CAVITATING SUPPRESSION OF LOW SPECIFIC SPEED CENTRIFUGAL PUMP WITH GAP DRAINAGE BLADES

This paper aims to clarify the cavitation suppression mechanism of the gap structure impeller based on the analysis of cavitation characteristics in a low specific speed centrifugal pump. In order to obtain reliable and consistent numerical results, some numerical considerations and modeling methodology were demonstrated and researched, and a check of the time and space resolution were also conducted. Hence the predicted cavitation performance of the two centrifugal pumps were investigated and compared with experimental results, and they were in qualitative agreement. It was confirmed that the new gap structure impeller has a very good characteristic of inhibiting cavitation, especially in large flow area, the present numerical method can effectively capture the major internal flow features in the centrifugal pump, through the comparison of the two type impeller flow fields, the cavitation suppression mechanism of the gap impeller may be the combination effects of the small vice blade＇s guiding flow and gap tunnel＇s auto-balancing of pressure.

Statistical analysis of pressure fluctuations during unsteady flow for low-specific-speed centrifugal pumps

A three-dimensional transient numerical simulation was conducted to study the pressure fluctuations in low-specific-speed centrifugal pumps. The characteristics of the inner flow were investigated using the SST k-ω turbulence model. The distributions of pressure fluctuations in the impeller and the volute were recorded, and the pressure fluctuation intensity was analyzed comprehensively, at the design condition, using statistical methods. The results show that the pressure fluctuation intensity increases along the impeller streamline from the leading edge to the trailing edge. In the impeller passage, the intensity near the shroud is much higher than that near the hub at thc inlet. However, the intensity at the middle passage is almost equal to the intensity at the outlet. The pressure fluctuation intensity is the highest at the trailing edge on the pressure side and near the tongue because of the rotor-stator interaction. The distribution of pressure fluctuation intensity is symmetrical in the axial cross sections of the volute channel. However, this intensity decreases with increasing radial distance. Hence, the pressure fluctuation intensity can be reduced by modifying the geometry of the leading edge in the impeller and the tongue in the volute.