Flow analysis in a return channel of a multi-stage centrifugal pump

Abstract

Flow recirculation is an unpleasant and even hazardous phenomenon that can cause mechanical damage in turbomachinery and has to be prevented during their operations. We numerically studied the effects of return channel blade curvature on reducing the recirculation of flow inside the return channel vanes of a multi-stage centrifugal pump. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses were performed for a wide range of volumetric flow rates. The standard k-e turbulence model was adopted as the turbulence model, and the impeller rotation simulated employing the Multiple reference frames (MRF) method. First, a baseline model together with five different modified geometries for return channel was studied and compared using a two-stage pump framework. The results reveal that decreasing the curvature of the return channel blade makes smooth streamlines and eliminates the flow recirculation inside the return channels. As the second part, two return channels with the highest pump performance were selected to be used in the simulation of a multistage pump. The simulations of the multi-stage pump show that the flow inside the baseline return channel includes considerable areas of flow recirculation, while the modified return channels again have attached flow stream. It is concluded that the return channels with the smooth curvatures and outlet blade angles above 90° remove the flow recirculation inside the return channels, resulting in higher pump efficiencies.