Abstract
This paper presents an experimental investigation of large-scale flow-field instabilities in a centrifugal pump impeller of low specific speed. Measurements of pump hydraulic performance and flow-field in the impeller passages were made with a hydraulic test rig and a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system separately. Analyses of Q-H data and flow structures in the impeller passages were performed. Results showed that an unstable area existed in the range from 0.1QBEP to 0.6QBEP and had a close relationship with vortices in the impeller passages. With decreasing of flow rates, vortices experienced onset to expansion from 0.6QBEP to 0.1QBEP in visualization. Vu2/u2 was directly influenced by vortices between 0.1QBEP and 0.6QBEP; Vu/u2 and Vm/u2 were significantly influenced by vortices from pressure side to the middle; however the slight impact was observed from the middle to suction side. Thus the experimental results could provide important evidence for the influence of flow instabilities on pump hydraulic performance.
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