Experimental study on the flow of a mixed flow pump impeller

Abstract

Mixed flow pump is wildly used in many field, the performance of the whole pump is affected by the flow in the impeller to a great extend. To make clear the flow phenomena in the mixed flow impeller at design and off-design flow rate condition, a mixed flow unshrouded impeller was manufactured and the flow in the impeller at design and off-design flow rate was experimental measured by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in this paper. In the experiment test device, the volute was specially design and manufactured by transparent material. According to the experimental result, the distribution of time-average relatively velocity showed the velocity near blade pressure surface at design flow rate decreases and then increases from inlet to outlet of the impeller, and that near blade suction surface increase and then decreases. The velocity near the suction surface decrease from hub to casing, and the minimal velocity appears near the casing and suction surface. Near the impeller outlet, the relative velocity near blade pressure surface varies a little alone the span direction; Back-flow phenomena were found at passages outlet near casing and mid-span sections at partial flow rate. To clarify the effect of volute geometry on the velocity distribution, the flow in different impeller passages relatively to the volute tongue was test and the result showed that the velocity distribution in different passages was similar.