Design parameter to improve the suction performance of mixed-flow pump impeller

Abstract

The effect of positive- and negative-curved blade stackings on the cavitation performance of a mixed-flow pump impeller has been investigated in the present study. To this end, two types of pump impellers with different blade stackings with no significant difference in the non-cavitating hydrodynamics were compared. A numerical simulation based on the validated computational fluid dynamics code has been carried out to analyse the detailed flow dynamic phenomena in the mixed-flow pump impeller. From the predicted characteristic curves pertaining to both the stacking conditions, superior suction performance of the mixed-flow pump impeller with the negative-curved blading has been demonstrated over the normal operating flow range. The computational analysis method and a design parameter presented herein can be effectively applied to the hydraulic design optimization process of general-purpose centrifugal and mixed-flow pump impellers.

Keywords

mixed-flow pump blade stacking hydraulic performance analysis net positive suction head cavitation commercial computational fluid dynamics code

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

H. W.

Chung

M. K.

, ‘Optimum values of design variables versus specific speed for centrifugal pumps’ Proc. IMechE, Part A: J. Power and Energy 213 A3 (1999): 219–226.DOI: 10.1243/0957650991537563.

Liu

Nishi

Yoshida

, ‘Impeller geometry suitable for mini turbo-pump’ Trans. ASME J. Fluids Eng. 123 (2001): 500–506.

H. W.

Kim

K.-Y.

, ‘Conceptual design optimization of mixed-flow pump impellers using mean streamline analysis’ Proc. IMechE, Part A: J. Power and Energy 215 A1 (2001): 133–138.DOI: 10.1243/0957650011536499.

Michaelides

K. V.

Tourlidakis

Elder

R. L.

, ‘Use of CFD for the three-dimensional hydrodynamic design of vertical diffuser pumps’ In Advances of CFD in fluid machinery design (Eds Elder

R. L.

Tourlidakis

Yates

M. K.

), (Bury St Edmunds and London: Professional Engineering Publishing Limited 2003): Pp. 129–148.

H. W.

Yoon

E. S.

Kim

K. S.

Ahn

J. W.

, ‘A practical approach to the hydraulic design and performance analysis of a mixed-flow pump for marine waterjet propulsion’ Proc. IMechE, Part A: J. Power and Energy 217 A6 (2003): 659–664.

H. W.

Yoon

E. S.

, ‘Hydrodynamically detailed performance analysis of a mixed-flow waterjet pump using computational fluid dynamics’ Proc. IMechE, Part C: J. Mechanical Engineering Science 222 C9 (2008): 1861–1867.DOI: 10.1243/09544062JMES1107 Pointwise V16.02, 2009 (Pointwise, Inc.) ANSYS TurboGrid 12.0, 2009 (ANSYS, Inc.) ANSYS CFX 12.0, 2009 (ANSYS, Inc.).

Jansen

Sunderland

P. B.

, ‘Off-design performance prediction of centrifugal pumps’ Fluid Mach. Compon. ASME FED 101 (1990): 1–9.