2.38 % for the LES and transition omega model. Within 7.61 %, the errors at higher flow rate 350(l/min) for SST. The error for SST model is smaller as compared to different turbulent models. For the Realizable k-ɛ model, the errors fluctuate were more high than other models.


2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1549-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Tan ◽  
Baoshan Zhu ◽  
Yuchuan Wang ◽  
Shuliang CAO ◽  
Shaobo Gui

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the detailed flow field and cavitation effect in the centrifugal pump volute at partial load condition. Design/methodology/approach – Unsteady flows in a centrifugal pump volute at non-cavitation and cavitation conditions are investigated by using a computation fluid dynamics framework combining the re-normalization group k-e turbulence model and the mass transport cavitation model. Findings – The flow field in pump volute is very complicated at part load condition with large pressure gradient and intensive vortex movement. Under cavitation conditions, the dominant frequency for most of the monitoring points in volute transit from the blade passing frequency to a lower frequency. Generally, the maximum amplitudes of pressure fluctuations in volute at serious cavitation condition is twice than that at non-cavitation condition because of the violent disturbances caused by cavitation shedding and explosion. Originality/value – The detailed flow field and cavitation effect in the centrifugal pump volute at partial load condition are revealed and analysed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 608-609 ◽  
pp. 66-70
Author(s):  
Jun Wang

Through the ship flow field of centrifugal pump that can be numerical simulation of three-dimensional turbulent, the paper reveals the pump flow pressure and velocity distribution. It also introduces the function of hardware and module testing system, according to the centrifugal pump performance test data, to achieve the minimum two multiplication curve fitting module using VC programming, curve fitting for the transformed data, the results show that the system is running stable, and convenient operation in the test process, simple maintenance and high reliability.


2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rau´l Barrio ◽  
Jorge Parrondo ◽  
Eduardo Blanco ◽  
Joaqui´n Ferna´ndez

A numerical study is presented on the unsteady flow at the tongue region of a single suction volute-type centrifugal pump with a specific speed of 0.46. The flow through the pump, available at laboratory, was simulated by means of a commercial CFD software that solved the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations for three-dimensional unsteady flow (3D-URANS). A sensitivity analysis of the numerical model was carried out and the numerical predictions were compared with previous experimental results of both global and unsteady variables. Once validated, the model was used to study the flow pulsations associated to the interaction between the impeller blades and the volute tongue as a function of the flow rate, from partial load to overload. The study allowed relating the passage of the impeller blades with the tangential and radial velocity pulsations at some reference positions and with the pressure pulsations at the tongue region.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeta A. Mandhare ◽  
K. Karunamurthy ◽  
Saleel Ismail

Centrifugal pumps are one of the significant consumers of electricity and are one of the most commonly encountered rotodynamic machines in domestic and industrial applications. Centrifugal pumps operating at off-design conditions are often subject to different periodic flow randomness, which in turn hampers functionality and performance of the pump. These limitations can be overcome by modification in the conventional design of different components of a centrifugal pump, which can assuage flow randomness and instabilities, reconstitute flow pattern and minimize hydraulic flow losses. In this article, flow vulnerabilities like pressure and flow inconsistency, recirculation, boundary layer separation, adverse rotor–stator interaction, and the effects on operation and performance of a centrifugal pump are reviewed. This article also aims to review design modification attempts made by different researchers such as impeller trimming, rounding, geometry modification of different components, providing microgrooves on the impeller and others. Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that some design modifications of the impeller, diffuser, and casing result in improvement of functionality, efficiency, and reduction in pressure fluctuations, flow recirculation, and vibrations. Design modifications should improve the performance without hampering functionality and useful operational range of the pump. Considerable research is still necessary to continue understanding and correlating flow physics and design modifications for the pump impeller, diffuser, and casing.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document