High-efficiency design optimization of a centrifugal pump

Abstract

Design optimization of a backward-curved blades centrifugal pump with specific speed of 150 has been performed to improve hydraulic performance of the pump using surrogate modeling and three-dimensional steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes analysis. The shear stress transport model was used for the analysis of turbulence. Four geometric variables defining the blade hub inlet angle, hub contours, blade outlet angle, and blade angle profile of impeller were selected as design variables, and total efficiency of the pump at design flow rate was set as the objective function for the optimization. Thirty-six design points were chosen using the Latin hypercube sampling, and three different surrogate models were constructed using the objective function values calculated at these design points. The optimal point was searched from the constructed surrogate model by using sequential quadratic programming. The optimum designs of the centrifugal pump predicted by the surrogate models show considerable increases in efficiency compared to a reference design. Performance of the best optimum design was validated compared to experimental data for total efficiency and head.