Air-Water Two-Phase Flow Performances of Centrifugal Pump with Movable Bladed Impeller and Effects of Installing Diffuser Vanes

Abstract

It's known that pump head of centrifugal impeller with lager blade outlet angle is kept higher in air-water two phase flow condition, though the efficiency in water single phase flow condition is inferior. In the present study, a centrifugal impeller with variable blade outlet angles, that has higher efficiencies in both water single phase flow and air-water two phase flow conditions, is proposed. And the performances of the centrifugal impeller with variable blade outlet angles were experimentally investigated in both flow conditions of single and two-phase. In addition, effects of installing diffuser vanes on the performances of centrifugal pump with movable bladed impeller were also examined. The results are as follows: (1) The movable bladed impeller that proposed in this study is effective for higher efficiency in both water single phase and air-water two phase flow conditions. (2) When diffuser vanes are installed, the efficiency of movable bladed impeller decreases particularly at large water flow rate in water single-phase flow condition; (3) The performances of movable bladed impeller are improved by installing of diffuser vanes in air-water two-phase flow condition at relatively small water rate. The improvement by installing of diffuser vanes however disappears at large water flow rate.