An Investigation of the Flow and Global Performance in a Water-Jet Axial Flow Pump Based on CFD and Inverse Design Method

Abstract

A new inverse design method based on non-constant distribution of circulation and axial velocity along the radial direction is used to design a pump impeller and a stator. The radial distribution of axial velocity at the design flow rate is calculated when an empirical radial distribution of circulation is given. CFD modeling of the global performance and the detailed flow field is performed using TASCflow software. A standard k-ε turbulence model combined with standard wall functions is used. A special mixing plane approach is employed to simulate the rotator-stator coupling flow field. The global performances of the water-jet pump, the radial distribution of velocity components at the exit of the impeller are also measured. Good agreement of the global performance, such as the pressure rise, the power and the efficiency, between CFD and experiment is obtained. The detailed velocity fields from inviscid analysis, CFD and experiment are compared and investigated.